Comparison

Read This When vs Tension

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Read This When

Features
Read full description

Read This When helps you find the right words when you need them most. Get personalised daily quotes matched to your emotions, discover your Wellness Score, track your mood patterns, and build lasting healthy habits. YOUR WELLNESS SCORE • Answer 10 simple questions to discover your starting Wellness Score • Watch your score grow each week as you build healthy habits • Progress through 21 tiers from "Awakening" to "Zenith" • Track your journey and progress • Reveal your updated score every Sunday PERSONALISED JUST FOR YOU • Choose 4-5 "resonance words" that match your emotional needs (calm, strength, hope, brave, worthy and more) • Receive daily quotes from our library of carefully curated messages • Get exactly what you need to hear, when you need to hear it EARN ACHIEVEMENTS • Collect Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond badges • Unlock milestones for consistency, technique mastery, journaling and more • Celebrate your progress with animated celebrations • Track your collection across multiple categories TRACK YOUR EMOTIONAL WELLNESS • Simple daily mood tracking to spot patterns over time • Private journal entries for reflection and self-discovery • Weekly and monthly insights to understand what affects your mood BUILD HEALTHY HABITS • 10 science-backed therapeutic techniques rotated daily • Track habits that support your wellness journey • Smart reminders so you never miss a day BEAUTIFUL & CALMING • Thoughtfully designed dark interface for comfort • Soothing colour palette designed for emotional wellbeing • Clean, distraction-free experience PRIVACY-FIRST DESIGN • Database-level security ensures only you can access your information • No adverts, no tracking, no selling your data • Cloud sync keeps your data safe and accessible across devices SUBSCRIPTION INFO Choose the plan that works for you: • Monthly: £5.99/month • Annual: £49.99/year (save over 30% + get a 3-day free trial) Your subscription supports ongoing development and keeps the app advert-free. Cancel anytime in your App Store settings. Start your wellness journey today. IMPORTANT NOTE - NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR THERAPY This app is a self-care and emotional wellness tool. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis or need professional support, please contact a qualified therapist or crisis helpline. Privacy Policy: https://www.readthiswhen.com/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.readthiswhen.com/terms-of-service

About

Tension

Features
Read full description

Tension — Train Smarter. Send Harder! Features - Tension has a dedicated hangboard system with a full library of exercises covering every grip and protocol you need and the option to create custom exercises - Each hang is timed automatically — set your hold duration, rest between reps, and rest between sets. Tension counts it down with audio cues so you stay locked in. - Tension lets you log every workout with precision — recording sets, reps, weight, body weight, intensity, and personal notes. Review your entire training history at a glance and edit past entries whenever needed. - Tension automatically estimates your 1-Rep Max for every exercise — including timed hangs — using a formula that accounts for hold duration. Track your finger strength, pulling power, and lock-off strength over time with clean trend charts. Run dedicated **benchmark tests** to measure your true max and watch it progress across months. - Build multi-week training programs structured around your project goals. Assign exercises by week and day, set benchmark test weeks, and track completion as you go. Reorder with drag-and-drop, copy weeks to save time, and keep every training block organized from start to finish. - Weekly charts break down your volume by sets, weight, or time — grouped by exercise group (Hangboard, Pull, Core, Antagonist) or individual exercise. Spot when your finger training is lagging, when you're overdoing pulling volume before a trip, or when a training block is paying off. Subscription pricing & Terms Tension is free to download. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Read This When4 screens
Tension2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Read This When at fortnightly against Tension's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Read This When sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Tension sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Read This When ships an update fortnightly, Tension every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Read This When versus Tension: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRead This WhenTension
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB114 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperMATHEW JAMES GRADWELLNiels de Brabander

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Read This When

Subscriptions2
  • RTW - Monthly$6.991 Month
  • RTW - Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
2 purchases

Tension

Subscriptions1
  • Yearly subscription14 Days trial$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • Tension for Life$12.99

Questions

Is Read This When free?
Read This When is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tension free?
Tension is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Read This When or Tension have ads?
Neither Read This When nor Tension shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Read This When or Tension?
Read This When ships an update fortnightly, and Tension every 2 months. Most recently, Read This When was updated on October 6, 2026 and Tension on October 12, 2026.

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