Comparison

RoutineGuide vs Begun

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

Head to head
About

RoutineGuide

Features
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Follow your routine, one step at a time. RoutineGuide turns everyday routines into a sequence you can follow. Plan a morning start, an evening wind-down or any other part of your day, then focus on the step in front of you. BUILD A ROUTINE THAT FITS Create a routine and add the steps you want to follow in order. Give a step a timer when it needs one, run one routine inside another, and adjust as your day changes. KEEP YOUR LIBRARY SIMPLE Routines and steps live side by side in one Library. A step can belong to a routine or stand on its own, so you don't have to turn everything into a routine. PLAN YOUR DAY Today shows the routines scheduled for the day, with a week picker to look ahead. Reminders, widgets and Live Activities keep the next step close. FOLLOW ALONG AND REFLECT Move through your routine one step at a time, then look back at your activity, streaks and progress. FIND IDEAS AND OPTIONAL SUPPORT Browse Discover for routine ideas. If you'd like company, connect with friends and cheer each other on. Social features are optional, and every routine can be kept private. ON ALL YOUR DEVICES Your routines sync through iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. FREE TO DOWNLOAD, OPTIONAL PRO RoutineGuide is free to download. Optional Pro subscriptions and a lifetime purchase are available in the app; the app shows what is included and the current price. Privacy policy: https://routine-guide.vercel.app/privacy Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Begun

Features
Read full description

You don't need another to-do list. You need one thing. Just one. Begun is the daily progress journal for people who are tired of productivity apps that make them feel worse. No 47-item task lists. No guilt. Just one goal a day and a beautiful circle that fills as you make progress. Pick your one thing. Start. That's it. You're already ahead. HOW IT WORKS 1. Set one goal for today 2. Slide to track your progress from 0% to 100% 3. Watch your streak and consistency grow Three steps. No learning curve. No setup. Open the app and go. PROGRESS THAT FEELS GOOD A single progress circle fills as your day unfolds. Slide it forward whenever you make progress โ€” even a little. Hit 100% and confetti rains down. Because you earned that moment. Begun doesn't wait until you finish to celebrate. Even 10% means you showed up. And showing up is everything. INSIGHTS THAT KEEP YOU GOING - Day grids that reveal your consistency at a glance โ€” like a contribution graph for your life - Progress charts across 7, 14, 30, or 90+ days so you can see how far you've come - A streak counter that makes you not want to break the chain - Achievements that unlock as your momentum builds REMINDERS WITHOUT THE GUILT Smart reminders nudge you gently throughout the day โ€” and stop the moment you're done. No guilt trips. No nagging. Just a calm tap on the shoulder from an app that actually respects your attention. ADHD-FRIENDLY BY DESIGN Begun was built for brains that get overwhelmed by everything else. One goal. One circle. One day at a time. No cluttered dashboards, no decision fatigue, no endless configuration. Just open the app and breathe. If you've ever abandoned a habit tracker by day three โ€” this is the app that finally sticks. YOUR STORY, YOUR PRIVACY Begun knows your name, greets you differently at morning and night, and keeps a searchable journal of every goal you've ever set. Your journal stays private. No account. No cloud. Just you and your progress. Starting is the hardest part. Begun makes it the easiest. --- You can read the terms of use and privacy policy here: https://adamcziko.com/begun-privacy-policy-and-terms-of-use/ The app includes a premium subscription possibility. The subscription is automatically renewed after each subscription period. Want to get to know more about your current subscription, or you want to cancel it? You can get all the information by visiting the following page: https://support.apple.com/HT202039

Screenshots

RoutineGuide4 screens
Begun4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: RoutineGuide at none against Begun's shown. Begun's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. RoutineGuide sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Begun sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RoutineGuide ships an update every 2 months, Begun every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
RoutineGuide versus Begun: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRoutineGuideBegun
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 weeks โ€” better
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch โ€” betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.013.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size48 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJostein DyrsethAdam Cziko

In-app purchases

3 purchases

RoutineGuide

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$3.991 Month
  • Annual Pro$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$59.99
2 purchases

Begun

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plan7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual Plan7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is RoutineGuide free?
RoutineGuide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Begun free?
Begun is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RoutineGuide or Begun have ads?
Begun shows ads; RoutineGuide does not.
Which is updated more often, RoutineGuide or Begun?
RoutineGuide ships an update every 2 months, and Begun every 4 weeks. Most recently, RoutineGuide was updated on October 24, 2026 and Begun on October 19, 2026.

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