Comparison

Intent vs Held

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

Head to head
About

Intent

This minimalist app helps you build discipline and consistency through simple habit tracking and a deep work focus timer. It aims to reduce distractions and promote clarity for users serious about self-improvement and long-term growth.

Highlights
  • Habit tracking
  • Deep work focus timer
  • Streak system
  • Dopamine aware design
  • Minimalist interface
  • Build discipline
  • Increase focus
Features
Read full description

Intent is a minimalist habit and focus tracker built for people who want discipline, clarity, and real progress. Most productivity apps overwhelm you with features you never use. Too much noise. Not enough consistency. Intent keeps it simple. Track daily habits. Build streaks. Train deep work. Strengthen self control. Stay consistent. No clutter. No distractions. Just execution. WHY INTENT WORKS • Habit tracking that stays simple Build routines that stick without complexity. • Deep work focus timer Train your attention and reduce distractions. • Streak system Measure consistency and build discipline over time. • Dopamine aware design Spend less time reacting. More time improving. • Clean minimalist interface Designed for clarity and focus. WHO IT’S FOR Anyone serious about: • building discipline • improving productivity • increasing focus • reducing distractions • strengthening daily routines • committing to long term self growth If you want structure without overwhelm, Intent helps you focus on what actually moves your life forward. Have ideas or questions? Email us at team@getintent.org. TERMS: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ *ACCESSING INTENT FEATURES REQUIRE A SUBSCRIPTION

About

Held

This app helps you achieve your goals by making them public and accountable. Set deadlines, choose a witness, and receive regular check-ins and reminders to stay on track. Your progress is recorded in an honest ledger, ensuring permanent verdicts on your commitments.

Highlights
  • Set goals with deadlines and witnesses
  • Daily or weekly check-ins
  • Honest progress ledger
  • Customizable reminders
  • Private by design, no account needed
  • JSON data export
  • Stakes and renegotiation options
Features
Read full description

Goals fail quietly. Held makes them loud. A goal doesn't exist here until it has a deadline and a witness — someone you name, who gets your commitment in writing. Held walks you through it in three steps: the goal, the timeline, the person who will hold you to it. Give it a photograph too, if you want one. Then it sends your commitment through your own Messages or Mail, and the clock starts. THE DAY MARKER Open the app and one number faces you: the day you're on, out of the days you have. No dashboards, no confetti. Just the count. CHECK-INS ON A FIXED CADENCE Daily or weekly — you pick the rhythm when you commit. On check-in days Held asks for three honest things: on track, behind, or done; one line of progress; one next step. Add a photograph too, if you want one. Then it composes the message to your witness. You send it yourself. AN HONEST LEDGER Miss a check-in and it goes on the record. It stays on the record, and your next message to your witness owns up to it. Any photograph you added sits beside that day's line. On deadline day the ledger demands a verdict: kept or missed. Verdicts are permanent. REMINDERS THAT HOLD YOU TO IT A reminder on every check-in day, at the hour you choose. An evening nudge if the check-in is still open. A warning three days from the deadline, another the day before, and a final one when the ledger wants its verdict. Optional daily nudges for weekly goals. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No backend. No analytics. Everything lives on your device, with JSON export whenever you want your data. Held never sends anything on your behalf — every message goes out through your own apps, in your own name. Also: a progress bar on every goal, renegotiation (changing a deal means telling your witness first), stakes ("if I miss, I owe Sandy a spa day"), multiple goals and witnesses, and an interface with nothing to fiddle with. Put something on the line.

Screenshots

Intent4 screens
Held4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Held at 100% against Intent's 33%. Held also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Intent's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (211 vs 4). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Intent sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Held asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Held holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Intent has 211 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Intent's written reviews are positive against 100% of Held's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Intent ships an update every 3 days, Held every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Intent versus Held: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIntentHeld
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (211 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings211 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size110 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNeuro Apps, LLCTheodor Younany

Customer experience

Intent

All ratings213 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral0.9%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Held

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Intent

Subscriptions10
  • Intent Plus3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Intent Plus$6.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Intent Plus$9.991 Year
  • Intent Plus$19.991 Year
  • Intent Plus3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Intent Annual Subscription$29.991 Year
  • Intent Plus$34.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription$39.991 Year
None

Held

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Intent free?
Intent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Held free?
Held is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Intent or Held?
Held is rated higher. Intent averages 4.8 out of 5 from 211 ratings, while Held averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Intent or Held have ads?
Neither Intent nor Held shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Intent or Held?
Intent ships an update every 3 days, and Held every 3 weeks. Most recently, Intent was updated on October 30, 2026 and Held on October 31, 2026.

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