Comparison

Timely vs Close The Loops

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

Head to head
About

Timely

Features
Read full description

Timely puts countdowns on your Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, Apple Watch, and Mac, so the remaining time is always in sight even while your phone is locked.

 When you add a location to a countdown, Timely accounts for traffic, prep time and how early you want to arrive. When it’s time to go, start turn-by-turn navigation with a tap, even for multi-stop trips.

 Adding new countdowns is fast and easy. You can even pick an event right from your calendar.

 Timely can be automated through the Shortcuts app. Add countdowns automatically without opening the app, or even unlocking your phone.

 Every countdown gets an emoji. Private, on-device AI picks one based on your title, while still making it easy to choose your own.

 Built by one independent developer. There are no ads and no accounts. Timely Plus adds extended Shortcuts actions and server-assisted Live Activity starts and dismissals.

 Timely can be particularly useful for people with ADHD or time blindness, as well as anyone who finds abstract clock times difficult to hold in mind.

 Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.rowanstrang.com/timely/privacy

About

Close The Loops

Features
Read full description

Close The Loop β€” Task Circles That Actually Close Most task apps give you a list. Close The Loop gives you a picture. Every goal becomes an animated circle that fills in as you complete the steps inside it β€” and snaps shut the moment you're done. See your momentum, not just your backlog. Each loop shows exactly how much is left. Subtasks animate into place as you check them off, giving you the satisfying visual proof that you're making real progress β€” not just moving items around. Know your capacity before you overcommit. Set your weekly hour budget, then watch Close The Loop flag you when your open loops are pushing past it. Every subtask carries a time estimate, and the app totals it up so you can plan honestly instead of optimistically. One place for now, next, and someday. Active loops live on your home screen. Loops you're not ready for yet go to the Backlog β€” out of the way, but never forgotten. When the time is right, move them to open with a tap. Built for how you actually work. Animated loop rings that fill as subtasks complete Per-subtask time estimates with a live capacity bar Backlog stage to park work without losing it Daily push notification reminders at the hour you choose Full dark and light mode, switching automatically with your system Avatar and profile personalization Analytics dashboard showing completion streaks and trends Multi-device sync β€” start on one phone, pick up on another Free for 30 days. Then just $1.99/month. Everything is included in the trial β€” no feature gates, no artificial limits. After 30 days, keep full access for less than a coffee a month. License: Standard end-user license agreement as described by Apple and Google (the "Standard EULA" terms specified by Apple apply in addition to these Terms for App Store users) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/. Terms: https://closetheloops.laladynamics.com/terms

Screenshots

Timely4 screens
Close The Loops4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Timely at every 11 days against Close The Loops's every 3 months. Close The Loops's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Timely sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Close The Loops sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Timely ships an update every 11 days, Close The Loops every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Timely versus Close The Loops: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTimelyClose The Loops
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 11 days β€” betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS26.015.1 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size29 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperROWAN STRANGCraftschoolship

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Timely

Subscriptions2
  • Timely Plus (Monthly)$0.991 Month
  • Timely Plus (Yearly)$8.991 Year
One-time2
  • Add Countdown Extended$12.99
  • Refresh Timely$12.99
1 purchases

Close The Loops

Subscriptions1
  • Close The Loop Premium1 Month trial$1.991 Month

Questions

Is Timely free?
Timely is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Close The Loops free?
Close The Loops is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Timely or Close The Loops have ads?
Neither Timely nor Close The Loops shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Timely or Close The Loops?
Timely ships an update every 11 days, and Close The Loops every 3 months. Most recently, Timely was updated on October 28, 2026 and Close The Loops on October 31, 2026.

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