Comparison

Steps vs Liminal

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

Head to head
About

Steps

Features
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Stop procrastinating. Start moving. Steps gives your daily walk a deadline. Set a step goal and a cutoff time. If you reach your goal before the deadline, everything stays unlocked. If you don’t, your selected apps lock until tomorrow. It’s a simple system that removes excuses and keeps you accountable. How does it work? 1. Set your daily step goal 2. Choose a deadline for the day 3. Pick the apps you want locked if you miss it Now your day has a rule: β€’ Walk before the deadline. β€’ Reach your goal and your apps stay unlocked. β€’ Miss it and they lock until the next day. Designed to prevent procrastination! Many people plan to walk later… and never do. Steps fixes that by giving your activity a clear deadline and consequence. Instead of saying β€œI’ll walk later”, you’ll find yourself thinking: β€œI should go now.” Stay motivated β€’ Live step tracking β€’ Time remaining until your deadline β€’ Daily streak tracking β€’ Weekly step progress β€’ A monster that reacts to your progress Emergency Unblocks Need access unexpectedly? You get a small number of emergency unblocks each week. Use them wisely. Walk now. Not later.

About

Liminal

Features
Read full description

DOPAMINE DETOX, WITHOUT THE EXTREMES. Your brain has been overstimulated to the point where real life feels flat. Scrolling doesn't satisfy. Rest doesn't restore. Liminal is the dopamine reset app for burned out, brain fogged minds. Not a digital detox that asks you to throw your phone away. A daily recalibration practice that fits into your real life. HOW THE DOPAMINE RESET WORKS Constant high stimulation inputs flood your brain's reward system until ordinary experiences stop feeling rewarding. That's dopamine overstimulation, the root cause of modern burnout, brain fog, and the feeling that nothing is ever enough. Liminal fixes this with short, real world rituals. Each one targets a specific attention system, gently retraining your brain to find reward in nature, stillness, movement, and presence. No fasting. No extremes. Just consistent small resets that compound over time. WHAT YOU GET FOR FREE β€’ 3 Daily Rituals β€” A fresh selection of Nature, Sensory, Presence, and Movement rituals every day. Each includes a built-in timer and a plain English explanation of why it works. β€’ Presence Ring β€” Your daily visual anchor. Complete rituals and log real world activities to close the ring. One small action at a time. β€’ Activity Logging β€” Log time across 6 presence pillars: Outdoors, Reading, Meditation, Journaling, Exercise, and Family Time. β€’ Presence Journal β€” A searchable, mood tagged journal built for foggy days. Write freely, track your mood, and build a streak without pressure. β€’ Daily Insights β€” Personalised reflections that show what you actually did, not just what you didn't. β€’ Outdoor Time Tracking β€” Set weekly and annual goals for time spent outside and track your progress. Liminal encourages spending time outdoors. β€’ Streaks & XP β€” Earn experience points for every real world action. Build consistency and watch your streak grow. LIMINAL PREMIUM Upgrade to unlock the full dopamine reset toolkit: β€’ Programmes β€” Structured multi day reset plans, each built around a specific goal. A curated sequence of rituals delivered one day at a time, so you always know what to do next. β€’ Unlimited Daily Rituals β€” Access all 192 rituals, any time, as many as you want. No daily cap. β€’ Full Ritual Library β€” Browse and filter all 192 rituals by category and duration. Build your own practice from the complete collection. β€’ Family Outdoor Tracking β€” Add family members, set individual goals, and log outdoor time together. A healthy reset is better shared. β€’ Cloud Sync β€” Your rituals, journal, streaks, and progress sync seamlessly across all your devices. β€’ Smart Presence Reminders β€” Gentle daily nudges that remind you to step away from the screen and do something real. Premium is $4.99/month or $49.99/year. Includes a 7-day free trial β€” no charge until the trial ends. DESIGNED FOR REAL LIFE Every ritual works anywhere. No equipment. No perfect conditions. Just one minute of real attention. Feeling flat after hours of scrolling? Try a 60-second sensory reset. Brain fog making it hard to focus? A 5-minute movement ritual can shift your entire state. Burned out and overstimulated by everything? A 10-minute presence session reconnects you to calm. WHO IT'S FOR Liminal is built for anyone who is: β€” Feeling overstimulated, burned out, or mentally foggy β€” Struggling with dopamine addiction from screens and social media β€” Looking for a practical dopamine detox without going off-grid β€” Wanting to restore calm, focus, and mindfulness in daily life β€” A parent wanting to model healthy digital habits for their children Download Liminal free today. Start with one ritual. One minute. You have nothing to lose β€” and a clearer, calmer mind to gain. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Steps3 screens
Liminal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Steps at none against Liminal's 2. Steps also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). Liminal's advantage is iOS requirement (17.2 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. Liminal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Steps asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Steps ships an update daily, Liminal every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Steps versus Liminal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStepsLiminal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily β€” betterEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad β€” better
Requires iOS26.017.2 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size6 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnthony Duenez RamirezWidatalla Awadalla

In-app purchases

None

Steps

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Liminal

Subscriptions2
  • Liminal monthly subscription7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Liminal Premium 1 year subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Steps free?
Steps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Liminal free?
Liminal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Steps or Liminal have ads?
Neither Steps nor Liminal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Steps or Liminal?
Steps ships an update daily, and Liminal every 3 days. Most recently, Steps was updated on October 25, 2026 and Liminal on October 28, 2026.

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