Comparison

CommitNow vs ByWhen

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

Head to head
About

CommitNow

Features
Read full description

Stop Negotiating. Start Executing. "Build unbreakable habits with our powerful commitment tracking app. Set goals, stay accountable, and watch your dedication pay off. New Apple Watch companion keeps you motivated on-the-go, while flexible monthly subscriptions and shareable proof of achievements make staying committed easier than ever." Most productivity apps suggest you work. CommitNow makes it impossible not to. CommitNow is a hyper-focus enforcement tool designed for high performers, chronic procrastinators, and anyone tired of breaking promises to themselves. We replace endless, ignored to-do lists with a single, visceral countdown that demands your attention. WHY IT WORKS: VISCERAL URGENCY The interface shifts from calm, cool tones to a pulsing, urgent red as your deadline approaches. You don't just see the time passingβ€”you feel the pressure to perform. CRITICAL ALERTS (Pro) The "Nuclear Option" for accountability. If you fail a commitment, the alarm is designed to get your attention. Failure is audible. You literally cannot ignore your deadline. LIVE ACTIVITIES & DYNAMIC ISLAND Keep your deadline front and center on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Your commitment follows you everywhere, preventing "doomscrolling" and keeping you locked into your flow state. CONTROL CENTER & WIDGETS Start a deep work session in seconds directly from your Control Center (iOS 18) or Home Screen widgets. Friction-free focus entry for maximum efficiency. ACCOUNTABILITY LOG A raw, unfiltered history of your wins and losses. Track your streak and share your success cards on social media to build social pressure and celebrate your discipline. CORE FEATURES: Singular Focus Engine: One task. One goal. Zero distractions. Interactive Widgets: Beautiful Home Screen tracking at a glance. Strict "No Pause" Philosophy: Once you commit, you finish. No excuses. Dopamine-Rich UI: Stunning success animations and premium haptic feedback. Minimalist Design: Gesture-based interface built for speed. PRICING: CommitNow offers a generous free tier to get you started (up to 3 goals). Upgrade to Pro for Unlimited Goals, Critical Alerts, and Custom App Icons. Stop negotiating. Start committing. Download CommitNow today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ByWhen

Features
Read full description

A deadline is not just a date. It is a promise your future self needs help keeping. ByWhen helps you turn important tasks into practical reminder plans. Instead of relying on one alert, ByWhen looks at what needs to be done, when it is due, how long it may take, what kind of attention it needs, and when your day has realistic space for it. Add a task, set the due date, estimate the effort, choose the task type, and ByWhen helps you stay aware of the work before it turns into last-minute pressure. ByWhen is built for: - Work projects with real due dates - Assignments, exams, and study sessions - Calls, forms, paperwork, and admin tasks - Errands that need time away from home or work - Personal tasks that are easy to postpone - Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and selected-day routines DEADLINE PLANS ByWhen helps you think beyond a simple due date. It considers time remaining, estimated effort, task priority, task type, and available windows in your day. A short call can fit differently than a focused work session. An errand that requires leaving home can be treated differently from a quick task you can do during a break. REMINDERS WITH CONTEXT ByWhen keeps the deadline visible as time passes. It highlights whether a task is on track, needs attention, is at risk, or has become critical. If you do not act on a reminder right away, the task remains part of your plan so you can return to it later. OPEN-TIME PLANNING With your permission, ByWhen can use calendar busy blocks to avoid suggesting times that are already occupied. You can choose what to include, ignore imported blocks, and keep control of your schedule. ROUTINE SETTINGS Set your wake time, sleep time, work hours, and workdays so reminder timing fits your real life. ByWhen can avoid unhelpful times and protect parts of the day when reminders would not make sense. TASK TYPES Different tasks need different kinds of time. ByWhen supports task types such as focused work, admin, calls, study, errands, and away-from-home tasks. This helps ByWhen suggest more realistic moments instead of treating every reminder the same way. REPEATING TASKS Create repeating tasks for daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or selected days of the week. When you complete a repeating task, ByWhen moves the next cycle forward so you are not reminded again for the period you already finished. QUICK ACTIONS Act from a reminder when possible. Start work, be reminded later, log time, or mark the task done so your plan can stay up to date. PRIVATE BY DESIGN ByWhen is built with privacy in mind. Your tasks, schedule blocks, routine settings, and reminder plans stay on your device. No account is required to start. If you choose to export a backup, it goes to your own selected destination. BYWHEN PREMIUM Your first 7 days are ByWhen Premium. During this time, all smart planning features are available. ByWhen Premium keeps every reminder active and unlocks the full planning experience, including unlimited active reminders, deadline plans, open-time planning, task-specific reminder styles, repeating tasks, quick actions, and routine personalization. After the first 7 days, your reminders stay safe, but Premium is required to keep all smart reminders active. Download ByWhen and give your deadlines a plan you can trust. Privacy Policy: https://nionlite.com/bywhen-privacy.html Terms of Use: https://nionlite.com/bywhen-terms.html

Screenshots

CommitNow4 screens
ByWhen4 screens

Verdict

The call

CommitNow and ByWhen are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters β€” price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them β€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. CommitNow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and ByWhen sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
CommitNow versus ByWhen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCommitNowByWhen
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.6 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size6 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEdward LufadejuNiONlite LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

CommitNow

Subscriptions2
  • CommitNow Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • CommitNow Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • CommitNow Pro Lifetime$49.99
2 purchases

ByWhen

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium$4.991 Month
  • Annual Premium$39.991 Year

Questions

Is CommitNow free?
CommitNow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ByWhen free?
ByWhen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CommitNow or ByWhen have ads?
Neither CommitNow nor ByWhen shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CommitNow or ByWhen?
CommitNow ships an update every 3 days, and ByWhen every 3 days. Most recently, CommitNow was updated on September 15, 2026 and ByWhen on September 18, 2026.

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