Comparison

ARC vs Stack

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

Head to head
About

ARC

Features
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Life doesn't change gradually. It changes in seasons. Arc is for people ready to transform โ€” not forever, but for a focused period of intensity. Define your arc. Set your rules. Rise, conquer, evolve. โ€” HOW IT WORKS 1. Create your arc Name your transformation. Set a duration (30, 60, 75, 90 days or open-ended). Define your conquest โ€” the person you're becoming. 2. Set your rules and dailies Rules are boundaries you won't cross. Dailies are battles you'll win every single day. No exceptions. 3. Choose your mentor Napoleon. Marcus Aurelius. Genghis Khan. Alexander the Great. Miyamoto Musashi. Or the limited Fire Horse 2026. Their wisdom arrives daily. 4. Live it. Document it. Check in daily. Capture photos. Track your streak. Reach milestones. Use shadow days when you struggle โ€” because struggle is part of the journey. 5. Complete your arc A ceremony. A reflection. Victory earned, never given. Then rest. Integrate. Begin again when you're ready. โ€” WHY ARC IS DIFFERENT โ†’ Arcs end. Unlike habit apps that want you hooked forever, Arc celebrates completion. Finish your arc. Rest. Transform again. โ†’ Freedom through focus. No infinite guilt. No shame. Just intentional seasons of discipline followed by integration. โ†’ Stoic wisdom, daily. Your mentor's quotes arrive each morning. Ancient wisdom for modern battles. โ†’ Shadow days. 3 days per arc where you can fall short. Because transformation includes struggle. The shadow is part of the journey. โ†’ No social comparison. No followers. No likes. Just encouragement from fellow conquerors walking their own path. โ€” THE PATRON MODEL Your first arc is free. Sponsored by someone who believed in transformation before they knew you. When you're ready, become a Patron. Your payment unlocks unlimited arcs for you โ€” and sponsors strangers waiting in the queue to begin their journey. Every dollar spent creates transformation. For you and for others. โ€” FEATURES - Define custom rules and dailies - 6 legendary mentors with daily quotes - Photo documentation of your journey - Milestone celebrations - Streak tracking - Shadow days for human moments - Completion ceremonies - Shareable victory cards - Discover feed for inspiration - Home screen and lock screen widgets - Offline-first โ€” works anywhere - Dark mode only โ€” because this is serious โ€” 2026 IS THE YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE The first since 1966. A year of passion, transformation, and breaking barriers. The Fire Horse mentor theme is only available during this zodiac year. Your arc awaits. Rise. Conquer. Evolve. Questions? Reach us at contact@try-arc.app Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Stack

Features
Read full description

Stack is a routine execution system for people who already know what they should be doing. You have a supplement stack. A skincare routine. A training programme. The problem isn't information, it's execution. Stack turns everything you already have into a clean daily checklist, then gets out of your way. IMPORT ANYTHING Paste your routine as raw text like notes, a WhatsApp message, a list, an AI summary. Stack reads it and builds your structured routine automatically. No templates. No manual entry. Just paste and go. TODAY VIEW Every block due today appears in one flat list, in order. Morning supplements. Evening skincare. Push day. You open the app, work through the list, and close it. That's the entire interaction. PROTOCOLS LIBRARY All your routines live in one place. Skincare, Supplements, Fitness, anything else. Each protocol shows how many steps are scheduled today and your current completion rate. Tap in to drill down to individual steps. HISTORY LOG Look back at any day. See exactly what you completed, what you skipped, and any notes you added. Useful for spotting patterns over time like realising you always miss Tuesday evening. INSIGHTS Weekly and monthly adherence charts with AI-generated analysis. Stack looks at your completion data across all protocols and surfaces specific, actionable observations, not generic encouragement. BUILT FOR PROTOCOL PEOPLE Stack is not a habit-building app. There are no streaks, no badges, no motivational quotes. It assumes you already have the discipline. It just removes the friction between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Works with any routine: supplements, skincare, training splits, mobility work, morning shakes, medication, meal prep. If it has steps, Stack can hold it. Dark and light mode. Notification reminders. Cloud sync across devices. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://getstackapp.xyz/privacy Stack Terms: https://getstackapp.xyz/terms

Screenshots

ARC4 screens
Stack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Stack at 15.1 against ARC's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. ARC sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Stack sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ARC ships an update every 4 days, Stack every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and June 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
ARC versus Stack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARCStack
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days โ€” betterEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch โ€” better
Requires iOS17.015.1 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size60 MB62 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMartin CondetNaveen Senapathi

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ARC

One-time3
  • Patron$9.99
  • Commander$29.99
  • Conqueror$99.99
3 purchases

Stack

Subscriptions2
  • Stack Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Stack Pro Annual1 Month trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Stack Pro Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is ARC free?
ARC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stack free?
Stack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ARC or Stack have ads?
Neither ARC nor Stack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ARC or Stack?
ARC ships an update every 4 days, and Stack every 6 days. Most recently, ARC was updated on September 5, 2026 and Stack on June 12, 2026.

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