Comparison

Tempo vs Ideas Pool

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

Head to head
About

Tempo

This app transforms countdown timers into clear visual progress indicators, helping you stay focused on tasks like work, study, or cooking. It offers multiple visualization options and a distraction-free interface, working reliably offline without requiring an account.

Highlights
  • Multiple visualization options
  • Clean, distraction-free interface
  • Works offline
  • No account setup
  • Reliable background operation
  • Privacy-focused
Features
Read full description

If you have ever looked up and lost an hour, you do not need another number counting down. You need to see time move. Tempo turns time into something you can watch. A dandelion loses its seeds. An eclipse closes over. A snowman gives in to the sun. Glance at your phone from across the room and you know how much is left — no reading, no math. BUILT FOR TIME BLINDNESS Numbers are abstract. If your brain does not track elapsed time on its own, "20 minutes" means nothing until it is already gone. Tempo makes time spatial instead, so you feel it draining rather than having to calculate it. FROM ONE MINUTE TO ONE YEAR Most timers stop at an hour. Tempo has six scales: • MINUTE — a focus sprint or a short break • HOUR — the meeting, the work block • DAY — how much of today is actually left • MONTH — the deadline that still feels far away • SEASON (Pro) — the three months you keep meaning to use • YEAR — the one nobody shows you The longer scales run live against the real calendar. Open Tempo in October and the year is already most of the way gone. That is not a gimmick — for anyone who loses whole weeks, seeing it is the point. SEVEN VISUALIZATIONS Dandelion, Dots, Eclipse, Ember, Sand, Snowman, and Thunderstorm. Pick the one your brain actually reads, and set it as your default. ON YOUR WRIST AND LOCK SCREEN An Apple Watch app and Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets keep your current scale in view without opening anything — so checking the time stops being the distraction. BUILT TO STAY QUIET • No account, no sign-up, no email • Works entirely offline • No streaks, no badges, no guilt mechanics • No ads, ever Tempo will not fix your relationship with time. It just makes time visible, so the hours stop disappearing without warning. Free: the Dots visualization and five of the six scales — MINUTE, HOUR, DAY, MONTH, and YEAR. A one-time Pro purchase adds Dandelion, Eclipse, Ember, Sand, Snowman, Thunderstorm, and the SEASON scale. No subscription.

About

Ideas Pool

Features
Read full description

Ideas Pool is a minimal yet powerful idea manager designed for visual Thinkers, creators and lifelong learners. Capture every spark the moment it appears, organize it with tags and statuses, and turn it into real projects when the timing is right. Features: 1. Visual Idea Presentation - Say goodbye to vertical text lists, embrace visual layouts - Each idea has its own unique avatar (choose preset characters or custom emoji/images) - Gracefully floating in the idea pool, clear at a glance - The perfect tool for visual thinkers 2. Lightning-Fast Gesture Controls - Quick sort mode: Swipe cards for fast decisions - Progress dragging: Long-press avatars to adjust completion - Toggle between three view modes (list/grid/pool view) 3. iOS Widget Quick Recording - Add ideas directly from your home screen, no need to open the app - Support for both text and voice input - Automatically syncs to the idea pool - Even more convenient with lock screen widgets 4. Custom Goals, Zero Pressure - Set your own goal values, no-pressure design - Choose from three weekly goal types - Visual progress bars for a sense of achievement 5. Customizable Idea Avatars - Five adorable preset characters - Support custom emoji as avatars - Upload your own images as profile pictures - Automatically detect and set idea representative icons from content 6. Smart Title Recognition - Spaces automatically recognized as title separators - Easy editing, modify anytime - Free categorization with tag system

Screenshots

Tempo4 screens
Ideas Pool4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ideas Pool at none against Tempo's 1. Ideas Pool also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support 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. Tempo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ideas Pool asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tempo ships an update fortnightly, Ideas Pool every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Tempo versus Ideas Pool: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTempoIdeas Pool
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB76 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFoundry24 LLCTing Yu Lin

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tempo

One-time1
  • Tempo Pro$4.99
None

Ideas Pool

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tempo free?
Tempo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ideas Pool free?
Ideas Pool is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tempo or Ideas Pool have ads?
Neither Tempo nor Ideas Pool shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tempo or Ideas Pool?
Tempo ships an update fortnightly, and Ideas Pool every 4 days. Most recently, Tempo was updated on October 9, 2026 and Ideas Pool on September 29, 2026.

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