Comparison

Mirror vs Pentimento

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

Head to head
About

Mirror

Transform your screen time struggle into a game. Earn rewards by using your phone healthily, or watch your avatar suffer if you scroll too much. Offers guided lessons and blocking sessions to help you regain digital freedom.

Highlights
  • Gamified screen time reduction
  • Avatar progression
  • Guided lessons
  • App blocking sessions
  • Daily distraction reports
  • Focus mode
Read full description

5 hours. That's how long the average person spends on their phone today. If you're reading this, you already know how hard it is to cut down — and how frustrating every existing solution feels. That was before Mirror. MIRROR TURNS THE FIGHT AGAINST SCREENS INTO A GAME Your avatar grows with you. It gains energy every time you use your phone in a healthy way. Scroll too much and it suffers, and eventually dies. That RPG mechanic gives you something other apps don't: a real reason to keep going. No surveillance. No guilt. A game. ◆ HOW IT WORKS ◆ 1. Pick your distracting apps — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube… 2. Set your daily goal for distracting time. 3. Start blocking sessions whenever you need to focus. 4. Follow short, science-based lessons that guide you step by step. 5. Watch your avatar evolve with your real progress. ◆ WHAT YOU GET ◆ 1. Sleep better — no more late-night scrolling 2. Focus — fewer distractions when it matters 3. Take back control — real digital freedom 4. Understand your habits — not just stats, solutions 5. Keep it up — your avatar's progress is what makes it last ◆ FEATURES ◆ → Quick session — Block your apps in seconds, for as long as you choose. → Recurring session — Schedule regular blocks (evenings, mornings, weekends). → Strict Mode — The ultimate level: once it starts, there's no cancelling. → Avatar & health score — Your character mirrors your progress in real time. → Daily distraction report — See exactly where your time goes. → Step-by-step Journey — Short lessons, backed by research, that walk you through cutting your screen time. ◆ PRIVATE & SECURE ◆ Mirror is built on Apple's Screen Time API. We never see your content, your messages or your passwords. The detail of your usage stays on your phone — Mirror only saves your daily result, so your progress follows you to a new phone. ◆ MIRROR PREMIUM ◆ Basic access is free. Premium unlocks: - Unlimited sessions - Strict Mode (No-Pause) - Every lesson in the Journey Plans: - Monthly - Yearly (most popular) Subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, in your Apple account settings. ◆ LEGAL ◆ Terms of Use (EULA): https://playmirror.so/en/terms Privacy Policy: https://playmirror.so/en/privacy

About

Pentimento

This app helps painters and realist artists document their creative process, catalogue their artwork, and track sales. It allows you to add dated progress photos, record details about each piece, and manage its status from creation to sale. Showcase finished works with customizable presentation options.

Highlights
  • Document painting stages with dated photos
  • Catalogue artwork details (title, medium, dimensions)
  • Organize work into collections
  • Track artwork status (in-progress, sold)
  • Record sales and consignment details
  • Showcase finished pieces with custom backgrounds
  • Private, on-device storage
Features
Read full description

A pentimento is the trace of an earlier idea that shows through a finished painting. A finished painting buries its own history — the underdrawing, the dead layer, the glaze that changed everything. Pentimento keeps that record. A private studio companion for painters and realist artists. Document the process Add dated progress photos to each piece and label the stage — underdrawing, imprimatura, dead layer, block-in, glazing, varnish. Every painting keeps a full timeline, and a progress reel plays the stages back as a short video. Catalogue your work Record title, kind, medium, support, dimensions, and notes for each piece. Group work into collections — a show, a series, a gallery's stock, a collector's set. Keep the records Track status from in-progress to at-gallery, on consignment, or sold. Keep consignment records with the gallery, commission rate, and dates. Hold sale provenance — price, buyer, gallery, and commission — so a piece's history is never lost. Showcase a finished piece Present any work in a drawn frame on a choice of textured walls, and share the image. Light and dark appearance. Alternate app icons. Everything is stored on your device — no account, no cloud, no sign-in. Private by default. Free to use with one project and one collection. Pentimento Unlimited removes the limits with a single one-time purchase of $9.99 — not a subscription. Your art, in progress.

Screenshots

Mirror4 screens
Pentimento4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pentimento at every 2 days against Mirror's every 2 weeks. Mirror's advantage is iOS requirement (18 vs 26.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Mirror sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Pentimento sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mirror ships an update every 2 weeks, Pentimento every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Mirror versus Pentimento: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMirrorPentimento
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews96.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size259 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJORDAN GLOAGUENHugh Prysten

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Mirror

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
1 purchases

Pentimento

One-time1
  • Pentimento Unlimited$9.99

Questions

Is Mirror free?
Mirror is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pentimento free?
Pentimento is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Mirror or Pentimento have ads?
Neither Mirror nor Pentimento shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mirror or Pentimento?
Mirror ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pentimento every 2 days. Most recently, Mirror was updated on October 31, 2026 and Pentimento on October 1, 2026.

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