Sessionist vs Cartridge
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Sessionist
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Do you stare at your game library, overwhelmed by choice and limited by time? Sessionist was built for the gamer with a busy life. Whether you're working through a 100-hour RPG or squeezing in quick sessions between responsibilities, Sessionist helps you track your play time and plan ahead. Start a session timer, log your progress, and see exactly how far you've come. The built-in Pace Calculator tells you how many sessions you need to finish a game before your next release drops. And when you're ready, import your entire Steam library โ complete with lifetime playtime โ in just a couple of taps. Features: Import your Steam library and lifetime playtime Session timer with background tracking and Live Activities Quick-log play time from any game with a single tap Chapter tracking for story-driven games Pace Calculator to plan your completion timeline Beat-time targets: Main Story, Main + Extra, or Completionist Session history with streaks and a play heatmap Backlog insight that estimates when you'll finish at your pace Collections to organize your library Wishlist with release date countdowns Home screen widgets for upcoming releases Daily and weekly play goals Stats and play history iCloud sync across all your devices Select your default platform Sessionist is free, with no ads and no subscriptions. Built by a solo developer who loves gaming.
Cartridge
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Track your video game backlog, rate what you play and share the games you love. Cartridge keeps your Library, reviews and game collections together on iPhone. SAVE THE GAMES YOU DISCOVER Found a game in a TikTok, YouTube video, Instagram post or Reddit link? Share the link to Cartridge or paste it into the app. Check the identified game and save it to your Library. Social link capture is free. You can also search for a game by name. KEEP YOUR BACKLOG IN ONE PLACE Track games across PC, consoles and other platforms. Mark games Want to Play, Playing or Played, record whether you completed or abandoned them, and decide what to play next. Your Library is saved to your account, so it follows you to a new phone. RATE, REVIEW AND SHARE Record your rating and write a short review. Read other players' reviews, build a profile that shows your taste, and make unlimited collections called Stacks. Add your own notes, share a Stack as a card or public link, and like or comment on public Stacks. START FREE. PLUS IS OPTIONAL. Your Library, ratings, reviews, unlimited Stacks and social link capture are free. Cartridge Plus adds physical game cover and barcode scanning, game identification from Steam and other supported links, share cards without the Cartridge watermark, and lore based on your Library. Free accounts may see contextual ads; Plus removes them. Requires iOS 26 or later and an account. Link identification requires an internet connection and may not find every game. Cartridge tracks games; it does not include playable games. CAPTURE AND PRIVACY When you scan a cover or barcode, or submit a link, the image, barcode or linked content may be sent to Google's Gemini to help identify the game. See our Privacy Policy for details. SUBSCRIPTIONS Cartridge Plus is an auto-renewable subscription with weekly, monthly and yearly plans. Eligible new subscribers can try the monthly plan free for 3 days. Prices are shown in the app before you subscribe. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase, or when a free trial ends. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel in the iPhone Settings app under your name, then Subscriptions. Download Cartridge and start with one game. Terms of Use: https://insertcartridge.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://insertcartridge.app/privacy Game data from IGDB.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Sessionist at none against Cartridge's shown. Cartridge's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Sessionist sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Cartridge sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Sessionist ships an update every 6 weeks, Cartridge every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sessionist | Cartridge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 2 days โ better |
| Ads | No โ better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad โ better |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | 26.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Nabil El Nouby | Onyeka Nwamba |
In-app purchases
Sessionist
- Small Tip$0.99
- Medium Tip$2.99
- Large Tip$3.99
Cartridge
- Cartridge Plus Weekly$0.997 Days
- Cartridge Plus Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Cartridge Plus Yearly$19.991 Year









