Unheld vs Modus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Unheld
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Unheld is a quiet space for focus. Most focus apps make you watch the clock. Unheld does the opposite. Start a session, put your phone down, and focus without thinking about time. There are no ticking countdowns, no pressure, and no productivity scores. Time is held quietly in the background so you can stay present with your work. Unheld is designed for people who want calm focus instead of urgency β students, creatives, professionals, and anyone who finds traditional timers stressful. Features β’ One-tap focus sessions β’ No countdown by default β’ Gentle end reminders (optional) β’ Session history for reflection, not tracking β’ Apple Watch support β’ Local-only storage β your data stays on your device Premium (One-time purchase) Unlock session history, weekly summaries, and optional tags with a single purchase. No subscriptions. Designed for calm Unheld is not a Pomodoro timer and not a productivity system. Itβs a quiet container for focus β so you can stop thinking about time and simply work.
Modus
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There are timers that track your streaks. Timers that score your sessions. Timers that turn focus into a performance. Modus is built on a different belief: that sitting down and starting is the hardest part, and everything after that is just time passing. Set a quiet intention before you begin, if you want one. Not a goal. Not a commitment you'll feel bad about later. Just a single line to point yourself in a direction. Then start the timer and work. Modus has three modes now. Flowtime lets you work until you naturally stop, then takes a break sized to match, no fixed interval telling you when to quit. Pomodoro breaks your time into structured cycles, 25 minutes of focus, a short rest, a longer rest after four. Open Timer lets you set your own duration and go. None of the three modes judges you. There is no right way to use it. Some sessions will be 25 minutes. Some will be three hours. Some will be ten minutes before you realize you need a walk. All of that is fine. When the session ends, it ends quietly. No score. No streak update. No prompt to share your productivity with anyone. Just a record, kept for you, of the work you sat down to do. No streaks. No daily goals. No pressure language anywhere in the app. If you miss a day, or a week, or a month, Modus will be exactly where you left it. Ready when you are. FREE INCLUDES Pomodoro, Open Timer, and Flowtime with full cycle tracking. Optional pre-session intention. Your last seven days of session history, with a calm weekly chart of your focus time. Two themes and two phase sounds to make the environment yours. iCloud sync to keep your sessions across all your devices. MODUS PRO No subscription. Everything, forever. Full session history with a calendar view and statistics. Live Activity on your lock screen and in the Dynamic Island, so the timer stays with you without needing to keep the app open. Custom Pomodoro intervals and custom Flowtime ratios for those who work better on different rhythms. All five themes and all five phase sounds. One payment. Nothing changes after that. Everything is kept on your device and synced privately through iCloud. No account required. No data leaves your phone in any other direction. Modus is part of a small suite of calm iOS apps by Off Peak Studio. Solus is for your daily intention. A third app for building habits without pressure is on the way. Modus is for the time in between, the hours you sit down to do the work. Modus is for anyone who has opened a productivity app and felt more anxious leaving it than arriving. For anyone who just needs a timer that starts, runs, and stops, without making it mean something it doesn't. Focus, gently.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Unheld at 16.6 against Modus's 18.6. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
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
Both are free to download. Unheld sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Modus sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Unheld | Modus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | β | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch β better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 β better | 18.6 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Guo Yu | Calvin Ng |
In-app purchases
Unheld
- Unheld Premium$5.99
Modus
- Buy a Coffee$2.99
- Modus Pro$4.99









