Comparison

Bare Minimum vs Forge

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

Head to head
About

Bare Minimum

Features
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Stop overthinking fitness. Just show up. Bare Minimum is the anti-perfectionist fitness app. No gym required. No equipment needed. No guilt trips. Just 90 seconds of movement โ€” because showing up is the only metric that matters. THE WHOLE IDEA Most fitness apps want you to train harder, longer, more. Bare Minimum flips that. We believe small steps count more than big plans, and consistency beats intensity every single time. HOW IT WORKS โ€ข Pick from 3 tiers: Bare Minimum (1-3 min), Decent Human (5-10 min), or Overachiever (15-20 min) โ€ข Choose exercises designed for real life: in bed, on a chair, against a wall, or while waiting for the microwave โ€ข Complete your workout. Earn XP. Build your streak. โ€ข That's it. Really. FEATURES INCLUDED WITH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION โ€ข Life Happens Shields โ€” Bank rest days that protect your streak when life gets in the way โ€ข Comeback XP โ€” Missed a day? Come back and earn bonus XP. Zero judgment. โ€ข Streak tracking that celebrates consistency, not perfection โ€ข Achievements that reward showing up, not burning out โ€ข Gentle daily reminders (kind nudges, not guilt trips) โ€ข Video-guided exercises you can do anywhere WORKOUT CATEGORIES โ€ข Bed Moves โ€” Don't even get up โ€ข Chair Flow โ€” Stay seated โ€ข Wall Support โ€” Just lean โ€ข Waiting Games โ€” While the microwave hums โ€ข Stealth Stretches โ€” Public-friendly โ€ข Commercial Break โ€” TV-length routines OUR PHILOSOPHY Small steps count more than big plans. Consistency over intensity. Life happens โ€” shields protect your progress. Showing up is the only metric that matters. Because showing up is enough. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Bare Minimum offers auto-renewable subscriptions to unlock all features, workouts, and content: โ€ข Monthly: $9.99/month โ€ข Annual: $49.99/year ($4.17/month โ€” save over 50%) โ€ข Special Annual Offer: $19.99/year ($1.67/month โ€” save over 80%) A 3-day free trial is available on select plans. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Terms of Use: https://appstorecopilot.com/legal/5d7hzvnb/terms Privacy Policy: https://appstorecopilot.com/legal/5d7hzvnb/privacy

About

Forge

Features
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Quit vaping, drinking, smoking, weed or gambling, with a sober day counter and a private AI coach in your pocket. Count every day you stay clean, get through cravings in the moment, and watch the money you save add up. Forge is an AI-powered recovery app built for anyone trying to quit an addiction or compulsive habit โ€” regardless of what it is. Alcohol. Nicotine and vaping. Cannabis. Gambling. Compulsive social-media scrolling. Sugar bingeing. Shopping. Gaming. Whatever your pattern is, Forge gives you the same science-backed toolkit: a daily streak tracker, urge survival tools, and a private AI coach that actually challenges you when you need it โ€” no sycophantic "you're doing amazing" fluff. FEATURES - Universal coverage โ€” pick your addiction on day one; Forge adapts to it. - One AI recovery coach โ€” grounded in motivational interviewing and CBT, direct when you need it, never preachy. - Week-one program โ€” one short, concrete technique to try each day for your first seven days. - Urge shield โ€” interruption tools for the 15-20 minute peak of a craving. - Daily streak tracker with milestones โ€” 7, 14, 30, 60, 90 days and beyond. - Neuroscience-backed content โ€” dopamine, neuroplasticity, and receptor recovery explained in plain English. - Private by default โ€” no account, no public profile, no social feed. Your journal stays on your device; coach messages are sent securely to our AI provider only to generate replies. - Journaling + relapse analysis โ€” learn from slips instead of shame-spiralling. Forge is designed for long-term recovery, not quick fixes. Every feature is built on one thesis: the brain that built the addictive pattern is the same brain that can rewire out of it. FORGE PLUS โ€” SUBSCRIPTION Forge is free to download and includes core streak tracking and a limited amount of AI coaching. Forge Plus is an auto-renewing subscription that unlocks the full experience: unlimited AI Recovery Coach, the complete Brain Recovery timeline and science library, Streak Shield, trigger analytics, and unlimited workout logging. - Forge Plus is offered as a Monthly plan and an Annual plan. The exact price is shown in the app, in your local currency, before you confirm any purchase. - Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. - Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. - You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your App Store account settings after purchase. - Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.thepledgeapp.com/forge/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.thepledgeapp.com/forge/privacy Forge is a self-help companion for recovery and habit change. It is not medical treatment and does not replace professional care.

Screenshots

Bare Minimum4 screens
Forge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Forge at every 2 days against Bare Minimum's fortnightly. Bare Minimum's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Bare Minimum sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Forge sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bare Minimum ships an update fortnightly, Forge every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Bare Minimum versus Forge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBare MinimumForge
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 โ€” better16.4
Further details โ€” not scored
Size165 MB68 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperGymStreak LtdAbdulla Ehsan

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Bare Minimum

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Annual Special Offer$19.991 Year
  • Annual3 Days trial$49.991 Year
3 purchases

Forge

Subscriptions3
  • Forge Plus (Monthly)7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Forge Plus (Yearly)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Forge Plus (Yearly)7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Bare Minimum free?
Bare Minimum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Forge free?
Forge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Bare Minimum or Forge have ads?
Neither Bare Minimum nor Forge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bare Minimum or Forge?
Bare Minimum ships an update fortnightly, and Forge every 2 days. Most recently, Bare Minimum was updated on October 24, 2026 and Forge on October 26, 2026.

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