Aroha vs Nerve
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Aroha
Build lasting routines with a calm, guilt-free habit tracker. Easily set up habits, track progress with simple check-ins, and gain insights into your patterns. Optional AI suggestions help you create a personalized routine.
- Habit setup in seconds
- One-tap daily check-ins
- Gentle streak tracking
- Customizable reminders
- Progress rings and calendar view
- Weekly and monthly stats
- Optional AI habit suggestions
Read full descriptionHide full description
Aroha comes from the Sanskrit word āroha (आरोह) - "ascent". A reminder that lasting change is built one small step upward at a time. Building a habit shouldn't feel like a test you keep failing. Aroha is a calm, honest space to create routines that fit your life - no guilt when you slip, no pressure to be perfect. BUILD HABITS THAT STICK - Set up a habit in seconds - name it, schedule it, done - One-tap daily check-ins, simple and fast - Daily, weekly, or fully custom schedules - Gentle streaks - miss a day, learn from it, keep going STAY ON TRACK, YOUR WAY - Reminders that nudge without nagging - Calendar view and progress rings to feel your momentum SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE - Weekly and monthly stats that reveal your patterns - Completion trends shown clearly, without noise - Great for health, fitness, study, creativity, mindfulness, and more FREE TO START Aroha is completely free right now - every feature, including home screen widgets, is yours from day one. We're opening up the full experience to our first users, and we'd love for you to be part of it. AI FEATURES Not sure where to begin? Aroha's optional AI suggestions help you think through new habits and build a routine that makes sense for you. Suggestions may not always be perfect - a quick review before you dive in goes a long way. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are managed through your Apple ID. Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://axiantlabs.com/aroha/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://axiantlabs.com/aroha/privacy-policy License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: support@axiantlabs.com
Nerve
Transform unproductive app usage into a brain-training challenge. Answer logic puzzles and brainteasers to earn back access to blocked apps, with higher difficulty offering greater rewards and risk.
- App blocking via Apple Screen Time
- 6 difficulty tiers with escalating rewards
- Pick Your Risk and Gauntlet modes
- Double-or-Nothing gambling mechanic
- 1000 handcrafted brainteaser questions
- ELO-inspired Brain Score tracking
- Daily quests and achievements
Read full descriptionHide full description
Nerve turns screen time into a game of brains and risk. Block the apps you waste time on, then answer brainteaser questions to earn your screen time back. Harder questions unlock more time — if you have the nerve to try them. HOW IT WORKS Pick the apps you want to block. When you try to open one, Nerve challenges you with a brainteaser. Answer correctly and the app unlocks. Answer wrong and you're locked out on a cooldown. It's that simple. PICK YOUR RISK Choose from 6 difficulty tiers — Gimme, Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert, and Genius. Gimme questions earn you a few minutes. Genius questions earn you hours. But if you get it wrong, harder questions have shorter cooldowns while easier ones make you wait longer. Risk and reward, every time. DOUBLE OR NOTHING Got it right? Gamble your winnings on a harder question for double the screen time. Keep going until you cash out or lose it all. THE GAUNTLET Think you can go all the way? Start at Gimme and climb through all 6 tiers. Every correct answer adds time. One wrong answer and you stop — but you keep what you've earned. Complete all 6 for the ultimate payout. 1000 BRAINTEASER QUESTIONS Logic puzzles, lateral thinking, pattern recognition, wordplay, math tricks, spatial reasoning, number sense, sequencing, deduction, and visual puzzles. These aren't trivia — they're brainteasers designed to make you think. BRAIN SCORE Track your intellectual growth with an ELO-inspired rating system. Start at 1000 and climb through 7 ranks: Novice, Student, Scholar, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, and Genius. See your strengths and weaknesses across 10 question categories. DAILY QUESTS & ACHIEVEMENTS Three new quests every day to keep you on track. Earn streak multipliers for consecutive days. Unlock 20+ achievements as you progress. The more you play, the more screen time you earn per question. FEATURES - Block any app using Apple Screen Time - 6 difficulty tiers with escalating rewards - Pick Your Risk and Gauntlet challenge modes - Double-or-Nothing gambling mechanic - 1000 handcrafted brainteaser questions - 10 question categories - ELO-inspired Brain Score tracking - Daily quests with bonus rewards - 20+ unlockable achievements - Streak tracking with time multipliers - Per-category performance analytics - Weekly progress reports - Cooldown skip packs - Works entirely on-device — no account required SUBSCRIPTION Nerve requires a subscription. Plans: - Monthly: $7.99/month - Yearly: $34.99/year (save 63%, includes 3-day free trial) Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless 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 in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.bestdaylabs.com/nerve/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://www.bestdaylabs.com/nerve/terms.html Support: https://www.bestdaylabs.com/nerve/support.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Aroha at free against Nerve's subscription. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Aroha sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Nerve sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Aroha against 4.9 for Nerve. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 15 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Aroha ships an update every 6 days, Nerve every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and August 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Aroha | Nerve |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (18 ratings) — better | 4.9 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Axiant Labs Private Limited | Best Day Labs, LLC |
Customer experience
Aroha
Nerve
In-app purchases
Aroha
- Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Lifetime Purchase$49.99
Nerve
- Nerve Weekly$0.997 Days
- Nerve Monthly$2.991 Month
- Nerve Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Cooldown Skip Pack$0.99
- Nerve Pro Lifetime$14.99





