Comparison

Ember Fasting vs Hold Fast

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

Head to head
About

Ember Fasting

This app provides a simple and beautiful intermittent fasting timer with a widget-first design. It offers precise tracking of fasting progress, various popular protocols, and metabolic insights for Pro users. The app focuses on a clean user experience without ads or dark patterns.

Highlights
  • Widget-first design for home and lock screens
  • Fast launch time and smooth animations
  • Live metabolic process tracking (Pro)
  • Support for 5 popular fasting protocols
  • Streak tracking and milestone celebrations
  • Smart notifications for fast completion
Features
Read full description

The fasting timer that respects your time and your wallet. Ember is a beautifully crafted intermittent fasting timer that just works. No account required. No ads. No dark patterns. Just a precise, reliable timer with stunning widgets and honest pricing. WIDGET-FIRST DESIGN Check your fasting progress without opening the app. Ember offers 7 widget styles: small interactive, medium, large, Lock Screen, and StandBy. Your progress is always a glance away. Start and stop fasts right from your home screen. BEAUTIFUL & FAST Launches in under a second. Your body runs multiple metabolic processes during a fast: fat burning, ketosis, autophagy. They overlap and build on each other gradually. Ember tracks your progress with smooth animations and warm, purposeful design. Choose from 10 curated color themes or set your own custom accent color. Pick from 8 app icon styles to match your aesthetic. METABOLIC INSIGHT (PRO) Fasting isn't a series of stages you enter and leave, it's overlapping biological processes that build on each other. Pro unlocks live metabolic process tracking: see fat burning, ketosis, and autophagy ramping simultaneously with intensity indicators. Tap the info icon during any fast to see exactly what's happening in your body. EVERYTHING YOU NEED, NOTHING YOU DON'T - All 5 popular protocols: 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, OMAD, or create your own - Streak tracking with milestone celebrations - History with weekly calendar view - Basic stats to track your progress - Smart notifications for fast completion, zone transitions, and daily reminders HONEST PRICING The full fasting timer is free. No trial traps. No surprise charges. Pro unlocks metabolic insight, extra widget styles, themes, icons, and advanced notifications for $1.99/month, $14.99/year, or $29.99 lifetime. That's it. PRIVACY BY DESIGN Your data never leaves your device. No account. No analytics. No tracking. Our App Store privacy label is "Data Not Collected"...and we mean it. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Hold Fast

This app provides a clean and reliable timer for intermittent fasting. It offers customizable plans, progress tracking, and live activity updates without ads or clutter. Focus on your fasting goals with an intuitive interface.

Highlights
  • One-tap fasting start
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island timer
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
  • Popular fasting plans included
  • Sun Up to Sun Down plan
  • Fasting history and trend charts
  • Start and goal reminders
Features
Read full description

Fasting works. Remembering when you started, when to stop, and whether you're on track? That's the hard part. Hold Fast makes it effortless. Whatever your reason for fasting, Hold Fast keeps up. Some people fast to manage their weight. Others do it for metabolic health, steady energy, sharper focus, longevity, spiritual practice, or simply the discipline of it. Hold Fast doesn't push one goal on you. It just tracks your fast, cleanly and reliably, so you can focus on why you started. Tap once to start your fast. Watch the timer count up on your Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Dynamic Island, without even opening the app. Hit your goal, log the win, and build a streak you can actually see. That's the whole idea: a fasting app that gets out of your way. No noise, no clutter, no ads. Just a clean timer and the data that keeps you consistent. WHY YOU'LL STICK WITH IT • One tap to start, so your fast is always a glance away • Popular plans built in: 14:10, 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, and OMAD • A unique Sun Up to Sun Down plan that tracks your fast to local sunrise and sunset • Streaks and history that make progress feel real and keep you coming back FEATURES • Live Activity and Dynamic Island for real-time progress • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets in every size • Full fasting history with a month calendar and weekly trend charts • Start and goal reminders so you never miss your window • Private by design. Your data syncs across your devices through your own iCloud, never our servers • Export your complete history to CSV anytime • Sign in with Apple, or just start as a guest • Beautiful in dark mode, with full Dynamic Type support HOLD FAST PRO Go further with a Pro subscription: • Monthly: $2.99 per month • Yearly: $19.99 per year (best value) • Start free with a 7-day trial Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your Apple Account settings. Start your first fast today, and finally hold fast. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://holdfasthq.app/privacy Questions or feedback? Email support@holdfasthq.app. We read every message.

Screenshots

Ember Fasting4 screens
Hold Fast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hold Fast at every 5 days against Ember Fasting's every 2 weeks. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Ember Fasting sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Hold Fast sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ember Fasting against 5.0 for Hold Fast. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ember Fasting ships an update every 2 weeks, Hold Fast every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Ember Fasting versus Hold Fast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmber FastingHold Fast
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB10 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperChris SchradeByron Soto

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Ember Fasting

Subscriptions2
  • Ember Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Ember Pro Annual$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • FastApp Pro Lifetime$29.99
2 purchases

Hold Fast

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Ember Fasting free?
Ember Fasting is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hold Fast free?
Hold Fast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ember Fasting or Hold Fast?
Ember Fasting and Hold Fast are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Ember Fasting or Hold Fast have ads?
Neither Ember Fasting nor Hold Fast shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ember Fasting or Hold Fast?
Ember Fasting ships an update every 2 weeks, and Hold Fast every 5 days. Most recently, Ember Fasting was updated on October 9, 2026 and Hold Fast on October 17, 2026.

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