StartSmall vs Patterns
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StartSmall
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StartSmall helps you take the next tiny step when starting feels impossible. When overwhelm hits, planning isn’t the problem. Starting is. StartSmall is designed for the moments when your brain freezes and you don’t know where to begin. Tap “I’m stuck” and the app suggests one small next step you can take right now. StartSmall is built for overwhelmed and neurodivergent minds, including people with ADHD and executive dysfunction. The goal isn’t perfect productivity. It’s helping you move forward one manageable step at a time. FEATURES Stuck mode Press one button and get a tiny next step. Starter tasks Simple actions that help you begin when motivation is low. Calm activities Short exercises designed to help regulate your nervous system when things feel overwhelming. Grounding tools Breathing and sensory resets for moments when your mind feels flooded. Gentle insights Reflect on small progress and patterns over time without pressure or judgment. Simple priorities Focus on just a few priorities each day so tasks feel manageable instead of overwhelming. Inbox for thoughts Save ideas and tasks for later so your brain doesn’t have to hold onto everything. Some features are available for free, while others require a StartSmall Pro subscription. StartSmall Pro is an auto-renewing subscription that provides access to premium routines, grounding tools, guided prompts, calming activities, and personalized insights. Subscription Details: • Title: StartSmall Pro • Length: Monthly • Price: $5.99/month (7-day free trial) • Payment is charged to your Apple ID account after the free trial period ends • Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Patterns
A private journaling app designed to help users understand and track their obsessive-compulsive patterns. Record thoughts, log obsessions and compulsions, and visualize trends over time in a secure, local-first environment.
- Daily journaling
- OCD tracking (obsessions, compulsions, responses)
- Distress trend insights
- Private, local-first storage
- App lock (Face ID, Touch ID, passcode)
- Exportable PDF reports
- JSON backup and import
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Patterns is a private OCD journal and self-help practice companion. Record intrusive thoughts and compulsions, write journal entries, delay an urge, and practise exposure and response prevention (ERP). Calm Insights can replace calculated scores and streaks with factual activity counts. Personal content stays on your device unless you choose to export an unencrypted JSON backup or PDF. Optional anonymous usage analytics are off by default and never include OCD content, summaries, locale, or language choice. Patterns does not diagnose or treat OCD and is not a replacement for qualified care or emergency support.
Screenshots
Verdict
StartSmall and Patterns are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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. StartSmall sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month and Patterns sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | StartSmall | Patterns |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.6 (5 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | — | Every 8 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yasmine Bailey | Aftaab Siddiqui |
In-app purchases
StartSmall
- StartSmall Pro7 Days trial$5.991 Month
Patterns
- Small tip$1.99
- Medium tip$4.99
- Large tip$9.99
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- Patterns Pro$19.99









