# Nerve vs Spendly

The clearest difference is monetization model: Spendly at free against Nerve's subscription. Nerve's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (15 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nerve sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Spendly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Nerve against 5.0 for Spendly. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nerve has 15 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Nerve ships an update every 4 days, Spendly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nerve | Spendly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nerve-screen-time-control/id6760310568/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendly-smart-expense-tracker/id6760717618/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 15 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Best Day Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1853723075) | [Ibrahim Abouhaikal](https://appshunter.io/developer/953806698) |

## What reviewers say

### Nerve

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nerve-screen-time-control/id6760310568)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nerve Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Nerve Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Nerve Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Cooldown Skip Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Nerve Pro Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |


### Spendly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendly-smart-expense-tracker/id6760717618)

Easily track your spending with manual entry, receipt scanning, or voice input. Organize expenses with built-in and custom categories, and visualize your financial habits with interactive charts and statistics. Stay on top of your budget with clear progress indicators.

**Highlights:** Manual expense entry, Receipt scanning, Voice input for expenses, Customizable categories, Interactive spending charts, Monthly budget tracking, Data export/import

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Price | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nerve free?

Nerve is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Spendly free?

Spendly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Nerve or Spendly?

Spendly is rated higher. Nerve averages 4.9 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Spendly averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Nerve or Spendly have ads?

Neither Nerve nor Spendly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nerve or Spendly?

Nerve ships an update every 4 days, and Spendly every 6 weeks. Most recently, Nerve was updated on October 24, 2026 and Spendly on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*