# Nerve vs Dotly

The clearest difference is monetization model: Dotly at free with in-app purchases against Nerve's subscription. Nerve's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 3). On price, rating, update cadence 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 Dotly sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. 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 Dotly. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nerve has 15 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Nerve ships an update every 4 days, Dotly weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 16, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nerve | Dotly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nerve-screen-time-control/id6760310568/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotly-habit-tracker/id6761205196/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 15 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Best Day Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1853723075) | [VANIA SALES DE MESQUITA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888247423) |

## 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 |


### Dotly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotly-habit-tracker/id6761205196)

Visualize your year with a beautiful dot grid, ring, or arc that fills up daily. Track important events with smart countdowns and build lasting habits with powerful daily tracking and insights. Personalize your experience with various styles, colors, and widgets.

**Highlights:** Visual year progress (grid, ring, arc), Event countdowns with reminders, Daily habit tracking, Progress insights and streaks, Home screen widgets, Customization options

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Dotly Premium | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Coffee | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coffee Party | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nerve free?

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

### Is Dotly free?

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

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

Dotly is rated higher. Nerve averages 4.9 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Dotly averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Nerve or Dotly have ads?

Neither Nerve nor Dotly shows ads.

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

Nerve ships an update every 4 days, and Dotly weekly. Most recently, Nerve was updated on August 16, 2026 and Dotly on September 19, 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.*