Comparison

Link by Link vs Pattern

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

Head to head
About

Link by Link

Features
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Completely free. No subscriptions. No paywalls. Link by Link is a simple, motivating way to stay consistent with the habits that matter most. Instead of tracking everything in one long list, you can create multiple chains for different goals, routines, and streaks, then grow each one link by link, day by day. Whether you want to stretch daily, avoid sweets, practice piano, read more, or build any other routine, the app gives each habit its own visual chain, its own settings, and its own progress. You can customize your chains, define goals, and keep your momentum going with a design that makes progress feel tangible. The experience is focused, tactile, and rewarding: every new link is a visible reminder that consistency compounds. No clutter, no pressure, and no unnecessary complexity. Just a clear, beautiful way to track your streaks, stay accountable, and keep showing up for the habits you want to build. New: You can now also set reminders, so you'll never forget to keep your streak alive ever again!

About

Pattern

Features
Read full description

Pattern reads the seven days you just lived and tells you what they mean. Apple Watch already tracks your sleep, HRV, heart rate and steps. Your calendar already holds every meeting and focus block. None of those apps look across the lines. Pattern does โ€” fully on your device. Each morning you get one short paragraph: "Tuesdays your HRV drops 12% โ€” the days you had three back-to-back meetings before noon." No number dumps, no medical advice, no charts to interpret. The pattern itself. Deep Work sessions are built in. Tap to start a 25, 50 or 90 minute focus block โ€” the timer is wall-clock anchored so it survives the screen locking. Each session gets a one-tap reflection: deep, shallow, or interrupted. Over time Pattern correlates which sessions actually moved you, and adjusts what it suggests next. Everything stays local. The language model runs on device โ€” Apple Foundation Models on iOS 26, or a downloaded open-source model. Your health data, your calendar, your reflections, your sessions โ€” all live in a Files-visible folder on your iPhone. No account, no sync, no servers.

Screenshots

Link by Link4 screens
Pattern3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Link by Link at none against Pattern's 1. Pattern's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Pattern sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Link by Link asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Link by Link ships an update every 3 weeks, Pattern every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Link by Link versus Pattern: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLink by LinkPattern
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.217.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size20 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMax EcksteinMustafa Ergisi

In-app purchases

None

Link by Link

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Pattern

One-time1
  • Pattern Full Access$9.99

Questions

Is Link by Link free?
Link by Link is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pattern free?
Pattern is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Link by Link or Pattern have ads?
Neither Link by Link nor Pattern shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Link by Link or Pattern?
Link by Link ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pattern every 3 days. Most recently, Link by Link was updated on September 28, 2026 and Pattern on October 4, 2026.

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