Comparison

TURN vs Brief Note

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

Head to head
About

TURN

This app offers a unique, minimalist approach to time management. Simply tilt your phone to select a preset focus or break duration, then tap to start. Sessions conclude when you decide they're finished, promoting uninterrupted work and mindful breaks.

Highlights
  • Tilt-based time selection
  • Customizable presets
  • Manual session ending
  • Automatic logging
  • Filtered records
  • Dark and light themes
Features
Read full description

Tilt to choose. Tap to begin. TURN removes every step between you and focus. No lists to scroll. No sliders to drag. Tilt your phone toward one of four directions, each mapped to a preset time, and tap the compass to start. Once you start, there's nothing to look at. The timer keeps running no matter how you set the phone down. When it reaches zero, it doesn't end on its own — it keeps going until you say done. Not "stop at 25 minutes," but "stop when I'm finished." Breaks work the same way. Start one and step away. A notification brings you back. Designed in Seoul by Pukaki. Features - Tilt-based time selection, four customizable presets - Focus, Break, and Long Break — all set in minutes - Sessions end when you decide, not when the clock does - Automatic logging with optional tags - Records filtered by date or tag - Matt white and Matt black themes - No accounts. No tracking. No ads.

About

Brief Note

Features
Read full description

Sometimes you are about to meet someone and cannot quite remember the last conversation. Brief Note is a local relationship notebook that brings the context back before you meet. 1. Add one person you want to remember. 2. Write one important line after you meet. 3. Scan the briefing before the next conversation. Pin the detail you never want to miss. Optional calendar briefings can remind you on the morning of a meeting. Event titles are matched with saved names entirely on your device. Your names and notes stay on your device, not in an account or content server. When choosing a contact, only that person's name is saved—never phone numbers, email addresses, or the full address book. Export a JSON backup whenever you want and restore it by replacing or merging local data. Store up to five people for free. Adding a sixth requires a one-time lifetime purchase, not a subscription.

Screenshots

TURN4 screens
Brief Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Brief Note at Free against TURN's $1.99. Brief Note also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). TURN's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On ads and device support 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

Brief Note is free to download; TURN costs $1.99 up front. Brief Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. TURN asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TURN ships an update every 3 days, Brief Note fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
TURN versus Brief Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTURNBrief Note
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJunhong ParkJeongHu Seo

In-app purchases

None

TURN

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Brief Note

One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$3.99

Questions

Is TURN free?
TURN costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Brief Note free?
Brief Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TURN or Brief Note have ads?
Neither TURN nor Brief Note shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TURN or Brief Note?
TURN ships an update every 3 days, and Brief Note fortnightly. Most recently, TURN was updated on October 11, 2026 and Brief Note on October 23, 2026.

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