Comparison

Buddies vs Symplifyed

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

Head to head
About

Buddies

This app helps children with ADHD manage daily routines through a visual timer and reward system. It breaks down tasks into manageable steps, making time visible and providing immediate rewards to maintain motivation. Designed to reduce parental nagging and empower kids to take charge of their own schedules.

Highlights
  • Visual cake timer for time management
  • One task at a time display
  • Earn points and unlock rewards
  • Family Sharing for multiple users
  • iCloud backup and local data storage
  • Customizable notification reminders
  • Multiple unlockable Buddies and themes
Features
Read full description

A routine app kids with ADHD can actually run themselves. You're not a bad parent. Your kid has an ADHD brain. That's why "put your shoes on" doesn't stick after the twelfth time. That's why homework takes two hours of nagging for twenty minutes of actual work. That's why bedtime turns into an endless negotiation. RoutineBuddies takes over when nagging stops working. How it works You set up the routine once: pick the tasks, set the minutes, choose the days. Then your kid runs the app themselves. One task on screen at a time. A big cake timer shows the time as slices that disappear. When the task is done, your kid holds a button for a second and earns points. Then comes the next one. If they leave the app, the timer shows on the lock screen and in Dynamic Island. A friendly reminder brings them back in. Zero in-app purchases. Ever. BuddyBux are earned by running routines, never paid for with real money. Family Sharing One subscription covers the whole family via Apple Family Sharing. Each kid gets their own device, their own profile, their own Buddy. 14 days free. Cancel anytime. Your kid's data stays in your family Everything is stored on the device. Backup goes to your own private iCloud, not our servers. No accounts, no logins, no passwords. Anonymous analytics are entirely opt-in, parent-gated, and processed in the EU. No ads, no data sold. COPPA and GDPR compliant. What we know about the ADHD brain, built into the app One task at a time removes the overwhelm. Kids with ADHD often have reduced working memory, so a list in their head is too much. The cake timer makes time visible. The ADHD brain doesn't register minutes slipping by without visual support. The reward arrives the second a task is done, because lower dopamine levels mean delayed rewards don't land. Bonus amounts vary ("what will I get this time?"). That sustains motivation better than fixed rewards. Fixed start times train the ability to get going, which is often the hardest part of ADHD. No punishment. Skipped tasks cost nothing. Tomorrow is a new day. Inside 101 levels from Beginner to Buddy Supreme. 8 Buddies to unlock with BuddyBux earned through routines. Crazy Pack: 22 notification sounds, swap the home screen icon, the whole app changes color based on the chosen Buddy. Smart mini-breaks between steps. Reminders 15 min before, 5 min before, and at start time. Eight randomized variants per type, never nagging. iCloud backup. Localized in 10 languages. Questions? hello@routinebuddies.com Privacy and terms: routinebuddies.com

About

Symplifyed

Track student behavior and progress with structured check-ins and goal monitoring. Designed for privacy, it allows tracking up to four learners without personal identification. Ideal for parents and educators seeking to build consistent data habits.

Highlights
  • Structured behavior check-ins
  • Goal progress tracking
  • Support effectiveness analysis
  • Privacy-focused design
  • Data deletion option
  • Supports up to 4 learners
Features
Read full description

Symplifyed comes in two versions. If your school or district has a contract with us, you'll see the full school platform. Everyone else (individual teachers and parents) gets this version: behavior and progress tracking you can use on your own, no district required. Built to keep student data out. This version is designed so you can't enter identifying info. Each account holds up to 4 learners, shown only as Learner 1 through Learner 4. No name fields, no free-text notes, nowhere to record who's who. Whether it's your class or your own kid, you hold the context. The app holds the structure. What you can do: - Track behavior with quick structured check-ins: how often, the why behind it, and whether the support actually worked - Follow up to 4 learners' goal progress over time, whether that's 4 students or your own child - See which supports are landing and which aren't - Build a consistent tracking habit without standing up a whole system Who it's for: - Parents tracking patterns at home or backing up what's happening at school - SPED teachers watching for patterns across learners - Gen ed teachers testing the waters on behavior or goal tracking - SLPs, OTs, and other related-service providers checking if their interventions are working - Anyone supporting a kid who wants to get sharper with their data Privacy and security: - We don't sell, rent, or share your data. Ever. - We don't train AI on your account data, and our AI sub-processors are contractually banned from training on anything you submit - No targeted ads. Not now, not later. - Encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256) - Runs on SOC 2 Type 2-attested infrastructure - Full sub-processor list: symplifyapp.com/sub-processors Subscription: Monthly or annual, auto-renewing. Cancel anytime to stop the next renewal. Free-forever accounts made before May 2026 keep working, no change. Need the full platform? School districts get the real thing: actual student names, IEP goals, service-delivery tracking, meeting notes, gradebook. That runs under a signed Data Processing Agreement. Email support@symplifyed.com. Your data, your call. Delete your account and everything tied to it, anytime, right in the app. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.symplifyapp.com/legal/teacher-terms Privacy Policy: https://www.symplifyapp.com/legal/privacy Questions: support@symplifyed.com

Screenshots

Buddies4 screens
Symplifyed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Symplifyed at every 9 days against Buddies's every 4 weeks. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

Both are free to download. Buddies sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Symplifyed sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Buddies against 5.0 for Symplifyed. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 7 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Buddies ships an update every 4 weeks, Symplifyed every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Buddies versus Symplifyed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuddiesSymplifyed
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings37 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size83 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFREDRIK DAVID LARS LJUNGDELLSymplifyed Inc.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Buddies

Subscriptions2
  • RoutineBuddies Monthly$9.991 Month
  • RoutineBuddies Yearly14 Days trial$59.991 Year
2 purchases

Symplifyed

Subscriptions2
  • Symplifyed Monthly$7.001 Month
  • Symplifyed Yearly$70.001 Year

Questions

Is Buddies free?
Buddies is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Symplifyed free?
Symplifyed is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Buddies or Symplifyed?
Buddies and Symplifyed are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 7 ratings respectively.
Do Buddies or Symplifyed have ads?
Neither Buddies nor Symplifyed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Buddies or Symplifyed?
Buddies ships an update every 4 weeks, and Symplifyed every 9 days. Most recently, Buddies was updated on October 24, 2026 and Symplifyed on October 24, 2026.

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