Comparison

Sabbath vs Slate

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

Head to head
About

Sabbath

This app encourages users to disconnect from their phones one day a week, fostering a digital detox. It's designed for individuals and families to engage in offline activities together. The practice is inspired by an ancient tradition.

Highlights
  • Weekly digital detox
  • App blocking for one day
  • Family and friend participation
  • Modern take on ancient practice
  • Promotes offline activities
Features
Read full description

A modern app for a ancient practice. Put your phone down one day a week. Do it with your family and friends. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sabbath-screentime.netlify.app/privacy/

About

Slate

Record your thoughts and receive on-device reflections and weekly summaries. This private voice journal keeps all your data on your phone, with optional encrypted iCloud backups. It offers a space for personal reflection without any external servers or analytics.

Highlights
  • Voice recording and transcription
  • On-device reflection analysis
  • Weekly summary of thoughts
  • Encrypted iCloud backup option
  • Offline functionality
  • No server or network calls
Features
Read full description

Speak your mind. Slate keeps it. Nothing leaves the phone. Slate is a private voice journal. Press record and say what's on your mind. The transcript is made on your phone, filler out, paragraphs in, your words untouched underneath. Every entry gets a title, the sentence that says what happened, and the line that mattered, in your own words. Tags for what it was about, who was in it, and where you were. Tap a tag and every entry that carries it lines up. Search your journal by word, person or place. It is all here and it is all yours. On Sunday the week comes back to you. What repeated, what shifted, in your own words. And when the journal knows something, it says so plainly: the first time you mention someone in weeks, or how often a thing has come up this month. All on device. It never leaves the phone. There is no server, no account, no analytics, no network calls. The privacy label reads "Data Not Collected" because there is nothing to collect. Turn on airplane mode; everything still works. It always will. If you want a backup, optional encrypted iCloud backup is there in Settings. Off until you say so, private to your own account either way. No streaks. No scores. No chatbot. A private place to think. Slate is a subscription, monthly or yearly, after a one month free trial. A one-time lifetime purchase is also available. Prices are shown in the app before you pay. Terms: https://hsla0001.com/terms/slate Privacy: https://hsla0001.com/privacy/slate

Screenshots

Sabbath4 screens
Slate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Slate at 5.0 against Sabbath's 4.4. Slate also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). Sabbath's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (26 vs 6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Sabbath sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Slate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Slate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 6 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 67% and 67% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sabbath ships an update every 5 days, Slate every 2 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Sabbath versus Slate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSabbathSlate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (26 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings26 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDig Wells, Inc.hsla0001

Customer experience

Sabbath

All ratings26 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Slate

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Sabbath

Subscriptions2
  • Sabbath Plus Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Sabbath Plus Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
2 purchases

Slate

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly1 Month trial$7.991 Month
  • Yearly1 Month trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Sabbath free?
Sabbath is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Slate free?
Slate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sabbath or Slate?
Slate is rated higher. Sabbath averages 4.4 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Slate averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Sabbath or Slate have ads?
Neither Sabbath nor Slate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sabbath or Slate?
Sabbath ships an update every 5 days, and Slate every 2 days. Most recently, Sabbath was updated on November 5, 2026 and Slate on November 5, 2026.

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