Ember vs pause now
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ember
A fast and organized workspace for writing Markdown notes, storing PDFs, diagrams, and voice memos. It offers a vault for reusable prompts and syncs across Apple devices. Start for free with full editor access.
- Rich Markdown editor
- Inline PDF and image support
- Reusable prompt vault
- Daily notes, folders, and tags
- Instant search functionality
- Private iCloud sync
- Share Extension
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Your notes should feel like home. Ember is a warm, fast place to think — Markdown notes, PDFs, diagrams, voice memos, and a vault of reusable prompts, all in one calm workspace that syncs across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. WRITE IN RICH MARKDOWN A live editor with real formatting: headings, tables, task lists, links, highlights, footnotes, and code — rendered as you type, never in your way. Bullets, numbers, and checkboxes feel native and effortless. MORE THAN TEXT Drop PDFs, images, diagrams, and voice notes right inline. Your references live beside your writing, so everything about a thought stays in one place. A VAULT FOR YOUR PROMPTS Keep the prompts you reuse for writing, research, and planning in a dedicated Prompt Vault — organized, searchable, and a tap away when you need them. STAY ORGANIZED, STAY FAST Daily notes, folders, tags, smart filters, and pinned notes keep things tidy, and instant search finds anything the moment you look for it. YOURS EVERYWHERE Ember runs natively on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with optional private iCloud sync, widgets, and a Share Extension for capturing from anywhere. FREE TO START Capture notes, PDFs, prompts, and attachments with the full editor — free, no account required. EMBER PRO Unlock advanced themes and alternate icons, premium writing and organization workflows, and deeper Prompt Vault tools, as a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No accounts. No ads. No selling your words. Your notes stay on your device and your own iCloud. Make a home for your thinking. Download Ember Notes. TERMS & PRIVACY Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://embernotes.app/privacy
pause now
Regain control of your digital life by blocking distracting applications. Schedule automatic blocking for work or study, or initiate manual sessions. Earn rewards for focused time and watch your productivity improve.
- Block distracting apps
- Customizable schedules
- Manual blocking sessions
- Earn stars for focus
- Flexible controls
- Simple setup
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pause now helps you take back control of your screen time by blocking distracting apps so you can focus on what matters most. BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS Set up schedules to automatically block apps during work, study, or bedtime. Or start a manual blocking session whenever you need to focus. STAY ON TRACK Earn stars for every minute you stay focused. Watch your productivity grow day by day. FLEXIBLE CONTROLS - Block specific apps or all apps at once - Set custom schedules for any time of day - Take short breaks without losing your session - Pause schedules when you need flexibility SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE No complicated setup. Just block, focus, and earn rewards for staying on task. Start your 7-day free trial today! Upcoming Features - Open-Limit blocking ---------------- Terms of Service: https://eaglenguyen.github.io/pausenow-legal/terms_of_service Privacy Policy: https://eaglenguyen.github.io/pausenow-legal/privacy_policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Ember at 3 against pause now's 1. pause now's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Ember sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and pause now sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ember against 5.0 for pause now. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.
Ember ships an update every 10 days, pause now every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ember | pause now |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 73 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rene DeAnda | Eagle Nguyen |
Customer experience
Ember
pause now
In-app purchases
Ember
- Ember Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Ember Pro Annual$34.991 Year
- Ember Pro Lifetime$99.99
pause now
- pause now Premium Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- pause now Pro — Annual7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- pause now Premium — Lifetime$90.00





