Comparison

Modus vs playfullynow

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

Head to head
About

Modus

Features
Read full description

There are timers that track your streaks. Timers that score your sessions. Timers that turn focus into a performance. Modus is built on a different belief: that sitting down and starting is the hardest part, and everything after that is just time passing. Set a quiet intention before you begin, if you want one. Not a goal. Not a commitment you'll feel bad about later. Just a single line to point yourself in a direction. Then start the timer and work. Modus has three modes now. Flowtime lets you work until you naturally stop, then takes a break sized to match, no fixed interval telling you when to quit. Pomodoro breaks your time into structured cycles, 25 minutes of focus, a short rest, a longer rest after four. Open Timer lets you set your own duration and go. None of the three modes judges you. There is no right way to use it. Some sessions will be 25 minutes. Some will be three hours. Some will be ten minutes before you realize you need a walk. All of that is fine. When the session ends, it ends quietly. No score. No streak update. No prompt to share your productivity with anyone. Just a record, kept for you, of the work you sat down to do. No streaks. No daily goals. No pressure language anywhere in the app. If you miss a day, or a week, or a month, Modus will be exactly where you left it. Ready when you are. FREE INCLUDES Pomodoro, Open Timer, and Flowtime with full cycle tracking. Optional pre-session intention. Your last seven days of session history, with a calm weekly chart of your focus time. Two themes and two phase sounds to make the environment yours. iCloud sync to keep your sessions across all your devices. MODUS PRO No subscription. Everything, forever. Full session history with a calendar view and statistics. Live Activity on your lock screen and in the Dynamic Island, so the timer stays with you without needing to keep the app open. Custom Pomodoro intervals and custom Flowtime ratios for those who work better on different rhythms. All five themes and all five phase sounds. One payment. Nothing changes after that. Everything is kept on your device and synced privately through iCloud. No account required. No data leaves your phone in any other direction. Modus is part of a small suite of calm iOS apps by Off Peak Studio. Solus is for your daily intention. A third app for building habits without pressure is on the way. Modus is for the time in between, the hours you sit down to do the work. Modus is for anyone who has opened a productivity app and felt more anxious leaving it than arriving. For anyone who just needs a timer that starts, runs, and stops, without making it mean something it doesn't. Focus, gently.

About

playfullynow

Read full description

This app isn’t about using your phone less. It’s about seeing your time away from your phone add up. How to use it? Lock your phone from the app, then unlock back into it to see your time away add up. Or just stay on and watch every second add up. Tap or swipe anywhere for a minimal view. Earn a Trophy for any uninterrupted 2+ hours session away from your phone. Earn a Finisher Flag for 2+ hours away in a day, across any number of sessions. The app also shows your potential - how much life you could take back by the end of the year if your longest stretch today kept going. No setup No login No account No permissions No data collection No analytics No ads No notifications No streaks to lose No guilt No punishments No blocking No VPN No subscription No brick to buy

Screenshots

Modus4 screens
playfullynow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: playfullynow at none against Modus's 2. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Modus sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. playfullynow asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Modus versus playfullynow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterModusplayfullynow
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.618.6
Further details β€” not scored
Size6 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCalvin NgVINIT KAUSHIK

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Modus

One-time2
  • Buy a Coffee$2.99
  • Modus Pro$4.99
None

playfullynow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Modus free?
Modus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is playfullynow free?
playfullynow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Modus or playfullynow have ads?
Neither Modus nor playfullynow shows ads.

Other comparisons