Rootkin vs Settl
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Rootkin
Build and share your family tree while capturing spoken memories from relatives. This private space allows you to record stories, organize photos, and create shareable keepsakes. It keeps your family connected with gentle reminders and ensures your data is always exportable.
- Build interactive family trees
- Record and attach voice memories
- Share trees with family members
- Organize photos by person
- Create shareable newsletters/cards
- Export tree data as GEDCOM
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Rootkin is where your family actually shows up. Build your family tree, share it with the people in it, and capture the stories — in their own voices — before they fade. Rootkin is a private space for your family, not another social network and not a public database. RECORD THE VOICES THAT TELL YOUR STORY This is the part most family trees miss. Pick a question — "Tell me about the first house you ever lived in" — hand the phone over, and press record. Two minutes is plenty, and no account is needed to answer. Every recording gets an automatic transcript and stays tied to the people in it, so you can find it again by person or topic. ASK, AND THE ANSWER COMES BACK Send a question to your mom, your uncle, your grandmother. They record their answer from a simple link — no app, no account — and the moment they finish, their voice lands in your tree. BUILD YOUR TREE TOGETHER Add parents, children, siblings, and partners, or just describe your family in your own words — Rootkin turns what you say into people and relationships. Invite family with a simple code, and everyone sees the same tree, kept in sync in real time. SEE THE WHOLE FAMILY An interactive tree shows how everyone connects — including step and adoptive relationships. Pinch to zoom, pan to explore, and tap anyone to jump to their page. PHOTOS THAT BELONG TO PEOPLE Attach photos to the people in them, so the family album organizes itself over time. KEEPSAKES WORTH SHARING Turn memories and photos into a PDF newsletter or greeting card for the whole family — complete with codes that play the voices out loud. GENTLE REMINDERS Birthdays, anniversaries, and a daily feed of what your family has added — without notifications that nag. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your tree is only visible to the family members you invite. Nothing is public, nothing is searchable on the open web, and nothing is sold. Photos and details about children get extra protection, managed by the people you trust. YOUR DATA, YOURS Export your full tree anytime as GEDCOM — the standard format every genealogy tool understands. No lock-in. WORKS EVERYWHERE YOUR FAMILY IS iPhone, iPad, and the web. Grandma on her tablet, your cousin at a laptop, you on your phone — same tree, in sync, at the same time. A family tree, full of spoken memories. SUBSCRIPTIONS Viewing and listening are always free. Rootkin Family is an optional auto-renewable subscription, offered monthly or yearly, that covers you plus a co-editor, unlimited viewers on your tree, and voice recording for your family. Pricing is shown in the app before you subscribe. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://rootkin.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://rootkin.app/privacy
Settl
This app offers practical, calm responses and actionable steps for challenging parenting moments. It provides guidance for various situations, from meltdowns to homework struggles, with age-tailored advice.
- Actionable parenting advice
- Age-tailored guidance
- Responses for common struggles
- Save helpful scripts
- Guidance read aloud
- Unlimited script generation (Pro)
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Parenting has hard moments. Settl helps you find calm, practical words to say and one small next step to take—right when you need them. Tell Settl what is happening, choose your child’s age range, and receive a short, actionable response you can use in the moment. Ask follow-up questions, have guidance read aloud, and save helpful scripts on your device. Use Settl for moments like: • Big feelings and meltdowns • Bedtime struggles • Sibling conflict • Homework resistance • Talking back or hurtful words • Transitions and everyday power struggles Free access includes a limited number of generated scripts. Settl Pro provides unlimited scripts, follow-ups, read-aloud, saved favourites, and age-tailored guidance with a 14-day free trial, followed by a monthly subscription. Pricing is shown in the App Store before purchase. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple account settings. Settl is designed for adults and parents. It provides general parenting guidance and is not medical, mental-health, or emergency advice. In a crisis, contact local emergency services or call/text 988 in Canada or the United States. Privacy Policy: https://smartybytes.ca/settl-privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Settl at 7 against Rootkin's 1. Settl also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Rootkin sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Settl sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 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 Rootkin against 5.0 for Settl. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Settl has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Rootkin ships an update every 2 weeks, Settl every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Rootkin | Settl |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lloyd Financial Consulting LLC | Smarty Bytes Innovation Inc. |
Customer experience
Rootkin
Settl
In-app purchases
Rootkin
- Rootkin Family$4.991 Month
- Rootkin Family$39.991 Year
Settl
- Settl Pro14 Days trial$1.991 Month









