Study Buddy Timer vs Hako
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Study Buddy Timer
Enhance your study sessions with a virtual companion that grows as you learn. Track your progress, set goals, and stay motivated with ambient sounds and personalized study plans. Connect with a friend for collaborative learning and shared progress.
- Virtual study buddy that grows with you
- Lock Screen and Dynamic Island integration
- Home Screen widgets and Control Center access
- Customizable study plans and AI integration
- Ambient study sounds that unlock with progress
- Pomodoro timer and daily goals
- Study Pair for collaborative learning
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Study with a chill buddy that grows and talks on tap. Pair with a friend, too. No rankings. Tap "Start", then "Stop" when you finish. No setup needed. The timer keeps running even if you close the app, and you can pause anytime. Every minute you study helps your buddy grow and level up. Taking a break won't shrink your buddy. Time your study without opening the app - While the timer runs, the elapsed time and your buddy appear on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, with a ring that fills as you study - Start and stop from your Home Screen widget - Start and stop from Control Center or the Action button (iOS 18 or later) - Hold your iPhone to an NFC tag on your desk to start or stop (Shortcuts), or let a Focus do it - Forgot to stop? After 3 hours you get one reminder, and you can adjust the end time later Plan what to study today - Study plans: list what to study today, then tap "Study this" to pick it and its subject before you start - Paste a study plan made with AI or anywhere else to add many plans at once - Pick events from your calendar, or connect a Reminders list - Unfinished plans carry over to the next day. After 7 days, they move to "Someday" Ambient sounds while you study - Light rain outside, forest leaves, pencil on paper, and a quiet library. Sounds unlock as your buddy levels up - They mix with music from other apps and fade out when you pause or take a break Keep going - Pomodoro: 25 minutes of focus, 5 of rest. Change the times anytime - Daily study time goal: set a goal in minutes and see how much is left - Current goal: write what you're working toward in one line - Exam countdown: see the days left on the home screen and widgets, with reminders before the exam - Summary card: after you stop, see the EXP you earned, today's total, and your streak - Share today's study as a single image - Focus rating: mark each session "Not great", "OK", or "Great" (optional) - Study calendar: days you reach your goal get a leaf - Weekly review: at the end of each week, look back at your total and the subject you studied most - Study tips: 12 ideas backed by research See what you studied, and how much - Choose a subject before you start (or just start without one) - Forgot the timer? Add records up to 30 days back - Weekly and monthly charts show time and share by subject - Add textbooks and workbooks to see your time by material - Fix the time, subject, note, or focus rating of any record later - Export your records as CSV - iCloud sync and backup: switch iPhones and get your sessions and buddy back by turning on sync with the same Apple ID Study Pair (Study Buddy Premium) Connect with one partner through an invite link and see their study time today and whether they are studying right now. Grow one buddy with the time you both put in. On days when both of you do your part, it's a "pair day" and your buddy grows more. Choose a "cheer" role instead of studying. One cheer a day is enough to take part, which makes it a gentle way to support someone in your family. Your partner only sees study-time totals. They cannot see when you studied, your subjects, or your notes. Only the person who creates the pair needs Premium. Invited partners join for free. Study Buddy Premium Auto-renewing monthly or yearly plans include Apple Watch timing, past weeks and monthly charts, earlier calendars, Study Pair creation, two extra sounds, up to 5 exams. Timer, records, buddy, and iCloud sync stay free. Existing Pro owners keep all benefits permanently and can restore without subscribing. Cancel in subscription settings. No ads. Your records are yours There are no ads. Your study records are saved on this iPhone and never sent to our servers. If you turn on "Sync with iCloud", they are also saved in your own iCloud, and the developer cannot see them. Data you share in a Study Pair is stored in the pair creator's iCloud. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Hako
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Find your focus. Keep it. Hako is a calm study timer that makes focus feel less lonely. Study on your own, with a friend, or in a room full of people working toward the same thing — and see your hours add up. STUDY YOUR WAY • A focus timer with Pomodoro, Animedoro, Ultradian and more, or open-ended free study • Subjects, tasks and exam countdowns, all in one place • Ambient sounds — rain, forest, stream and fire — that keep playing with the screen locked • A Live Activity and widgets, so your session is always a glance away • Ten calm color themes, from Japanese indigo to matcha green BETTER TOGETHER • See which friends are studying right now and join them • Study Together: start a shared session with a friend and keep each other on track • Study rooms for up to 30 people, with a shared timer, chat and assignments • Weekly challenges and leaderboards with your friends SEE YOUR PROGRESS • Daily goals, streaks and a clear picture of where your time goes • Session summaries with your focus time and notes STAY ON TASK • Optional Study blocking uses Screen Time to shield distracting apps while a session runs. You choose what stays allowed, and your selection never leaves your device. HAKO PRO Hako is free to use. Hako Pro adds: • Premium study scenes for your timer, rooms and friends • Your own study techniques with custom study and break rhythms • Advanced statistics: your best hours and days, a yearly heatmap, and time by subject • Compare your stats side by side with a friend • Pro widgets: study heatmap, stats and deadlines • Room for more subjects, tasks, countdowns and rooms Hako Pro is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscription. The yearly plan includes a 1-week free trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings at any time after purchase. Terms of Use: https://hakostudy.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://hakostudy.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Study Buddy Timer at daily against Hako's every 5 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Study Buddy Timer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Hako sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Study Buddy Timer ships an update daily, Hako every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Study Buddy Timer | Hako |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | ZEC Inc. | MAHMAD GUMAURI |
In-app purchases
Study Buddy Timer
- Study Buddy Premium Monthly$1.991 Month
- Study Buddy Premium Yearly7 Days trial$11.991 Year
Hako
- Hako Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Hako Pro Yearly7 Days trial$31.991 Year









