Comparison

When vs NEN

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

Head to head
About

When

Features
Read full description

When did you last get a haircut? See your dentist? Change your bed sheets? Probably "a while ago." You know roughly — but without a record, it's just a vague unease living in the back of your head. Who changed the AC filter last? Took the dog to the vet? Watered the plants? If you're not sure — your partner probably isn't either. How long until your holiday? Payday? The trip you're both counting down to? You know the dates. You just haven't counted the days. When holds all of it — and shares it. Add the things you do occasionally but never schedule. Tap once when you do them. When shows you exactly how long it's been — beautifully, at a glance. — DAYS SINCE — Track anything you do occasionally: health, home, vehicle, body, finances. The list sorts by most overdue first. The featured card surfaces the thing that's drifted furthest. One swipe logs it and resets the clock to zero. — DAYS UNTIL — Set a date and watch the countdown. A trip, an appointment, a deadline — When holds both directions. One word. Two modes. — SPACES, SHARED — Organise your items into Spaces — Home, Car, Health, whatever fits your life. Then share a Space with a partner, housemate, or anyone tracking the same things. Everyone sees the same items in real time. Anyone can log. When something's done, it's done for both of you — no more "I thought you handled it." Nothing slips through the gap. — REMINDERS — Set a threshold on anything that tends to drift — and When will tap your shoulder when it's been too long. Gentle nudges, no alarm tones. Just a quiet signal that it's time. — DESIGNED TO BE KEPT — When looks better than anything else in this category. Beautiful tools get used. Used tools become habits. Habits make the app worth keeping on your home screen. — HOW IT WORKS — Add a thing (emoji, name, Space) Tap once when you do it Come back whenever you wonder Share a Space to track together Because "sometime last year, I think" isn't good enough — for either of you. Apple Standard Terms and Conditions (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

NEN

This app offers a calm Pomodoro-style timer designed for deep work and study sessions. It guides users through focus periods and breaks with a simple, distraction-resistant interface. Track progress, categorize work, and utilize Apple Watch controls for enhanced productivity.

Highlights
  • Focus, short break, and long break sessions
  • Clear timer progress and round tracking
  • Focus categories for different work types
  • Apple Watch controls
  • Live Activities and widgets
  • Session history and progress insights
Features
Read full description

NEN is a calm Pomodoro-style focus timer for iPhone and Apple Watch, built for deep work, study sessions, real breaks, and distraction-resistant routines. Start a focus session, move through short and long breaks, and keep your attention on the work in front of you. NEN is built around a simple Pomodoro-style timer flow with a quiet visual style, clear session progress, and useful controls when you need them. Use NEN for deep work, study blocks, writing sessions, coding, reading, or any routine where you want a focused rhythm without extra noise. Features: - Focus, short break, and long break sessions - Clear timer progress and round tracking - Focus categories for different kinds of work - Apple Watch controls - Live Activities and widgets - Session history and progress insights - Optional NEN Pro lifetime unlock for deeper focus tools NEN is made for people who want a focused timer that feels calm, native, and easy to return to every day.

Screenshots

When4 screens
NEN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: NEN at every 4 days against When's fortnightly. NEN also leads on iOS requirement (17.5 vs 26.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. When sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and NEN sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

When ships an update fortnightly, NEN every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
When versus NEN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhenNEN
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.017.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB5 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGabriel PerezNijanthan Vijayakumar

In-app purchases

2 purchases

When

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly Plan$1.991 Month
  • Pro Annual Plan$9.991 Year
1 purchases

NEN

One-time1
  • NEN Lifetime Unlock$6.99

Questions

Is When free?
When is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NEN free?
NEN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do When or NEN have ads?
Neither When nor NEN shows ads.
Which is updated more often, When or NEN?
When ships an update fortnightly, and NEN every 4 days. Most recently, When was updated on September 9, 2026 and NEN on September 13, 2026.

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