Comparison

10,000 Hours vs Etched

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

Head to head
About

10,000 Hours

Features
Read full description

10,000 Hours - Mastery Tracker is a practice tracker for people serious about getting better at something — whether that's playing guitar, learning a language, writing fiction, coding, drawing, chess, or any skill that rewards sustained effort. The premise is straightforward. Pick what you want to improve at, decide how many hours you want to invest, and log your practice sessions as you go. Over weeks and months, you'll see your time accumulate, your patterns emerge, and your progress build. This isn't a habit tracker or a to-do list. It's a focused tool for one thing: helping you keep showing up for the work that matters to you, and giving you a clear picture of what you've done. WHO IT'S FOR This app is for anyone working toward a long-term goal, including: • Language learners tracking study, immersion, and conversation practice • Artists and writers building a consistent creative practice • Students preparing for exams, certifications, or daily study habits • Developers, designers, and other professionals leveling up specific skills • Career changers building new expertise for a transition or promotion • Researchers, academics, and serious readers tracking deep work hours • Athletes and fitness enthusiasts counting training hours toward goals • Competitive players in chess, esports, or other strategy games • Performers — actors, dancers, comedians, public speakers — refining their craft • Musicians logging practice toward auditions, recitals, or personal mastery • Hobbyists going deep on photography, woodworking, cooking, or any craft • Anyone returning to a skill after a break and wanting to rebuild consistency TRACK YOUR SKILLS • Add new skills as you need, each with a custom name, icon, color, and description • Set targets at common milestones (100, 1,000, or 10,000 hours) or any number you choose • Add optional weekly and monthly goals • See an estimated completion date based on your current pace • Organize with priority levels, tags, and per-skill settings RUN SESSIONS • Start the built-in timer when you sit down to practice • Pause and resume as needed • Add quick notes mid-session to capture thoughts AFTER EACH SESSION • Rate how focused you felt • Add notes on what you worked on • See your progress update in real time • Continue with the same skill, switch to another, or stop UNDERSTAND YOUR PATTERNS • Activity heatmap covering the last 12 months • Daily, weekly, and monthly breakdowns • Per-skill trends, totals, and averages • Best time of day and most productive weekday • Focus quality distribution • Current streak and upcoming milestones HOME SCREEN WIDGETS • Multiple sizes for quick glances • Show today's total, current streak, or all your skills at once ADDITIONAL SETTINGS • Light and dark appearance • Optional daily reminders and streak alerts • Language selection • Data export (Pro) WORKS OFFLINE The app does not require an account, sign-in, or internet connection. Your practice data lives on your device. No cloud account, no profile, no social feed. Daily reminders and language preferences are available if you want them. You can also export/import your data to a JSON file for backup/restore purposes.

About

Etched

This app transforms practice hours into a visual journey of personal growth. Choose an archetype, set a mastery goal, and log your practice time to see your avatar evolve and your story unfold. Track any skill, from music to coding, with detailed progress and motivational reminders.

Highlights
  • Archetype-based skill tracking
  • Visual avatar evolution
  • 10,000 hours or custom goal setting
  • Unlimited skill tracking
  • Live session timer with XP
  • Manual time entry
  • 13-week calendar heatmap
Read full description

Etched turns hours of practice into a living legend. Most tracking apps show you a number. Etched shows you who you're becoming. Choose your archetype — The Wizard, The Outlaw, The Vampire, The Villain, The Dragonborn, or The Alchemist. Set your goal: 10,000 hours or a custom target. Then start practicing. Every hour you log moves your story forward. Track every skill. Build every legend. Add any skill — guitar, chess, Spanish, coding, running, whatever you're mastering. Each skill has its own rank progression, its own XP, its own chapter in your legend. Nothing is forgotten. 12 ranks. One legendary destination. Every archetype has 12 ranks illustrated in a Da Vinci-inspired style. As your hours accumulate, your avatar evolves. Rank up on any skill, at any time — even while the timer is running. Your legend, written as you practice. The Legend Chronicle writes your story as you train — 150+ archetype-specific legend entries written in each voice The story only continues if you do. Built for the long game. - Live session timer with XP tracking - Manual time entry for sessions you forgot to clock - Star ratings and mood tracking per session - 13-week calendar heatmap - Streaks, forecasts, and mastery progress across every skill - Daily practice reminders in your archetype's voice - One-time unlock. No subscription. Ever. Etched is free to download. The Wizard archetype — with all 12 ranks, full Legend access, and unlimited skill tracking — is completely FREE. Unlock all five remaining archetypes (The Outlaw, The Vampire, The Villain, The Dragonborn, and The Alchemist) for $4.99, once, permanently. No subscription. Ever. The clock is ticking. Start your legend.

Screenshots

10,000 Hours4 screens
Etched4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Etched at none against 10,000 Hours's shown. On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. 10,000 Hours sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Etched sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 7 level
10,000 Hours versus Etched: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter10,000 HoursEtched
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB63 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperThieu KhuePosido Vega

In-app purchases

1 purchases

10,000 Hours

One-time1
  • Time Tracker Pro$9.99
1 purchases

Etched

One-time1
  • Unlock All Archetypes$4.99

Questions

Is 10,000 Hours free?
10,000 Hours is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Etched free?
Etched is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do 10,000 Hours or Etched have ads?
10,000 Hours shows ads; Etched does not.

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