Comparison

FLIP vs Orbit

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

Head to head
About

FLIP

This app helps overcome procrastination by using a 2-minute rule to initiate tasks. It features a simple, single-screen interface with haptic feedback and lock-screen visibility to encourage deep work and short breaks.

Highlights
  • 2-minute kickoff timer
  • Flip phone for deep work
  • Sideways phone for breaks
  • Single-screen interface
  • Haptic feedback
  • Lock-screen and Live Activity
  • 100% on-device privacy
Features
Read full description

The hardest part of any task is starting. The 2-minute rule says: just commit to two minutes — then decide whether to keep going. Most of the time, once you've started, you'll keep working far longer. FLIP is a single-screen timer built around that idea. —————————————— HOW IT WORKS • Tap once to start a 2-minute kickoff timer. • When 2 minutes are up, flip your phone face-down to commit to a 20-minute deep-work block. • When deep work ends, turn your phone sideways to take a 5-minute break. • Hold anywhere to cancel — a segmented bar fills with synchronized haptics so the gesture is unmistakable. That's it. No accounts, no settings, no menus. —————————————— DESIGNED FOR FOCUS • Single-screen interface with a retro-digital typeface and edge-to-edge color fill that grows with the timer • Haptic feedback on every state change so you don't have to look at the screen • Lock-screen and Dynamic Island Live Activity — keep the countdown visible without unlocking your phone • A short chime when each phase ends so you can put the phone down and focus —————————————— PRIVATE BY DESIGN • 100% on-device. No accounts, no analytics, no third-party SDKs, no servers. • No data collection. The privacy policy fits on one page. —————————————— WHO IT'S FOR • People who reach for their phone instead of starting a task • Knowledge workers running Pomodoro-like sessions • Students looking for a low-friction focus timer • Anyone who wants the smallest possible app between them and beginning a task Beat procrastination by promising yourself two minutes. Then flip the phone.

About

Orbit

Read full description

Set a timer, put the phone down, and actually stay off the apps that pull you away. Orbit is a focus timer built for ADHD brains that set timers and then ignore them. Most timers just count down in the background. Orbit shields your distracting apps for real, using iOS Screen Time, so the pull is gone while you work. A single hand-drawn tangle of line sits on a black screen and slowly threads with color as your session runs. It is your clock, your progress bar, and something calm to rest your eyes on instead of a feed. Touch it and the strands spring and swirl back into place. Why it fits an ADHD brain: - One tap to start. Pick a preset and you are focusing, no setup wall. - Real app blocking, not a nag. The apps you choose stay shielded until the session ends. - A calm, no-shame stop. Sessions wind down gently instead of slamming shut on a hyperfocus. - Focused days, not guilt streaks. Orbit counts the days you showed up and never punishes a miss. - Nothing to read while you focus. Black screen, one moving thing, silence. Free forever: - Focus sessions with the live tangle - A basic streak of your focused days Orbit Pro: - Unlimited sessions and full app blocking - Complete history and insight into where your time actually goes - Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets No ads. No account. Works offline. Your session data stays on your device. Untangle your time. Terms of Use: https://readbuildship.com/apps/orbit/terms

Screenshots

FLIP4 screens
Orbit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FLIP at none against Orbit's 3. Orbit's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. Orbit sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. FLIP asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FLIP ships an update every 3 months, Orbit weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
FLIP versus Orbit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFLIPOrbit
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIzhan AnsariJan Piotrzkowski

In-app purchases

None

FLIP

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Orbit

Subscriptions3
  • Orbit Pro Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Orbit Pro Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Orbit Pro Yearly$29.991 Year

Questions

Is FLIP free?
FLIP is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Orbit free?
Orbit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FLIP or Orbit have ads?
Neither FLIP nor Orbit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FLIP or Orbit?
FLIP ships an update every 3 months, and Orbit weekly. Most recently, FLIP was updated on September 30, 2026 and Orbit on September 26, 2026.

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