Comparison

Ambient Timer vs PocketToDo

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

Head to head
About

Ambient Timer

Features
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A timer that creates space — for stillness, and for deep focus. Paired with field recordings and ambient film — crafted by a single artist, not a sound library. Sounds and visuals by Chisato Ohori, whose work has been exhibited at Kunstpavillon, a historic contemporary art gallery in Munich. Set the ring. Press play. Let time pass. Optionally, pair your session with field recordings or ambient film — or keep it in silence. When the timer ends, a break mode continues the same atmosphere, so the transition from focus to rest feels natural. A minimal ring interface. A gentle bell to close each session. And a record of every session, quietly accumulating over time. The timer, sound selection, and session history are free. Field recordings and ambient film are available with Unlimited — a one-time purchase of $2.99.

About

PocketToDo

Features
Read full description

"Capture it before you forget." PocketToDo is a quiet ToDo app built around one thing: never losing the small tasks. --- ■ The big ones get done. The small ones slip. "Quick reply." "Submit the shift form." "Send that sticker." These small tasks get buried in long lists, lost in notification streams, and quietly pass their moment. But they're not big enough to deserve their own note. PocketToDo is a place to catch and finish exactly those — the small things that take two taps on your phone. --- ■ Just two ideas. 【When you capture: hold by weight】 On drop-in, pick one of 4 tiles — head (light/heavy) × time (short/long): Snap · Casual · Think · Focus 【When you pull: filter by scene】 On the home screen, switch between 4 scenes — and only the tasks doable right now appear, lightest first. On the go → Snap + Casual + Think Before bed → Snap only Morning → Snap + Casual Between tasks → Snap + Casual "What I can actually do, right now" — only that, in front of you. --- ■ Quiet by design. · No notifications. Nothing nags you. · Sorted by ease, not urgency. Small wins, stacked up. · One-line capture + one tap to weight. Three seconds, done. · Capture from Siri, Shortcuts, widgets, or the Action button — without opening the app. · Stored only on your device. No account, no sign-in. --- ■ Free features · Capture, edit, complete tasks · 4 scenes (On the go, Between tasks, Morning, Before bed) · Customize which weights appear per scene · Daily repeating tasks (complete it, and it comes back tomorrow) · One-line capture from Siri, Shortcuts, and the Action button · Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, plus Control Center (iOS 18) · Last 7 days of completed history · Default + dark themes · Manual CSV export (keep an external record) --- ■ PocketToDo Pro features · Full history (no 7-day cutoff) · Review: tasks finished this week and month, weight breakdown, and streaks for daily tasks · 4 additional color themes (Yoake, Mori, Nagisa, Sakura) · Make up to 3 custom palettes of your own (widgets follow your theme) · The home-screen icon follows your chosen theme · Rename the 4 weights — both name and meaning — in your own words Pricing: $23.99 / year · $2.99 / month · $58.99 one-time ※ Yearly ≈ 39% off vs monthly (~$2/mo effective) ※ 7-day free trial on subscriptions ■ Terms (subscriptions) - Yearly: $23.99 / year (includes a 7-day free trial; billed after the trial ends) - Monthly: $2.99 / month (includes a 7-day free trial; billed after the trial ends) - Lifetime: $58.99 (one-time payment, no auto-renewal) Subscriptions (yearly, monthly) auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; payment is charged to your Apple ID at renewal. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Terms of Use (Apple standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://atimekusau535-hub.github.io/pockettodo/en/privacy.html --- ■ Privacy first PocketToDo collects no personal information whatsoever. Tasks and settings are stored only on your device, never sent to any server. We embed no analytics SDKs and no advertising SDKs. The best way to protect data is to not collect it in the first place. --- ■ Get in touch X (Twitter): @bon_dev_ Support: https://atimekusau535-hub.github.io/pockettodo/en/support.html Bugs and feature requests very welcome.

Screenshots

Ambient Timer4 screens
PocketToDo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PocketToDo at every 10 days against Ambient Timer's every 2 months. 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. Ambient Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PocketToDo sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ambient Timer ships an update every 2 months, PocketToDo every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Ambient Timer versus PocketToDo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAmbient TimerPocketToDo
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChisato OhoriIMAE Tasuku

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Ambient Timer

One-time1
  • Unlock Unlimited$2.99
3 purchases

PocketToDo

Subscriptions2
  • PocketToDo Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • PocketToDo Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • PocketToDo Pro (Lifetime)$59.99

Questions

Is Ambient Timer free?
Ambient Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PocketToDo free?
PocketToDo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ambient Timer or PocketToDo have ads?
Neither Ambient Timer nor PocketToDo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ambient Timer or PocketToDo?
Ambient Timer ships an update every 2 months, and PocketToDo every 10 days. Most recently, Ambient Timer was updated on October 24, 2026 and PocketToDo on October 25, 2026.

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