Comparison

Etched vs SBL Cue Timer

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

Head to head
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.

About

SBL Cue Timer

Read full description

SBL Cue Timer is a stage timer for concerts, recitals, weddings, talks, seminars, corporate events, streams, theater and dance. A big countdown and a timed run sheet show what is on now, what is next, and whether you are running behind or ahead. Show presenters their remaining time on a full-screen display, share the run screen with your crew, and send OSC to lights, sound and video, including GO for the matching QLab cue. RUN TIMER - Big remaining time. Colors warn when time is short or over - Each cue sheet row is one act. Start by time, right after the previous act, or manually - Turn on AUTO to move to the next act on schedule. Behind ("push") and ahead ("pull") are calculated for you - Tap -1 / +1 minute to adjust on the spot. Undo and redo supported - Messages: show "Please speed up" and more on performers' screens in one tap, and make them flash for 5 seconds - Full-screen performer display, readable from the wings. The host can dim it to 100%, 50%, 20% or blackout - Keyboard shortcuts (iPad, Mac, external keyboards): Space for NEXT, Cmd+. for STOP and more - Live Activity: remaining time and the current cue on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, even with the app closed - Notifications before each cue change and at its end time while the app is in the background SHARING AND SYNC - Anyone who enters a share code sees the same run screen live (viewing is free) - Your iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to the same account sync show edits and the run instantly - Nearby sync: iPhone, iPad and Mac sync with each other even with weak internet (Local Network permission required) - Shares you joined stay in your show list so you can reopen them - Creating a share (hosting) requires Pro CREATE RUN SHEETS WITH AI - Turns a PDF, photo, Excel, CSV or text schedule into a cue sheet with start times and durations - Review and edit the result before you use it LIGHTING AND SOUND SYNC (OSC) - OSC controls lighting, audio and video gear and software - Sent when each act starts, so it works with QLab, Resolume, TouchDesigner, Bitfocus Companion and more (Pro) - QLab mode: when a cue starts, GO the QLab cue with the same number. Optional panic on STOP. Finds QLab on your network automatically WORKS OFFLINE Shows are stored on your device. Edit and run offline (sharing, sync, AI and restoring purchases need a connection). Export and import .showcue files too. FREE AND PRO Free: up to 3 shows and 2 sheets per show / editing, running, full screen and messages / watch a show with a share code Pro: unlimited shows and sheets / host sharing and nearby sync / OSC output and QLab mode / CSV import and export / AI creation with a monthly allowance included - Monthly or annual (annual costs the same as 9 months). New subscribers get a 2-week free trial - Pro 1 Day: all Pro features for 24 hours, no auto-renewal - Prices are in JPY, tax included. The price shown in the App Store applies AI CREDITS - Credits are uses for AI creation. Buy a pack of 5 or 10 in the app (also on the free plan) - Purchased credits never expire - Pro's monthly allowance is used first, then your credits - One use is spent when you tap "Create from this result". Retry up to 3 times for free if you don't like it SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION - Purchases and restoring purchases require sign-in (Apple, Google or email) - Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the period - Manage or cancel in Settings > your name > Subscriptions after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription - Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ - Privacy Policy: https://showbuildlabs.com/privacy/ - Contact: support@showbuildlabs.com Show Build Laboratories (SBL) makes tools for people who work on the floor.

Screenshots

Etched4 screens
SBL Cue Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Etched at none against SBL Cue Timer's shown. SBL Cue Timer's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price and in-app purchases 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. Etched sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SBL Cue Timer sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Etched versus SBL Cue Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEtchedSBL Cue Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequency—Every 3 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB51 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPosido VegaTakashi Funama

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Etched

One-time1
  • Unlock All Archetypes$4.99
5 purchases

SBL Cue Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly14 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Pro Annual14 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time3
  • AI Credits 5$0.99
  • Pro 1 Day$0.99
  • AI Credits 10$1.99

Questions

Is Etched free?
Etched is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SBL Cue Timer free?
SBL Cue Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Etched or SBL Cue Timer have ads?
SBL Cue Timer shows ads; Etched does not.

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