# Back to This vs ThoughtTrace

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ThoughtTrace at none against Back to This's 1. Back to This's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Back to This sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. ThoughtTrace asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Back to This | ThoughtTrace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Size | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Quanite FZE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1845665838) | [JUNICHI WATANABE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1837543582) |

## What reviewers say

### Back to This

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/back-to-this/id6772779325)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Back to This Pro | $4.99 | per month |


### ThoughtTrace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thoughttrace-brain-dump-timer/id6777566567)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Back to This free?

Back to This is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ThoughtTrace free?

ThoughtTrace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Back to This or ThoughtTrace have ads?

ThoughtTrace shows ads; Back to This does not.

### Which is updated more often, Back to This or ThoughtTrace?

Back to This ships an update every 3 weeks, and ThoughtTrace every 3 weeks. Most recently, Back to This was updated on October 12, 2026 and ThoughtTrace on October 16, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*