Comparison

WhenWhereWhatTodo vs Essential

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

Head to head
About

WhenWhereWhatTodo

Features
Read full description

WhenWhereWhat organizes tasks around when, where, and what you can actually do. Instead of showing every task at once, it separates what is available now, what is waiting on time or place, what needs planning, and what is scheduled. The app helps you focus on tasks that fit your current context. Key features - A Now screen for tasks available at the current time and place - Separate start dates and due dates for realistic planning - Place contexts such as home, work, online, and anywhere - Local arrival notifications for place-based tasks - Planning views for inbox, upcoming, today, and overdue tasks - Calendar view that combines events and dated tasks - First-run presets for work, study, and daily life - Manual location context fallback when location permission is denied WhenWhereWhat stores tasks on device without a server account. Location, calendar, reminder, and notification permissions are used only for features the user enables.

About

Essential

This productivity app focuses on the core essence of a calendar, inspired by Dieter Rams' philosophy of "less, but better." It provides daily weather, exchange rates, and historical events, aiming for a clean and focused user experience without unnecessary clutter.

Highlights
  • Minimalist design
  • Daily weather updates
  • Exchange rate information
  • Historical daily events
  • Focused calendar experience
Features
Read full description

Introducing Essential, a new calendar. Essential boldly holds back on colour to create a minimalist design focused on what truly matters. Unlike other apps, events carry no colours, giving your schedule a calm, well-organised feel. Essential brings a [Monthly Calendar] and a [Timeline] together on a single screen. No need to switch screens to see the details of your day. Essential is built around [Continuity]. Whether you're searching for an event or changing a setting, you can do it without leaving the page. For example, tap the magnifying glass in the top right corner. Instead of taking you to a new screen as most apps do, the icon turns straight into a search field, so you can search right where you are. Beyond its design, Essential offers a few special features. 1. Detailed Weather Useful for those who work outdoors. Hourly forecasts, daily highs and lows, and more, made for anyone who keeps an eye on the weather. 2. A little joy in checking your schedule: "On This Day" An ordinary day for some was a meaningful one for others. While checking your schedule, discover events from history based on real facts. Topics span world history, film, art, economics, design and more. 3. Postpone Move an event to the next day. Plans don't always go as planned, so Essential's postpone feature embraces that uncertainty. It simply moves your event by one day. A little room for the days that don't go perfectly. It's okay not to be perfect. 4. The Dial Essential is inspired by the design philosophy of Dieter Rams, the world-renowned industrial designer. To celebrate his work, we've included a tribute object: the dial in the bottom right corner. Press it to add (+) a new event. Turn it like a dial to move through the timeline in one-hour steps. ――― Privacy Policy: https://dieter-rams-project.minimal-calendar.workers.dev/privacy/en

Screenshots

WhenWhereWhatTodo4 screens
Essential4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: WhenWhereWhatTodo at 15.1 against Essential's 17.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 7 level
WhenWhereWhatTodo versus Essential: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhenWhereWhatTodoEssential
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsβ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyβ€”Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetizationβ€”Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch β€” better
Requires iOS15.1 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size38 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSANGMIN JUNGChang Hyun Lee

In-app purchases

None

WhenWhereWhatTodo

No in-app purchases

None

Essential

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WhenWhereWhatTodo free?
WhenWhereWhatTodo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Essential free?
Essential is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do WhenWhereWhatTodo or Essential have ads?
Neither WhenWhereWhatTodo nor Essential shows ads.

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