Comparison

Contraction Timer vs StepMates

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

Head to head
About

Contraction Timer

This app simplifies labor by providing a straightforward contraction timer. It features a large, easy-to-use button for starting and stopping, displaying duration and interval in real-time. Data is stored locally and can be exported for medical professionals.

Highlights
  • One-tap start/stop button
  • Real-time duration and interval display
  • Lock screen visibility
  • Optional quiet notifications
  • Local data storage
  • One-tap export (text/PDF)
  • Optimized night mode
Features
Read full description

The contractions have started. The last thing you need is to work out how to use an app. Ripply is ready. One big button. You tap when it starts, you tap when it stops. We handle the rest, calmly, with zero ads. Two numbers tell you what matters: how long the last contraction lasted, and how long since it came back. BUILT FOR THE MOMENT OF LABOUR Labour is not the right moment for an advert, for creating an account, or for figuring out a cluttered interface. Ripply takes the opposite approach: zero ads, zero setup, zero waiting. Everything stays on your phone. The main screen is readable in a second, even in the dark, with one hand. WHAT RIPPLY DOES, SIMPLY • One big button, impossible to miss, usable one-handed • Duration and interval shown in real time, readable at a glance • Visible on the lock screen: duration, interval and guideline without unlocking your phone • Optional quiet notification when the guideline is reached, even with the phone in your pocket • Averages over the last hour, updated automatically • The 5-1-1 marker shown calmly, presented as general information • History kept session after session, from the first Braxton-Hicks to the birth • Full, editable history, so you can fix a missed tap • One-tap export: text to send by message, or PDF for the hospital • Optimised night mode: dark background, soft numbers, no glare • Local storage: nothing is lost, even if the app is closed FOR THE EXPECTANT MOTHER AND THE PARTNER Designed for the partner timing in the dark and for the expectant mother managing alone between waves. For the partner who has never opened the app and has to use it at 2am, one button, nothing to figure out. No curve to interpret, no settings to understand. Just the numbers you need to decide when to call your maternity unit. IMPORTANT Ripply is not a medical app. It helps you time your contractions; it provides no diagnosis and does not replace the advice of a healthcare professional. The 5-1-1 marker is general information, not personalised guidance. If you have any doubt, unusual intensity or your waters break, contact your maternity unit directly. Free, no ads, ready the second it starts. Privacy Policy : https://kenoby.fr/applications/ripply/privacy Terms of Use : https://kenoby.fr/applications/ripply/terms

About

StepMates

Features
Read full description

The fun way to walk more — together. StepMates turns your daily steps into a friendly duel. Whoever walks least owes one small, free kindness — and your steps sync automatically, so there's nothing to log and nothing to fake. Three ways to play • Couples — walk against your partner; the loser gives a foot rub, runs a bath, or brings coffee in bed. • Friends — settle it with the squad; lowest steps owes the group coffee run. • Crew — get your team moving; last place picks up a friendly, work-appropriate forfeit. How it works 1. Pair with a 6-character code. 2. Steps sync automatically from Apple Health — your phone and watch do the counting. 3. Each day (and each month), whoever walked least gets one small kindness to do. Why you'll keep it open • Auto sync — you never type a number, and a partner's steps update on their own. • Nearly 100 built-in kindnesses, from sweet to silly — reroll anytime if you both agree. • Daily and monthly contests, streaks, and a shareable recap. • Gentle nudges — "Catch me" or "Walk with me?" • Mercy is always free. Our promise No money between players. No gifts. No betting. Ever. Every forfeit is a small, free act of kindness. Walk more. Be a little kinder. Settle it with your steps. — StepMates Together (optional subscription) — Monthly: $6.99 / month Yearly: $29.99 / year (best value) One subscription unlocks Together for both partners: unlimited custom kindnesses, photo memories, and your shared season recap. A Lifetime option ($49.99) is also available as a one-time, non-renewing purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at purchase confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the period. You can manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://stepmates-app.vercel.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

Contraction Timer4 screens
StepMates4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Contraction Timer at every 6 days against StepMates's fortnightly. StepMates's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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. Contraction Timer sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and StepMates sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Contraction Timer ships an update every 6 days, StepMates fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Contraction Timer versus StepMates: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterContraction TimerStepMates
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB22 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperALEXANDRE JOSEPH PIERRE PAULIbrahim Boutiba

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Contraction Timer

Subscriptions3
  • Ripply Premium - Weekly$0.997 Days
  • Ripply Premium$3.991 Month
  • Ripply Premium - Weekly$3.997 Days
One-time2
  • Ripply Premium Lifetime$0.99
  • Ripply Premium Lifetime$8.99
9 purchases

StepMates

Subscriptions2
  • Together (Monthly)$6.991 Month
  • Together (Yearly)$29.991 Year
One-time7
  • Point Boost 1,000$0.99
  • Point Boost 3,000$1.99
  • Point Boost 4,500$2.99
Show 4 more
  • Skip Pass$4.99
  • Point Boost$4.99
  • StepMates Premium$9.99
  • Together (Lifetime)$49.99

Questions

Is Contraction Timer free?
Contraction Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StepMates free?
StepMates is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Contraction Timer or StepMates have ads?
Neither Contraction Timer nor StepMates shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Contraction Timer or StepMates?
Contraction Timer ships an update every 6 days, and StepMates fortnightly. Most recently, Contraction Timer was updated on October 31, 2026 and StepMates on November 10, 2026.

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