Rutin vs NextStep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Rutin
Read full descriptionHide full description
"When do I actually need to start getting ready?" That's the question Rutin answers. Tell it when you need to be ready, add what you need to do, and Rutin works backward to the minute, so you always know the exact moment to begin. It works for anything you get ready for: Getting ready for a night out, a date, or an event, hair, makeup, and outfit included Leaving for work or school on time Making a train, flight, or bus you can't afford to miss Getting the whole family out the door Being on time for the gym, an appointment, or a dinner reservation Even a wind-down routine that gets you to bed when you meant to Keep a separate routine for each occasion, and reach for the right one whenever you need it. Here's how it works. Build a routine once and pick your "ready by" time. Add your steps and roughly how long each one takes, with icons and colors so a single glance tells you where you are. Rutin counts backward from your deadline and shows you when to start. Press go and it runs alongside you: the step you're on, a live countdown, and whether you're still on pace to make it. Falling behind? It happens. Rutin gently suggests where to make up the time, like trimming a step or skipping something optional. It stays honest about what's realistic and never pretends you can do the impossible. A few more things people love: Focus mode clears everything away and shows just the step in front of you. Live Activities keep your countdown on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. Widgets and friendly reminders nudge you the moment it's time to begin. Over time, Rutin notices when a step always runs long or short and offers to adjust it for you. No tracking. No Login. Everything stays on your device. Whatever you're getting ready for, Rutin tells you when to start, so you make it on time without the scramble.
NextStep
Read full descriptionHide full description
Keep your next step in view. NextStep helps you move through everyday routines on iPhone and Apple Watch. Break getting ready, packing your bag or winding down into clear steps, then follow one step at a time with your finish-by time in view. YOU DECIDE WHEN A STEP IS DONE Set an estimate for each step and tap Done when you finish. Reaching zero never moves you on automatically. Pause, add step time, skip a step or end a routine when your plans change. Pausing or adding step time keeps your chosen deadline fixed, so you can see the effect on your plan. MAKE A ROUTINE YOUR OWN Create routines with up to 30 steps, optional steps, short notes and a finish-by time. Start from a sample or build your own. Reorder, duplicate and archive routines. Set optional recurring reminders separately from your finish-by time; a reminder never starts a routine for you. USE YOUR PHONE OR YOUR WATCH Start and follow a routine on either device. Saved routines can run on Apple Watch while disconnected from iPhone. When paired devices connect, they exchange routine and session updates. Each run stays with the device that started it, and the other device shows its saved progress. A QUICK LOOK WHEN YOU NEED IT Widgets and Watch complications offer a glance at your saved routine or current progress. Optional iPhone Live Activities show routines started on iPhone. Alerts depend on permission, Focus and system delivery; open NextStep to act on a step. LEARN FROM YOUR OWN ROUTINES Review completed and ended routines. After enough qualifying sessions, local duration suggestions can help you adjust future estimates. You choose which changes to apply. START FREE Save two non-archived routines and start them as often as you like. Free includes routine editing, reminders, essential widgets, the most recent seven days of history, local estimate suggestions and data export/import. Try a 45-second demo without creating a history entry. OPTIONAL NEXTSTEP PRO Pro adds more saved routines, full retained history views, detailed planned-versus-actual time comparisons and additional authored routine programs. Preview every program for free. Choose a monthly or annual auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices and billing periods appear before purchase. If Pro ends, all your existing routines remain available to view, edit and run. Your retained data stays exportable. NextStep never presents a paywall during an active routine. YOUR ROUTINES STAY YOURS No NextStep account, advertising or external AI service. Routines and history are stored on your devices. Export files when you choose to share or back up your data. Apple handles purchases with your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled in Apple Account settings. Lifetime does not cancel an existing subscription; manage that subscription separately. Privacy: https://mubaraklabs.com/privacy/nextstep/ Terms: https://mubaraklabs.com/terms/nextstep/ License: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: NextStep at 17.0 against Rutin's 26.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Rutin sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and NextStep sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Rutin | NextStep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | โ |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch โ better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Emilia Elgfors | Mubarak Almahmeed |
In-app purchases
Rutin
- Rutin Pro$9.99
NextStep
- Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- Pro Annual$29.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime$79.99






