Minpick vs Starling
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Minpick
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You had five minutes. You had things to do. But the five minutes disappeared while you were deciding what to start. Then another small pocket of time came, and choosing still took longer than starting. It was not because there was nothing to do. There was too much to choose from. I used to be there too. That is why I made Minpickβnot to make you work harder, but to shorten the part where you have to decide. Save something you want to do later and roughly how many minutes it takes. When you have 3 minutes, choose 3. When you have 5, choose 5. When you have 10, choose 10. Minpick shows up to three tasks that should fit. You do not have to scan a long to-do list again. If you want to narrow things down, use category or priorityβfor example, only work, or only tasks with medium or high priority. You can choose a time from the Home Screen widget. If a nudge helps, set a reminder for a day and time. You can switch languages in the app, and VoiceOver and Dynamic Type are supported. If you want to stop, stop. If today is a day to rest, rest. You do not have to turn every free minute into output, and you do not have to open Minpick every time. Next time a few minutes open up and you have things to do but cannot decide what to start, open Minpick then. I did not make it to push you harder. I made it to make that deciding moment a little shorter. You still choose. No account is required. Your saved tasks stay on your device. There are no ads, subscriptions, or in-app purchases.
Starling
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Your kid runs the routine. Not you. Starling turns the fridge chart into something your child actually operates themselves. Every step is a picture first and a word second, so a five-year-old who can't read yet can get through the morning without being asked forty times. You set it up once. It repeats on the days you choose. There's no daily data entry, no account, and nothing leaves your phone. HOW IT WORKS β’ Add your child β a name, a colour, a character β’ Pick a starter routine, or build your own β’ Your child taps through one step at a time β’ A finished routine earns a star β’ Stars buy real rewards you decide on BUILT FOR THE WAY CHILDREN ACTUALLY WORK One step, full screen. No lists to parse, no wall of text, no way to get lost. Tap it when it's done and the next one arrives. Older children can switch to a checklist view instead. NO FAILURE STATES. EVER. Nothing turns red. Nothing scolds. A routine that doesn't get finished is simply unfinished β there's no streak to lose and no red X waiting in the morning. That's a deliberate design decision. Many of the children who need a visual schedule most already experience routines as a place where they fail. MADE WITH NEURODIVERGENT KIDS IN MIND Visual schedules are an evidence-based practice, widely recommended for autistic and ADHD children β and useful for any child who isn't reading yet. β’ Every step is understandable without reading its label β’ Timers are optional, per step, and never punish β’ Full VoiceOver support and Dynamic Type β’ Reduce Motion honoured throughout β’ A reward-free mode, free forever ON THE HOME SCREEN A widget shows the next step and lets your child tick it off without even opening the app. Free on every plan, because that's the bit that makes the habit stick. NOTHING LEAVES YOUR PHONE No account. No sign-up. No email. No ads. No analytics on children. No third-party tracking of any kind. Your data lives on your device and syncs privately through your own iCloud, between your own devices. We have no server, so there is nothing for us to see. WHAT'S FREE One child, one routine, six steps, one reward β plus widgets, iCloud sync, every accessibility feature and reward-free mode, free forever. STARLING PLUS Unlimited children, routines and steps. A full reward menu. Photos of your own things as step pictures. The weekly view, and printable charts for the fridge. $4.99/month, $29.99/year with a 7-day free trial, or $49.99 once for lifetime access. Family Sharing on all three. If a subscription lapses, you go back to the free tier β you never lose a single day of your child's history. Made by one person, in the evenings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://culi.app/apps/starling/privacy-policy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Minpick at none against Starling's 3. Minpick also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Starling sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Minpick asks for nothing beyond the download.
Minpick ships an update every 3 weeks, Starling every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Minpick | Starling |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks β better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 β better | 18.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Makoto Fukuoka | Rene Fandida |
In-app purchases
Minpick
No in-app purchases
Starling
- Starling Plus Monthly$4.991 Month
- Starling Plus Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Starling Lifetime$49.99









