Comparison

NowTodo 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

NowTodo

Features
Read full description

The to-do app that gets things done without opening the app. NowTodo lives on your Lock Screen. Wake your phone and your current task is right there with a progress ring β€” one tap to complete, and the next task slides in. β—† Your Lock Screen is the app β€’ Live Activity: current task + progress ring, complete or defer without unlocking β€’ At a glance in the Dynamic Island β€’ Home & Lock Screen widgets, Control Center buttons β—† 1-second capture β€’ Add via Action Button, Back Tap, Control Center, or Siri β€” no app launch β€’ Natural-language dates: type "report by Friday" and the date is set β—† Focused on today β€’ A "right now" engine that surfaces the one task to do β€” not a wall of lists β€’ Complete or defer (in 1 hour Β· this evening Β· tomorrow Β· next week) β€’ Repeating tasks, reminders, weekly & monthly calendar β€’ Search across all time β€” even completed tasks β€’ Public holidays shown, even offline β—† Together (Beta) β€’ Share to-dos with your partner, roommates, or family β€” a separate space for each group β€’ Join by simply opening an invite link, no sign-up (works with iCloud) β€’ See who completed what in real time, and pin shared spaces to the Lock Screen β€’ Use it during the beta and it stays free forever, even after Pro launches β—† Progress you can feel β€’ Streaks, weekly chart, 30-day and priority stats β—† Make it yours β€’ 5 theme colors β€” they restyle the app, widgets, and the Lock Screen ring together β—† Your data stays yours β€’ All features free, no account needed β€’ Your personal tasks are stored on your iPhone β€’ Shared spaces sync securely through your own iCloud β€’ Included in iCloud device backup & transfers, plus JSON export/import Finish today, right from your Lock Screen.

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

NowTodo4 screens
Essential4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Essential at none against NowTodo's shown. Essential also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NowTodo ships an update every 2 days, Essential every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 5 level
NowTodo versus Essential: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNowTodoEssential
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsβ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 2 days β€” betterEvery 4 days
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetizationβ€”Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch β€” better
Requires iOS26.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size7 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSeungwoo KimChang Hyun Lee

In-app purchases

None

NowTodo

No in-app purchases

None

Essential

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NowTodo free?
NowTodo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Essential free?
Essential is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do NowTodo or Essential have ads?
NowTodo shows ads; Essential does not.
Which is updated more often, NowTodo or Essential?
NowTodo ships an update every 2 days, and Essential every 4 days. Most recently, NowTodo was updated on October 5, 2026 and Essential on October 25, 2026.

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