alive vs Watchables!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
alive
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Meet the screen-time app you'll actually keep. alive gives you a tiny pet that lives on one thing: the time you don't spend on your phone. Set real limits on the apps that eat your day, stay under them, and your pet grows happy and bright. Blow past them and it droops, fadesβ¦ and can slip away into the graveyard. Stay off. Keep it alive. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Unlike a reminder you'll swipe away, alive actually locks the apps β powered by Apple's Screen Time. When you hit your limit, the app is shielded until tomorrow. No willpower required. WHAT YOU CAN DO β’ Group your apps (Social, Games, Work β whatever) and give each its own rules β’ Set a daily budget β "1 hour of Social," and it locks when you're spent β’ Set blocked hours β "no games 9PMβ6AM," every night, automatically β’ Watch a real shield appear the moment you go over KEEP YOUR PET ALIVE β’ Every day under your limits feeds a streak and earns seeds β’ Spend seeds in the shop on new species, colours and dΓ©cor β’ Go over β or force past a block β and your pet takes the hit β’ Miss too many days and it's gone. Hatch a new one and try again. PRIVATE BY DESIGN alive only ever knows how long your apps are used β never what you do in them. Everything stays on your device. No account, no tracking, no data leaving your phone. alive Plus (optional) Unlock every species, colour and extra with a subscription. A free tier keeps one pet and the core limits forever. Stop doomscrolling to keep something small alive. Download alive.
Watchables!
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An active pet, not an idle pet! Watchables is a virtual pet that lives on your watch. Unlock new critters, toys, and vehicles with physical activity, not screen time. No ads, no in-app purchases, no pressure. Meet the critters: https://watchables.fit 1 Β· Move: Steps and active minutes fill the bar. Walking, running, playing outside - it all counts! 2 Β· Level up: Levels are yours to spend. Fill the bar and a level is earned. 3 Β· Choose: Pick the next reward. Hatch an egg, earn a toy, or unlock a ride or play mode (like multi-pet playdates or sleepovers!)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Watchables! at none against alive's 2. Watchables! also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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. alive sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Watchables! asks for nothing beyond the download.
alive ships an update every 5 weeks, Watchables! every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | alive | Watchables! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 10 days β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No β better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch β better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Galeworks, LLC | Wild Idea, LLC |
In-app purchases
alive
- alive Plus (monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- alive Plus (annual)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Watchables!
No in-app purchases









