Comparison

Offload vs Do Instead

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

Head to head
About

Offload

Features
Read full description

Your mind was never meant to be a to-do list. Offload is the calm way to get thoughts out of your head. Say it, type it, or snap it โ€” "pick up painkillers when I get to the pharmacy" โ€” and Offload understands what you mean, then reminds you at the right time or the right place. HOW IT WORKS 1. Release โ€” tap anywhere and let the thought go, in your own words. 2. Understand โ€” private AI turns it into a reminder with the right time, place and category. No forms, no fields. 3. Return โ€” everything waits quietly on your horizon until the moment it matters. CALM BY DEFAULT No pings all day. The free plan delivers one quiet morning digest at the hour you choose โ€” the horizon renews at dawn. SMART NUDGES (PRO) โ€ข Time and place: "when I get to the pharmacy" waits for your arrival. โ€ข Ask for a time, get that time: "meeting at 1, remind me at 12" fires at 12. โ€ข Sensible lead times: calls right on time, errands 45 minutes ahead, deadlines 3 hours early. CAPTURE ANY WAY YOU THINK โ€ข Voice capture in 8 languages, transcribed on device. โ€ข Photos & files (Pro): pick a screenshot โ€” the lantern finds the words. โ€ข Import your open Apple Reminders in one tap. AN EVENING RITUAL Close the day with one breath per released thought. Lighter already. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No accounts. No tracking. Your thoughts are never stored on our servers โ€” your data lives in your iCloud and syncs across your devices. FREE & PRO Free: 5 releases a day and the morning digest โ€” forever. Offload Unlimited removes the limits and unlocks smart nudges, photo capture and every horizon pack. Monthly, yearly (with 7-day free trial) or one-time lifetime purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://joinoffload.com/privacy

About

Do Instead

Features
Read full description

Block distracting apps. Make room for what you'd rather do. You open a social app to check one thing. Half an hour later, you're still scrolling. Do Instead helps you set a boundary and bring your real tasks back into view. CHOOSE YOUR BOUNDARIES In Custom mode, give Social and Work their own apps, websites and allowed times. Add optional reminders before your windows open or close. Turning off protection or widening allowed times takes ten minutes; tightening protection applies immediately. Or start a digital detox: 14 days with a daily 30-minute window, or 21 days without regular windows. Choose your apps and review the editable website list. New programs pause Custom protection while keeping your saved setup. Track program days, streaks and milestones, then continue with your own rhythm when the program ends. TEMPORARY ACCESS WITH A PURPOSE In Custom mode, link a protected app to its English name, then say something like "Unblock Instagram for five minutes." Voice access pauses protection for that one app for 1-30 minutes, without a ten-minute wait. Switch to the app yourself; protection returns when time is up. Each session needs a fresh spoken request. Voice access is unavailable during digital detox or a protected focus session and requires microphone permission and on-device English speech recognition. You can also choose one app or website, a purpose, and 5 or 10 minutes of access. This option has a ten-minute daily budget and a ten-minute pause between sessions. Digital detox uses its own temporary-access rules. DO SOMETHING INSTEAD Bring tasks from Apple Reminders into view, or connect Todoist with Pro. Keep your next task nearby with Home and Lock Screen widgets. Start a 25-minute focus session around a task, take a guided breathing break, or try a short desk workout with a 3D coach. Complete tasks and watch your oak grow from an acorn into a tree. Quiet days don't erase its growth. With Pro and Screen Time permission, focus sessions can keep selected apps and sites blocked even during allowed windows. Completing a task does not unlock blocked apps. FREE AND PRO Free: Apple Reminders, widgets, focus timers, oak growth, breathing, desk workouts and the gentler Shortcuts route. Shortcuts needs an automation that opens Do Instead when you open a chosen app. Pro: Screen Time blocking, separate Social and Work schedules, digital detox programs, temporary access, protection during focus sessions and Todoist integration. Subscription prices and eligible trials are shown before purchase. HOW PROTECTION WORKS Blocking requires Screen Time permission. Website coverage varies by browser and iOS version. You can add domains or import a browser history export; imported domains stay on your device. Added websites may show Apple's restriction page instead of the task shield. With Pro, the Safari extension defers to Screen Time; without Pro, it uses its own website list. On iOS 26.5 and later, open your task manager from the shield through Do Instead. Earlier versions offer a notification shortcut when enabled. Screen Time permission can be revoked, and uninstalling removes protection. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No Do Instead account, ads, analytics or tracking. Task integrations connect to the services you choose. Voice recognition runs on your iPhone; audio and transcripts are not saved. Program progress and access reasons stay on your device. Privacy Policy: https://groei.dev/do-instead/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Offload4 screens
Do Instead4 screens

Verdict

The call

Offload and Do Instead are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters โ€” price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Offload sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Do Instead sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Offload ships an update every 3 days, Do Instead every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Offload versus Do Instead: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOffloadDo Instead
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 days โ€” betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size61 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTeoman TatarGroei BV

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Offload

Subscriptions2
  • Offload Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Offload Pro Yearly$59.991 Year
One-time5
  • Sea Glass Pack$2.99
  • Terracotta Pack$2.99
  • Sage Garden Pack$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Ember Pack$4.99
  • Offload Pro Lifetime$79.99
2 purchases

Do Instead

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Pro7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Offload free?
Offload is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Do Instead free?
Do Instead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Offload or Do Instead have ads?
Neither Offload nor Do Instead shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Offload or Do Instead?
Offload ships an update every 3 days, and Do Instead every 5 days. Most recently, Offload was updated on October 31, 2026 and Do Instead on November 10, 2026.

Other comparisons