Routine Timer vs NextStep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Routine Timer
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Big friendly timers. One step at a time. No pressure. Routine Timer is a visual timer for kids and grown-ups who get stuck between steps. Morning, homework, cleanup, bedtime: any routine becomes a sequence of visual steps, each with its own full-screen timer. A big color ring shrinks as the minutes pass, and a gentle tap says it is time to move on. MADE FOR REAL LIFE โข Build a routine from steps: an icon and a duration, nothing else to set up โข One giant timer per step, readable from across the room โข A haptic nudge on every transition, and a notification with sound when the screen is off โข Pause, skip, go back or restart any step. No streaks, no guilt, no failure stats โข Notifications keep the routine going while the phone is locked PERFECT FOR โข Morning routine before school, bedtime routine after the bath โข Homework blocks and focus sprints โข Toddlers and preschoolers learning to get ready on their own โข Kids with ADHD or autism who do better with a schedule they can see โข Cleanup bursts, chores and screen-time limits WHY IT WORKS A child cannot feel ten minutes, but can see a color ring getting smaller. Steps take the arguing out of transitions: the timer says it is time, not the parent. Grown-ups use it the same way for their own mornings and work sprints. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything stays on your iPhone. No account, no cloud, no analytics, no ads. Works offline. SIMPLE PRICING Your first routine is free, full featured, forever: every step, sounds and notifications. One purchase unlocks unlimited routines. No subscription, nothing recurring. If you already unlocked the app, nothing changes for you.
NextStep
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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
Routine Timer and NextStep are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Routine Timer 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 | Routine Timer | NextStep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | โ |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, Apple Watch โ better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ihor Romanenko | Mubarak Almahmeed |
In-app purchases
Routine Timer
- Unlock Forever$12.99
NextStep
- Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- Pro Annual$29.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime$79.99









