Comparison

Starling vs MyBox

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

Head to head
About

Starling

Features
Read full description

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 • Add your child — a name, a colour, a character • Pick a starter routine, or build your own • Your child taps through one step at a time • A finished routine earns a star • 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 — 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 — and useful for any child who isn't reading yet. • Every step is understandable without reading its label • Timers are optional, per step, and never punish • Full VoiceOver support and Dynamic Type • Reduce Motion honoured throughout • 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 — 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 — 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/

About

MyBox

This app provides a private, local space to message yourself and store various types of content like notes, links, and files. It allows for organized saving with password-protected boxes and offline access, offering a secure alternative to cloud storage.

Highlights
  • Message yourself notes and reminders
  • Save links, images, videos, and files
  • Share content from other apps
  • Search saved items
  • Create separate content boxes
  • Password-protect private boxes
  • Offline local storage
Features
Read full description

MyBox is a private place to message yourself and save anything on your device. Use it like your own personal chat, but without an account and without a server for your saved content. Save quick thoughts, links, screenshots, videos, voice notes, documents, and files in simple local MyBoxes that stay under your control. What you can do with MyBox: - Message notes and reminders to yourself - Save links, images, videos, audio, PDFs, and files - Share into MyBox from other apps - Search anything you saved - Create separate MyBoxes for different things - Lock private MyBoxes with a password - Use it offline with local storage MyBox is built for people who already send things to themselves and want a calmer, more private place to keep them.

Screenshots

Starling4 screens
MyBox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: MyBox at every 9 days against Starling's every 6 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Starling sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and MyBox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starling ships an update every 6 weeks, MyBox every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Starling versus MyBox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarlingMyBox
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—6 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRene FandidaRaj Tripathi

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Starling

Subscriptions2
  • Starling Plus Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Starling Plus Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Starling Lifetime$49.99
1 purchases

MyBox

One-time1
  • MyBox Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is Starling free?
Starling is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MyBox free?
MyBox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Starling or MyBox have ads?
Neither Starling nor MyBox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Starling or MyBox?
Starling ships an update every 6 weeks, and MyBox every 9 days. Most recently, Starling was updated on October 31, 2026 and MyBox on October 31, 2026.

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