why? vs CharisPDF
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
why?
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why? We donβt think your phone is the enemy. And we donβt think every minute on your screen is a minute wasted. Sometimes you open Instagram because you need to reply to someone. Sometimes you open YouTube because you want to watch something. Sometimes you just want to do nothing. Thatβs okay. The problem isnβt using your phone. The problem is using it without choosing to. We unlock. We tap. We scroll. And somewhere along the way, we stop knowing why we started. So we built why? Not to block you. Not to shame you. Not to tell you how many hours of your life youβve wasted. Just one small question, at the moment it matters: Why? Why are you opening this? What are you looking for? What do you actually want to do? Sometimes, asking the question is enough. Sometimes, youβll realize you do want to continue. Good. Continue. Sometimes youβll realize you donβt. Good. Close it. Both are wins. Because the goal isnβt less screen time. The goal isnβt perfect discipline. The goal isnβt becoming someone who never scrolls. The goal is something much simpler: To put you back in the driverβs seat. A phone should be a tool you pick up, not a place you disappear into. So pause. Ask yourself. And choose. Why? FREE & PRO why? is free for two apps. Pro removes the two-app limit. The yearly plan includes a 7-day free trial. Monthly and yearly subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase and, for renewals, within 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Lifetime is a one-time purchase and does not renew. REQUIREMENTS why? requires Screen Time access, which iOS requests during setup. You can withdraw this permission at any time. Showing all three answers together requires iOS 26.4 or later. On earlier versions, the question still appears with one answer and a way back. Fifteen minutes is the shortest access window Appleβs system allows. PRIVACY No account. No sign-up. No ads. No tracking. Your data stays on your device. TERMS Privacy Policy: commalabs.co/why/privacy Terms of Use: commalabs.co/why/terms Apple Standard EULA: apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
CharisPDF
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CharisPDF is a free, local PDF editor for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Add your marks to any PDF β text, shapes, signatures, highlights β without an account, without ads, and without touching the original page content. No sign-up. No subscription. No watermark. Your files never leave your device. WHAT YOU CAN DO β’ Open, read, search, and print any PDF β’ Add text, shapes, and signatures β move, restyle, resize, or rotate them anytime β’ Highlight, underline, strike through, and add notes β’ Organize pages: reorder, rotate, insert, delete, duplicate, extract β’ Undo and redo, all the way back β’ Save straight to Files or Finder β’ Full dark mode support, works completely offline WHY IT'S DIFFERENT Most free PDF tools try to rewrite the original text on the page β and often break the layout doing it. CharisPDF doesn't touch the original content. Everything you add sits on top as its own object, so it stays clean, selectable, and reversible. YOUR PRIVACY, BUILT IN The developer has no access to your files. Nothing is uploaded, tracked, or sold. You accept a short privacy statement once, and that's the entire "account" CharisPDF ever asks for. Charis is Greek for grace β the idea behind this app: put your mark on the document you have, and leave the rest alone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CharisPDF at none against why?'s 3. CharisPDF also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. why? sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. CharisPDF asks for nothing beyond the download.
why? ships an update every 5 days, CharisPDF every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | why? | CharisPDF |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 2 days β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No β better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad β better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Comma Labs | Cheng Guan Teo |
In-app purchases
why?
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Yearly$9.991 Year
- Lifetime$24.99
CharisPDF
No in-app purchases









