Comparison

ZenClock vs Nela

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

Head to head
About

ZenClock

Features
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Make room for one thing that matters. ZenClock is a calm focus timer and lightweight daily planner designed to make starting easier and progress visible. FOCUS WITHOUT CLUTTER • Start a focus session in a few taps • Use free 10, 20, 25, 50, or 90-minute quick lengths • Unlock any custom duration from 1 minute to 4 hours with Pro • Use a gentle start ritual and local timer reminders • Return safely after locking your screen or leaving the app PLAN A LIGHTER DAY • Create up to three intentional plans each day for free • Unlock unlimited Today plans with Pro • Repeat tasks on the days that fit your rhythm • Keep unfinished work visible without punishment CHOOSE HOW FOCUS FEELS • Morning Dawn is always free • Earn Stars through real focused time and redeem them for Rain or Mist • Stars are never sold for money • Pro opens Golden, Moonlit Lake, Autumn Grove, Coastal Dawn, Snow Lanterns, Lavender Dusk, Bamboo Rain, Starlit Dunes, and future Pro additions SEE USEFUL PATTERNS • Review seven-day focus insights for free • Unlock four-week trends and period comparisons with Pro • Keep your history, focused time, and earned Stars without Pro ZENCLOCK PRO ZenClock Pro unlocks custom timing, unlimited daily plans, eight immersive atmosphere scenes with matching motion and soundscapes, four-week insights, and future Pro additions. Choose monthly, yearly, or a one-time lifetime purchase. All three options unlock the same Pro features. Core focus timing, five quick lengths, three daily plans, earned Star scenes, and seven-day insights remain free. ZenClock works without an account, and your focus data stays on your device. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Nela

Features
Read full description

Study with a little friend who grows with every session. Nela is a focus timer with a study pet. Start a session, put your phone down, and your little red panda sits down to study with you. When the timer ends, you earn coins, your bond grows, and sometimes your pet finds something in the world you explore together. HOW IT WORKS • Start focus in one tap: Pomodoro, a timer or a stopwatch, with pause. • Pick a subject and, if you like, a task from your to-do list. • Put your phone down. The timer keeps running on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, even when you leave the app. • When it ends, your pet asks whether you finished your task, and you collect your rewards. BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS, IF YOU WANT Turn on Block distracting apps for a session and Nela uses Apple's Screen Time to keep the apps you choose away until it ends. It's a switch, never a requirement. SEE YOUR PROGRESS • A daily goal, with today's focus time on Home and in a widget. • Your days in a row, with a flame. Missing a day never takes away anything you've earned. • Stats by day, week and subject, with your best day. • Study quests with coins to claim: finish 3 sessions today, focus 2 hours this week, study 7 days in a row. • Routines with gentle reminders for the study days you plan. A PET AND A WORLD THAT GROW • Every session, your pet studies somewhere in its world, and each subject sends it to a different kind of place. • Collect postcards and discoveries, and open new parts of the map. • Spend coins in the shop on furniture, room styles and outfits, including a study corner. • Ambient sounds for your sessions: rain for everyone, and campfire, breeze, night and lo-fi with Nela Plus. KIND BY DESIGN Your pet never gets sick or runs away. Ending a session early is allowed, and the time you focused still counts. No ads. NELA PLUS, IF YOU WANT MORE The timer, your pet, the shop, study quests and app blocking are free. Nela Plus adds: • All 5 ambient sounds • All 12 study routines, up to 3 at a time • Double coins from every session • Your full stats history • Plus items and a daily deal in the shop Nela Plus is $3.99 a month, or $19.99 a year with a 7-day free trial. Prices may differ by country. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel it at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. PRIVATE • No account needed to start. Your sessions and progress stay on your iPhone, with an optional backup when you sign in. • You choose which apps to block. Nela never sees which ones they are, and doesn't read anything inside your apps. Nela is a study tool, not a medical or mental-health treatment. Available in English, Japanese, French, German, Korean, Portuguese and Hebrew. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://getnela.app/privacy

Screenshots

ZenClock4 screens
Nela4 screens

Verdict

The call

ZenClock and Nela are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. ZenClock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Nela sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
ZenClock versus Nela: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZenClockNela
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB97 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBeijing Meng Gu Li Net Technology Co.,Ltd.Kovacs Software Solutions

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ZenClock

Subscriptions2
  • ZenClock Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • ZenClock Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • ZenClock Pro Lifetime$14.99
2 purchases

Nela

Subscriptions2
  • Plus Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Plus Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is ZenClock free?
ZenClock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nela free?
Nela is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ZenClock or Nela have ads?
Neither ZenClock nor Nela shows ads.

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