Comparison

Fold Counter vs Fold by Fold

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

Head to head
About

Fold Counter

Track every fold and unfold of your foldable phone to understand usage patterns and estimate hinge lifespan. Provides detailed statistics and insights into your folding habits, with options for background tracking and iCloud backup.

Highlights
  • Real-time fold and unfold counting
  • Inferred fold detection when app is closed
  • Manual fold logging
  • Shortcuts app integration for background counting
  • Optional background counting via magnetometer
  • Detailed statistics on folding habits
  • Estimated hinge lifetime calculation
  • iCloud backup and sync
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

How often do you really fold your phone? Fold Counter counts every fold and unfold of your foldable iPhone, turns it into clear statistics and shows you how much of your hinge's estimated life you've already used. COUNTS LIVE, CATCHES UP LATER While the app is open, it reads the system hinge sensor and counts every fold and unfold in real time. Folded it while the app was closed? When you come back, Fold Counter notices the change and records it as an "inferred" fold, so your history stays complete. You can also log folds manually at any time. OPTIONAL: COUNT WITH SHORTCUTS Fold Counter adds two actions to Apple's Shortcuts app: "Count Fold" and "Count Unfold". They run in the background without opening the app. Set up a personal automation once – Shortcuts → Automation → + → "Opened or Closed" → "When iPhone is Closed" → tap Search, type "Fold Counter" and tap "Count Fold" (optionally a second one with Opened → "Count Unfold") – and every close and open of your foldable iPhone is counted, even when Fold Counter isn't running. No location, no extra battery. Settings → "Set up step by step" walks you through it with a screenshot and shows a green check as soon as the automation works. Requires iOS 27.2 or later. STATISTICS THAT TELL A STORY • Folds per day and your total over time • Time spent folded, half open and unfolded • Opening angles: tent, laptop or flat • How long your phone usually stays unfolded • Time of day, weekdays and a weekday × hour heatmap • Where you fold: a map of your fold spots and your top 3 places (optional) • Full history of every recorded fold QUESTIONS, ANSWERED The Questions tab turns your data into plain-language insights: • When do you fold the most? • Is today busier than usual? • Which weekday is your folding day? • How long does it stay unfolded? • Do you fold more on weekends? • How long would the hinge last at this pace? • Where do you fold the most? ICLOUD BACKUP & STARTING COUNT Signed in to iCloud? Your folds sync to your private iCloud, so your counts survive a reinstall or a new iPhone. Folded long before installing the app? Enter those folds and unfolds as a starting count in Settings – they're added to your totals, hinge lifetime and widgets. Today shows your folds total and unfolds total at a glance. ESTIMATED HINGE LIFETIME Set the rated number of folds (75,000 by default, adjustable) and see what percentage you've used and roughly how long your hinge will last at your current pace. WIDGETS & SHORTCUTS Keep your fold count and estimated lifetime on your Home Screen and Lock Screen. Log a fold from Shortcuts or Spotlight anytime. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no tracking, no ads. Your data is stored on your device and, if you use iCloud, in your private iCloud database, which only you can access – the developer never sees it. Location is only used if you turn on "Record fold locations" – fold locations are stored on your device, and only place names are looked up via Apple Maps. MORE • English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Korean • Light and dark mode REQUIREMENTS Automatic counting requires a foldable iPhone with a hinge sensor. On other iPhones you can log folds manually and explore every statistic with sample data (Settings → Load sample data). Get to know your fold habits — download Fold Counter today.

About

Fold by Fold

This app tracks your daily folding activity, offering detailed insights into your usage patterns. Personalize widgets to display your progress and interact with a playful companion.

Highlights
  • Automatic fold counting
  • Session timing
  • Daily rhythm tracking
  • Personalized widgets
  • Playful folding companion
  • Activity calendar
  • Weekly insights
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Requires iPhone Duo for automatic fold counting and open-session timing. One-time setup in Apple Shortcuts is required. Live hinge play requires iPhone Duo with iOS 27.1 or later. Track your daily rhythm, personalize your widgets, and meet Hingelet—your playful folding companion. COUNT YOUR WAY • Track today’s folds, lifetime totals, daily averages, milestones, and your busiest day. • Choose Openings only or Openings + closes: count 1 or 2 folds per complete open-and-close cycle. Changes apply to future activity without rewriting history. • Bring a previous app’s fold count into your lifetime total. Review it before saving, edit it later, or remove it without changing recorded daily activity. • Optional daily goals and local achievement alerts. SEE YOUR DAY CLEARLY • Open the dedicated Activity Calendar, browse months, and tap a date. • Explore visual day summaries with fold counts, an unfolded-time ring, session-stat cards, hourly activity charts, and recorded opening/closing moments. • Review completed sessions, average and longest times, and overnight time split across local day boundaries. • Compare the last seven completed days with the previous week in Weekly insights and share a recap. • Filter History, correct daily counts, and undo the latest eligible opening. Customize the stats cards shown on Overview. WIDGETS YOUR WAY • Choose Nixie Tubes, Flip Counter, Odometer, Activity Ring, Simple, Classic, Dashboard, Focus, or Weekly. • Pick each clock widget’s design and statistic separately: today, lifetime, last 7 days, matched closes, or completed time. • Compare Small, Medium, and Large previews. Choose Dark Metal, Brushed Metal, Warm Wood, Original, or Glass backgrounds. • Use 16 preset themes or create named custom colors. • Schedule Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Time of day, or Daylight widget colors without location permission. • Adjust number size, contrast, and decoration. Weekly activity and Daily goal widgets are also included. PLAY WITH HINGELET Watch Hingelet’s ears and expressions follow your Duo’s hinge angle while the Hinge screen is active. Tap him for smiles, giggles, and laughs, or try the clearly labeled demo slider. Reduce Motion is supported. Hinge Hoops is a little basketball game: aim with your hinge, then tap Shoot to launch from Hingelet’s back ear. Try bank shots against a solid backboard and hoops that move after a basket. Save your best streak and run locally. A demo slider and optional basket haptics are available. Playing never adds folds or changes session timers. SETUP AND YOUR DATA Connect Record a Fold to an Opened-only Shortcuts automation and Record a Close to a separate Closed-only automation. Enable automatic and locked execution. A counted close requires a recorded opening; duplicate close signals do not add folds. Setup readiness and troubleshooting use received actions, not an inspection of automation settings or physical posture. Export daily history as CSV, save a full backup, or restore with a recovery copy. Supports English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, and German. No account, ads, subscription, analytics, or tracking. Activity stays on your device unless you export or share it. One-time paid app; no in-app purchases. Support: spudappssupport@gmail.com. History starts when actions run; missing closes and earlier durations cannot be reconstructed. Completed time excludes unfinished sessions. iOS controls automation execution, widget refresh timing, and Clear/Tinted appearance. Glass is frosted, not an independent wallpaper transparency setting. Hinge play is not a precision instrument. Goals are personal activity markers, not durability estimates.

Screenshots

Fold Counter4 screens
Fold by Fold1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Fold by Fold at 5.0 against Fold Counter's 2.0. Fold by Fold also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 days) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 27.1). Fold Counter's advantage is ratings volume (9 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Fold Counter costs $0.99 and Fold by Fold $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Fold by Fold holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fold Counter ships an update every 3 days, Fold by Fold daily. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Fold Counter versus Fold by Fold: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFold CounterFold by Fold
Price$0.99$0.99
Rating2.0 (9 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#42#41 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS27.117.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJulian Christopher SiebertGregory Mckeithan

Customer experience

Fold Counter

All ratings9 ratings
Positive11.1%
Neutral22.2%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative58.3%

Fold by Fold

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Fold Counter

No in-app purchases

None

Fold by Fold

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fold Counter free?
Fold Counter costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Fold by Fold free?
Fold by Fold costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Fold Counter or Fold by Fold?
Fold by Fold is rated higher. Fold Counter averages 2.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Fold by Fold averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Fold Counter or Fold by Fold have ads?
Neither Fold Counter nor Fold by Fold shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fold Counter or Fold by Fold?
Fold Counter ships an update every 3 days, and Fold by Fold daily. Most recently, Fold Counter was updated on November 13, 2026 and Fold by Fold on November 13, 2026.
Which is more popular, Fold Counter or Fold by Fold?
Fold Counter currently peaks at #42 in the App Store charts, and Fold by Fold at #41. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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