# Pond vs Smart Sloth

The clearest difference is rating: Pond at 4.6 against Smart Sloth's 4.1. Pond also leads on ratings volume (844 vs 33) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Smart Sloth's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pond sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Smart Sloth sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pond holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pond has 844 ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Pond's written reviews are positive against 73% of Smart Sloth's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pond ships an update every 3 weeks, Smart Sloth every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pond | Smart Sloth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (844 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pond-screen-time-and-pomodoro/id830466924/reviews)** | [4.1 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-sloth-focus-study-timer/id1509929941/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **844** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | 71.3% of reviews | **73.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 350 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PIXO Incorporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/541568418) | [Jafar Najafov](https://appshunter.io/developer/946531378) |

## What reviewers say

### Pond

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pond-screen-time-and-pomodoro/id830466924)

This app helps you regain control of your screen time and digital wellbeing. It offers mindful app blocking, tracks your digital balance, and provides a visual representation of your focused time. It's designed to foster healthier phone habits without guilt or gamification.

**Highlights:** Mindful app blocking, Screen time tracking, Daily balance score, Scheduled focus sessions, Lotus garden visualizer, Breathing prompts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pond Plus 1 Month | $7.99 | per month |
| Pond Plus 1 Year | $49.99 | per year |
| Pond Plus Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and effective
- 👍 Customizable
- 🚀 No in-app purchases
- 👍 Minimalist design
- 👍 Helpful for focus and productivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Timer stops when app is in background
- 🐛 Bugs with color selection and settings
- 🔋 Battery drain
- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔒 Developer stored unrelated app data in user's iCloud

**Reported bugs**

- Timer inaccuracies
- Interface issues on Mac
- Inability to share audio with other apps
- Unreliable auto-reset functionality
- Subscription issues

**Requested features**

- Auto-reset option
- Ability to assign tasks to Pomodoros
- Project/focus area tracking
- Cross-device sync
- Apple Watch support


### Smart Sloth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-sloth-focus-study-timer/id1509929941)

This app combines a Pomodoro timer with task management to boost efficiency and focus. It helps users overcome procrastination and conquer tasks with science-based techniques and customizable settings. Achieve your goals and become more time-conscious with this productivity tool.

**Highlights:** Pomodoro timer integration, Task management, Customizable task lengths, Time-based notifications, Gesture-based controls, Notification center task management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.49 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $4.49 | per year |
| Lifetime | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pond free?

Pond is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Smart Sloth free?

Smart Sloth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pond or Smart Sloth?

Pond is rated higher. Pond averages 4.6 out of 5 from 844 ratings, while Smart Sloth averages 4.1 from 33 ratings.

### Do Pond or Smart Sloth have ads?

Neither Pond nor Smart Sloth shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pond or Smart Sloth?

Pond ships an update every 3 weeks, and Smart Sloth every 2 months. Most recently, Pond was updated on September 29, 2026 and Smart Sloth on June 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*