Comparison

20 Seconds vs Mindlist

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

Head to head
About

20 Seconds

This app helps build new habits or break existing ones by using a 20-second countdown. It provides a progress indicator and optional sounds or music to aid in distraction and amusement during the countdown.

Highlights
  • 20-second habit timer
  • Progress indicator
  • Distracting sounds and music
  • Automatic start option
  • 30-day trial in Today widget
Read full description

20 Seconds is a simple app, whose only purpose is to count, you guessed it, to 20 seconds. Why, one might ask, 20 seconds? Well, there is a theory that says that 20 seconds is enough time to help you build a new habit, or help you break an existing one. To start with good habits, if you want to do something, you are much more likely to actually do it, if you start within 20 seconds from when you first thought about it. If you wait any longer, you are less likely to go through with it. Conversely, if you want to break a bad habit, waiting 20 seconds after you get the urge, will make it easier for you to avoid doing it. So, when you feel an urge to do something you want to stop doing, start the 20 Seconds app and let it count down. See how you feel about that urge after 20 seconds have passed. While counting down, the app will show a progress indicator, (with or without a random shape), play music or play ticking sounds to distract and amuse you a little bit. It can start counting automatically as soon as you start the app. It also has a 30 day trail of usage in the today widget.

About

Mindlist

This app helps you manage your daily schedule and tasks with a minimalist interface. It offers features like reminders, calendar visualization, and customizable task lists to boost productivity without distractions.

Highlights
  • No ads
  • Customizable task lists
  • Reminders for appointments
  • Calendar visualization
  • Simple and fast task entry
  • Dark mode
Read full description

Mindlist is a simple, beautiful, and powerful to-do list app designed to help you stay focused, organized, and in control of your day. Plan your tasks, manage your schedule, create checklists, set reminders, and organize everything that matters — without unnecessary complexity. Whether you are managing work, study, errands, personal goals, chores, or daily routines, Mindlist gives you a calm and minimal space to keep everything clear. No complicated setup. No clutter. No ads. Just your tasks, your plans, and a simple way to get things done. Mindlist is built for everyday productivity. Add a task in seconds, set a date, create a reminder, organize your lists, and see what needs your attention. The app is fast, intuitive, and easy to use from the first launch. KEY FEATURES • Minimalist design A clean, distraction-free interface that helps you focus on what matters. • iCloud sync Keep your tasks, lists, reminders, and plans in sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. • No ads Stay focused without distractions, pop-ups, or intrusive advertising. • Smart reminders Never miss important tasks, meetings, appointments, deadlines, or daily routines. • Calendar planning View your schedule clearly and plan your day, week, and upcoming tasks with ease. Recurring tasks are now shown directly in Calendar, so your routines are easier to see and manage. • Recurring tasks Create repeating tasks for habits, routines, chores, bills, workouts, study sessions, and more. Set an end date for recurring tasks when a routine or plan should not repeat forever. • Custom task lists Personalize your lists with colors, icons, and display options that match the way you work. • Simple and fast task creation Quickly add tasks, set dates, enable reminders, and organize your plan in just a few taps. • Organized lists Drag, reorder, and arrange your lists so everything stays exactly where you need it. Mindlist is perfect for: • Daily to-do lists • Work tasks • Study and homework planning • Personal goals • Shopping lists • Chores and home organization • Habit tracking • Appointments and deadlines • Simple project planning • Family and personal routines Mindlist is free to use, with optional Premium features available for users who want to unlock even more functionality. Premium is a one-time purchase, giving you lifetime access to all premium features. Download Mindlist today and turn your plans into progress — one task at a time.

Screenshots

20 Seconds4 screens
Mindlist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mindlist at fortnightly against 20 Seconds's every 3 months. Mindlist also leads on ratings volume (1.6K vs 21) and review sentiment (76% vs 67%). 20 Seconds's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. 20 Seconds sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Mindlist sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for 20 Seconds against 4.7 for Mindlist. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mindlist has 1.6K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of 20 Seconds's written reviews are positive against 76% of Mindlist's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

20 Seconds ships an update every 3 months, Mindlist fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
20 Seconds versus Mindlist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter20 SecondsMindlist
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (21 ratings)4.7 (1.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews76.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings211.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNishco LtdNova Ocean

Customer experience

20 Seconds

All ratings19 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

Mindlist

All ratings1,618 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews296 reviews
Positive76.4%
Neutral10.1%
Negative13.5%

Bugs and requests

20 Seconds

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Mindlist

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Tasks disappearing or not being saved
  • Repeating tasks not functioning properly
  • Calendar integration issues
  • Syncing problems between devices
  • Unexpected app behavior after updates

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add shortcuts for Mac version
  • Implement subtasks and task filtering
  • Improve calendar integration and timeline view
  • Add ability to move tasks between lists
  • Implement Apple Watch support
Show 5 more
  • Provide more customization options
  • Add Siri integration
  • Improve syncing between devices
  • Implement automatic task reminders
  • Add ability to create recurring tasks with flexible schedules

In-app purchases

2 purchases

20 Seconds

One-time2
  • Premium Version$0.99
  • A Kind Tip$0.99
1 purchases

Mindlist

One-time1
  • Buy Premium$5.99

Questions

Is 20 Seconds free?
20 Seconds is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mindlist free?
Mindlist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 20 Seconds or Mindlist?
Mindlist is rated higher. 20 Seconds averages 4.6 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Mindlist averages 4.7 from 1.6K ratings.
Do 20 Seconds or Mindlist have ads?
Neither 20 Seconds nor Mindlist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 20 Seconds or Mindlist?
20 Seconds ships an update every 3 months, and Mindlist fortnightly. Most recently, 20 Seconds was updated on November 1, 2026 and Mindlist on November 7, 2026.

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