Buy-Once · iOS

iOS apps worth owning. Once.

We started AppRundown because canceling a subscription shouldn't mean losing the app. The pages below are our running list of iOS apps you can pay for once and own — meditation timers, journals, focus timers, sleep trackers, password managers, and more. Each pick is filtered by Trust Score (recent ratings, price stability, active development), classified by exactly how it monetizes, and updated weekly. No subscription content here. Skip the auto-renewals.

↻ This week's recommendation

If you canceled 1Password

3 buy-once picks replace 1Password · Trust avg 7.7 — led by Password Manager: Safe (7.7).

Pulled from our buy-once pool · Updated when 1Password pricing changes · No affiliate kickback for cancellations.

Read the 1Password replacement guide

↻ Other replacements this week

If you canceled AllTrails

3 buy-once picks · Trust avg 7.6

If you canceled Calm

3 buy-once picks · Trust avg 7.7

If you canceled Headspace

3 buy-once picks · Trust avg 7.7

Or browse by app type

Meditation · Habits · Photo · Journal · Focus · Sleep · Password · Hiking · Drawing · Weather

#meditation

Mind: meditation

14 buy-once picks · Trust avg 7.0 · Replaces Calm, Headspace

1

Dreamy Room

ABI GLOBAL LTD. · ★ 4.72 (231.8K) · Free · Optional Pro

Trust 7.2 · Scouting

2

Insight Timer: Meditate, Sleep

Insight Network Inc · ★ 4.90 (438.8K) · Lifetime $1.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.0 · Scouting

3

BetterSleep: Relax and Sleep

Ipnos Software Inc. · ★ 4.75 (390.1K) · Lifetime $5.00 + optional sub

Trust 6.2 · Scouting

#habit-tracker

Habit tracker apps you can own

14 buy-once picks · Trust avg 6.9

1

ShineDay: Habit Tracker

俊航何 · ★ 4.71 (3.2K) · Lifetime $24.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.7 · Developing

2

Days Since: Quit Habit Tracker

A Couple of Friends OOD · ★ 4.83 (17.8K) · Lifetime $49.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.6 · Developing

3

Habit Tracker - HabitKit

Sebastian Roehl · ★ 4.85 (2.0K) · Lifetime $14.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.6 · Developing

4

Productive - Habit Tracker

Mosaic S.r.l. · ★ 4.60 (91.1K) · Lifetime $3.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.5 · Developing

5

Habit Tracker

InnerGrow · ★ 4.80 (140.0K) · Lifetime $8.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.3 · Scouting

#photo-editor

Photo editors that don't bill monthly

15 buy-once picks · Trust avg 6.7

1

PicCollage: Magic Photo Editor

Cardinal Blue · ★ 4.79 (1.8M) · Lifetime $0.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.6 · Developing

2

Snapseed: Photo Editor

Google · ★ 4.86 (11.1K) · Free

Trust 7.2 · Scouting

3

Photo Editor-

Axiem Systems · ★ 4.65 (296.0K) · Lifetime $1.99 + optional sub

Trust 6.1 · Scouting

4

VSCO: Photo Editor & Presets

Visual Supply Company · ★ 4.69 (273.9K) · Lifetime + optional sub

Trust 5.8 · Scouting

#journal

Journals you don't have to rent

23 buy-once picks · Trust avg 7.5

1

Daily Journal: Diary with Lock

SimpleInnovation LLC · ★ 4.76 (5.1K) · Lifetime $59.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.8 · Developing

2

Stress Monitor - Moodpress

Yuanbo Tech LLC · ★ 4.80 (946) · Lifetime $49.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.8 · Developing

3

Notebook - Diary & Journal App

Koji Ito · ★ 4.73 (14.3K) · Free · Optional Pro

Trust 7.7 · Developing

4

Card Diary - Journal, Diary

Dreamkit Co., Ltd. · ★ 4.73 (1.3K) · Lifetime $9.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.7 · Developing

5

DailyBean - simplest journal

BlueSignum Corp. · ★ 4.82 (69.0K) · Lifetime $1.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.6 · Developing

#focus-timer

Focus timers without subscription

16 buy-once picks · Trust avg 7.2 · Replaces Forest

1

Focus To-Do: Focus Timer&Tasks

Shenzhen Tomato Software Technology Co., Ltd. · ★ 4.80 (14.4K) · Free · Optional Pro

Trust 7.8 · Developing

2

FocusFlight - Deepfocus Timer

Cement Planet LTD · ★ 4.86 (7.7K) · Lifetime $18.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.7 · Developing

3

Flow: Focus & Pomodoro Timer

Yugen GmbH · ★ 4.77 (1.7K) · Lifetime $39.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.7 · Developing

4

Be Focused – Deep Focus Timer

Denys Ievenko · ★ 4.71 (4.3K) · Lifetime $39.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.7 · Developing

5

To Do List MinimaList & Widget

InnerGrow · ★ 4.77 (44.0K) · Lifetime $5.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.6 · Developing

#sleep-tracker

Sleep trackers worth owning

2 buy-once picks · Trust avg 6.2 · Replaces Sleep Cycle

1

BetterSleep: Relax and Sleep

Ipnos Software Inc. · ★ 4.75 (390.1K) · Lifetime $5.00 + optional sub

Trust 6.2 · Scouting

#password-manager

Password managers without monthly fees

Replaces 1Password

Picks coming soon — editorial review in progress.

#hiking

Hiking apps you can own

14 buy-once picks · Trust avg 7.0 · Replaces AllTrails

1

Avenza Maps: Offline Mapping

Avenza Systems Inc. · ★ 4.76 (125.0K) · Lifetime $0.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.7 · Developing

2

Organic Maps・Maps & Navigation

Organic Maps · ★ 4.75 (1.8K) · Free

Trust 7.6 · Developing

3

Hiking and Skiing - PeakVisor

Routes Software SRL · ★ 4.59 (12.8K) · Lifetime $159.00 + optional sub

Trust 7.5 · Developing

4

HiiKER: The Hiking Maps App

Waymarked Trails LTD · ★ 4.57 (891) · Lifetime $14.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.5 · Developing

5

Outdooractive

Outdooractive AG · ★ 4.32 (419) · Lifetime $0.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.3 · Scouting

#drawing

Drawing apps without subscription

2 buy-once picks · Trust avg 6.8

1

PicCollage: Magic Photo Editor

Cardinal Blue · ★ 4.79 (1.8M) · Lifetime $0.99 + optional sub

Trust 7.6 · Developing

#weather

Weather apps you can own

Pool empty — scouting.

Picks coming soon — editorial review in progress.

Reader Contributions

Know a buy-once iPhone app that deserves a place here? Send the App Store link, the category it replaces, and how you confirmed the pricing. Reader submissions help us decide what to scout next.

Email a buy-once submission

All 6 buy-once guidesCalmHeadspaceSleep CycleForest1PasswordAllTrails →