Compared, plainly
RareTap vs Hourly Journal
Both apps put time tracking and journaling in one iPhone app — a narrow, useful category. If you're comparing the two, here's what actually differs.
By The Rare Dev, the independent developer behind RareTap Hourly Journal facts checked against its App Store listing on
The core difference
Live, one-tap tracking versus hand-logged hours.
RareTap tracks time live: tap to start a timer on any activity you've named, tap to stop, or let a geofence, Siri, or Control Center do it for you. Hourly Journal is a manual hourly log: you write down what you were doing, hour by hour, then add a journal entry. That's the difference the rest of this page walks through.
At a glance
The short version.
| RareTap | Hourly Journal | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | iPhone, iOS 17+ | iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1+), Apple Vision |
| Account required | No — on-device, private iCloud | Yes — an account for its email/cloud sync |
| How time gets logged | One-tap multi-timers, plus geofence, Siri, and Control Center (iOS 18+) triggers | Manual hourly log |
| Journal | Day-anchored; can take an opt-in head start from the day you tracked, plus Apple Journaling Suggestions | Manual journal entries alongside the hourly log |
| Pricing | Free (generous core) · $1.99/mo (no trial) · $14.99/yr (7-day trial) · $49.99 lifetime | Free; $0.99/mo · $9.99/yr · $27.99 lifetime |
| Export | Free CSV/JSON (full journal included); Markdown + Obsidian-vault export on Premium | Not covered in the research behind this page — not claiming an answer either way |
Where RareTap differs
Four things that change how the day gets recorded.
Start a timer with one tap, or skip the tap entirely — a geofence at a place you visit, a Siri phrase, or Control Center can start and stop it for you.
RareTap runs on-device with private iCloud sync — no email sign-up, no server. Hourly Journal requires an account for its cloud sync.
When you decide to write, the hours you tracked — and Apple's own Journaling Suggestions — give the entry somewhere to begin. Writing is always opt-in; nothing gets added without you.
Export free as CSV or JSON — the full journal included — or as dated Markdown files with a direct path into an Obsidian vault on Premium.
The other way round
Where Hourly Journal might be the better fit.
If once-an-hour manual logging is exactly the ritual you're looking for, and an account for cloud sync isn't a concern, Hourly Journal's narrower, single-purpose design may suit you better than a tool built around live, one-tap tracking.
FAQ
Questions, answered plainly.
What's the actual difference between RareTap and Hourly Journal?
RareTap tracks time live — one tap starts and stops a timer, or a geofence does it automatically, with Siri and Control Center triggers too — then can give your journal a head start from that tracked day. Hourly Journal pairs a manual hourly log with journaling: you write down each hour by hand.
Does RareTap require an account?
No. RareTap works on-device with private iCloud sync — no accounts, no servers to sign up for. RareTap's App Store privacy label is Data Not Collected.
Is RareTap free?
Yes, the core app is free, with monthly, annual, and lifetime options to unlock Premium — see the pricing row above for exact rates.
Can I take my data out of RareTap?
Yes — free as CSV or JSON (the full journal included), or as dated Markdown files with Obsidian-vault compatibility on Premium.