Spurv and Finch, side by side

Finch is a lovely app that millions of people use, and it inspired Spurv. Here’s an honest look at how the two differ, including where Finch is better. Peter made Spurv, so read it knowing that.

At a glance

Yes
Partly
No
Not stated

	Spurv	Finch
Price	$1.99 once	Free, or Finch Plus: in-app purchases from $5.99 to $69.99
Everything included, no subscription	Yes	PartlyFinch Plus adds extras
Works without an account	Yes	PartlyNeeded for backups
Your entries stay on your phone	Yes	PartlyBacked up to Finch’s servers (encrypted) with an account
App Store privacy label	YesCollects nothing	PartlyLinked to you: user ID, device ID; also collects your entries, usage and email
No data shared for advertising	Yes	PartlyAd measurement with Facebook, Amazon and TikTok unless you opt out (Mozilla, 2023)
A pet that grows with you	YesPip, in 3D	Yes
Mood check-ins	YesApple’s seven-step scale	Yes
Saves moods in Apple Health	YesIf you turn it on	Not statedNot in its App Store listing
Daily goals	YesThree a day	Yes
Reflection prompts	YesWritten on your iPhone	Yes
Breathing exercises	YesThree patterns	Yes
Mental health quizzes	NoNo, on purpose	YesAnxiety, depression and more
Friends in the app	No	Yes
Home Screen widget	Yes	Yes
Other devices	PartlyiPad, no Android yet	YesiPad, Vision Pro, Android
App languages	12	English only

Pick Finch if …

You want lots to do every day: quizzes, insights across your entries, friends you can send good vibes to, and a big, friendly community. Finch is on Android too, and much of it is free.

Pick Spurv if …

You want your moods and reflections to stay on your iPhone, in your own language, with everything included for $1.99 once instead of a subscription that can reach $69.99. Spurv can also save your check-ins in Apple Health.

Where Spurv falls short

No Android version yet: Spurv is for iPhone and iPad.
No friends or community: it’s just you and Pip.
Fewer activities than Finch: check-ins, three goals, reflections and breathing.
No sync between devices yet: your data stays on the iPhone or iPad you use.
No mental health quizzes. That’s on purpose: Spurv isn’t a health app.
It’s brand new, with no ratings yet. Finch has 767,000 in the US alone.

How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-24 from Finch’s App Store page (US and Denmark), Apple’s own app data, Finch’s account FAQ and its Google Play page, plus Mozilla’s 2023 privacy review of Finch (Mozilla has since retired those reviews; the link goes to the archived copy). Prices are US App Store prices. “Not stated” means we couldn’t confirm it, not that Finch lacks it.

Spurv isn’t on the App Store yet. It collects nothing: the app has no network code, so its privacy label will say Data Not Collected.

Apps change often. If something here is out of date, write to support@spurv.theill.com and it gets fixed.

Sources