vs
Ultimatum vs Forfeit. The Forfeit alternative with no subscription: you only pay if you don't follow through.
You set a goal with a time, like getting up or going to the gym, and leave a guarantee: money, your apps or both. Prove it with a photo in time and you lose nothing. If not, you lose it.
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Next
This week
Ultimatum vs Forfeit. The same idea, made simpler.
| Ultimatum | Forfeit | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | No subscription: you only pay if you don't follow through | Subscription of €8.99 to €14.99/month, on top of what you lose |
| Photos of a screen | Don't count: we check the photo's depth | Doesn't say it detects them |
| Gym | Photo and location together | Photo or location, one per goal |
| Easy to use | A promise in three steps: what, when and how you prove it | Lots of modes and features; its users say it's confusing |
| Clear pricing | Before you sign up | Its users say they only see it at the end |
What we learned from Forfeit's reviews
We're not saying Forfeit is a bad app. We read what its users dislike so we don't repeat it.
- Forfeit review★★★★★
“I already pay enough when I accidentally dont complete my task, but you need us to pay to use a program where we pay you more?”
US App Store, May 2025
At Ultimatum, there's no subscription
- Forfeit review★★★★★
“Of course there's no mention of this anywhere in the app description or in the app before you go through the entire sign up process.”
US App Store, July 2026
At Ultimatum, you see the price before you sign up
- Forfeit review★★★★★
“I loved this app, but the constant UI updates make it so confusing. Please stop”
US App Store, April 2024
At Ultimatum, a promise takes three steps
Forfeit data from its App Store listing, its website and its users' reviews, October 2026. Forfeit is a trademark of Forfeit, Inc.; we're not affiliated with it.
You want something on the line to follow through. And you get a monthly subscription too.
- First
A subscription
You pay every month, even the months you keep every promise.
- Then
Modes, integrations, blocking
Setting it up becomes another project.
- In the end
Back to the list
With nothing on the line, the list goes back in the drawer.
- Now
The same idea, without the subscription.
How it works. Four steps, every day.
- 1
Step 1 of 2Create ultimatum GoalGo to the gymWhen19:00MondayHow I'll prove itPhoto at the gymDeadline19:30NextPick the goal.
Go to the gym on Monday at 19:00 and prove it with a photo there.
- 2
Step 2 of 2Guarantee €10€0€5€10€20Block apps if I miss it2 apps selected, 3 daysWhat the photo must showMe at the gymCheck locationMy gymCreate ultimatumLeave a guarantee.
Up to €20, your apps or both. If you don't do it, you lose what you chose.
- 3
You're at your gymProve it.
Take the photo at the gym, in the app. You have until 19:30.
- 4Go to the gym, 19:06
Photo confirmed.
You went to the gym, as promised.
€10Nothing is chargedYour apps stay unblockedShareDoneGet your money back.
If you prove it in time. If not, you lose the €10.
Ready to commit?
This is your week when you follow through.
One day, one week or a whole month.
Month-long goalGym October · 3 times a week7/12sessions keptNext: Thursday 19:00Per session€103 daysWeeks
Week 1Week 2Week 3Week 4Goals over several days.
Go to the gym 3 times a week for a month. Every session counts, and you see how you're doing.
Thursday, 9 OctoberMy morning2 of 3 07:00Get upPhoto of breakfast · 07:0207:30Run 5 kmPhoto outside · 07:4109:00Study for 1 hourPhoto of the deskIn 25 minGoals in steps.
A whole morning: get up, go for a run and sit down to study. Each step with its own time.
You choose what's on the line.
Money, from €0 to €20, a few days without the apps you pick, or both. You never lose more than you chose.
Photos as proof.
Taken in the app, with no gallery. The camera checks they're real.
Yesterday, 07:15No photo in time 
Your photoSent at 07:16Think it's a mistake? A person on the team will review it.
Ask a person to review itAcceptA person reviews it.
If you think something went wrong, you dispute it and someone from the team looks at it.
Keep your word, get your money back.
If not, you lose what you put down when you promised. Not a cent more.
Frequently asked questions.
The idea is similar: something on the line so you follow through. Ultimatum has no subscription, checks that the photo isn't of a screen and, for the gym, asks for a photo and your location together.