Erly does something genuinely difficult: it makes waking up early feel like a game you are winning. When that works it works well, and its ratings reflect that. This page is for the people it does not work for, which is a smaller but real group.
“The streaks stress me out”
This is the most interesting reason and the one nobody markets to. Streak mechanics assume the streak is motivating. For some people it becomes the opposite: a source of dread, and then, once broken, a reason to abandon the whole system. If you have ever deleted a habit app the day after breaking a long run, you know the pattern.
Go to: Mornio, which has no streak, no score, no achievements and no progress bar. It keeps an alarm history showing what actually happened each morning, and that is the extent of the record. Each morning stands alone, so there is nothing to break.
Also consider: Apple's Clock, which has no opinions about you at all.
“I hit a paywall after answering all those questions”
A recurring theme in Erly's public App Store reviews is frustration at reaching a subscription wall after a lengthy setup flow. Its listed in-app purchases are named “Unlimited” at $6.99, $9.99, $19.99, $29.99 and $39.99.
Go to: Mornio, whose free tier sets a real protected alarm with a Wake Check, plus three Protected Mornings that unlock everything with no card. Or Nuj, whose app is free and charges only the penalties you set for yourself.
Avoid: Wayk, if this is your complaint. Its listing states plainly that an active subscription is required to set alarms at all once setup is done, which is the same pattern taken further.
“I don't want to be tracked”
Erly's privacy label declares Identifiers and Usage Data under Data Used to Track You. It also lists Purchases, Contact Info, Identifiers, Usage Data and Diagnostics as data not linked to you. To be fair, it carries no “Contains Advertising” note and does not list Third-Party Advertising as a purpose, which puts it well ahead of Alarmy on this measure.
Go to: Mornio, which declares nothing under tracking and has no account, or Apple's Clock. Nuj also declares nothing under tracking, though it necessarily handles financial information.
“I want more mission variety”
Go to: Alarmy, which offers maths, memory games, shaking, squats, a Photo Mission, QR codes and voice, on iOS 16 and later. Or SuperAlarm for a similar spread on iOS 17. Both are considerably broader than Mornio, which has one mission.
Be aware that both carry advertising indicators and both declare Location under tracking, so you are trading Erly's lighter privacy footprint for breadth.
“Erly won't run on my device”
Erly requires iOS 17.6 or later. If your iPhone is older, your options narrow quickly: Alarmy supports iOS 16, Nuj supports iOS 15, and Kiwake supports iOS 12 although its last published update was in April 2021. Mornio is not an option, since it needs iOS 26.1.
Compared
| Erly | Mornio | Alarmy | Nuj | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Streaks / gamification | Yes | None | Stats | None |
| Usable without paying | Reviews report a paywall after setup | Free tier + 3 free mornings | Free with ads, 7-day trial | Free app |
| Data used to track you | Identifiers, Usage Data | None declared | Location, Identifiers, Usage | None declared |
| “Contains Advertising” | No | No | Yes | No |
| Immediate follow-up check | Daily check-in | Minutes after dismissal | Premium wake up check | Get-up deadline |
| Minimum iOS | 17.6 | 26.1 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Age rating | 13+ | 4+ | 4+ | 13+ |
When you should stay on Erly
If the streak is working, stay. Nothing on this page replaces it, and Mornio in particular is not trying to. Erly is also the better choice if you want your wake-up system on macOS or Vision Pro as well as iPhone, and its privacy footprint is lighter than Alarmy's or SuperAlarm's.