A free quotes app with no ads and no subscription: what Kandou includes free, and what Pro costs once
The exact free tier (25 curated quotes, 15 of your own, small widget, share and wallpaper), what the one-time $4.99 Pro adds, and why there are no ads, feeds, or accounts.
The short answer. Kandou is free to download and use on iPhone, with no ads, no subscription, and no account. The free version includes a curated 25-quote Starter library, up to 15 quotes of your own with categories, scheduled rotation, a small Home Screen widget, search, the Minimal share style with all fonts and sizes, and saving any quote as a wallpaper. Kandou Pro is a single $4.99 USD purchase that adds the full library of 100+ curated quotes, unlimited quotes of your own, a customizable medium widget, and the Photo and Bold share styles, with every future feature included.
“Free quotes app” usually means ads or a subscription
The biggest quote apps on the App Store are free to download and make their money one of two ways: ads between quotes, or a subscription to unlock the collections, the widgets, and the styles, with yearly plans that run as high as $47.99. That is the model for a feed of generic content, and it works for them.
Kandou has no feed to monetize. Its content is mostly yours, so the honest model is a free app that is genuinely useful, and one small purchase for the people who want more. No ads, ever, and no subscription.
Exactly what free includes
| Free | Pro ($4.99 USD, once) | |
|---|---|---|
| Curated library | 25-quote Starter collection | 100+ quotes: Starter plus Stoic Wisdom (40), Motivation (30), Love (30) |
| Your own quotes | Up to 15 | Unlimited |
| Categories with colors, icons, and emojis | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Scheduled rotation (daily, every other day, weekly, custom times) | Yes | Yes |
| Home Screen widget | Small | Small and medium |
| Widget appearance (photo, font, size, color) | No | Yes, for the medium widget |
| Search across quotes, authors, categories | Yes | Yes |
| Share as image, Minimal style, all fonts and sizes | Yes | Yes |
| Photo and Bold share styles | No | Yes |
| Save as wallpaper | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | None | None |
| Account | None | None |
| Future features | Updates | All future Pro features included |
Library quotes do not count against the 15-quote limit; only the quotes you add yourself do.
Who never needs Pro
If you keep a small, chosen collection and like the app’s default look, the free version is the whole product: a daily quote from your own lines and the Starter set, a widget, wallpapers, and shareable cards. Fifteen quotes of your own is a real constraint, but for many people it is also a good editor: the collection stays the lines that matter.
Who benefits from Pro
- You save more than 15 quotes. Readers, journalers, and anyone building a real commonplace book hit the limit within a few weeks.
- You want the library. Stoic Wisdom, Motivation, and Love add 100 curated public-domain quotes from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, Emerson, Thoreau, Dickinson, and others, each with its author, added to your rotation with one tap.
- You want the medium widget, which shows the author and category and can be styled with your own photo, font, size, and text color.
- You post quote cards. The Photo and Bold styles are what make a card look like yours rather than like a template.
How the purchase works
- One payment, no renewal. Pro is a non-consumable in-app purchase through the App Store; it never expires and there is nothing to cancel.
- Restore on a new phone. Open Settings in Kandou, find the Kandou Pro section, and tap Restore Purchases, signed in with the same Apple Account.
- No account with Kandou. The purchase is tied to your Apple Account, like any app.
- Future features included. Everything added to Pro later is part of the same purchase.
In Kandou
- Try free first. Add a few quotes, set a daily rotation, put the small widget on your Home Screen, and save one wallpaper. That is the free product, complete.
- When you hit the 15-quote limit, the app shows the Pro screen. Nothing you saved is removed; you can keep using everything until you decide.
- To upgrade, open Settings, Kandou Pro, and tap Upgrade. Apple handles the purchase and shows the price in your local currency.
- If Pro does not show as unlocked after reinstalling or on a new phone, use Restore Purchases in the same section.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kandou really free, or a trial?
Free indefinitely. The free version has a 15-quote limit on your own quotes and does not include the Pro collections and styles, but it never expires and never asks for payment to keep working.
Does Kandou have ads?
No. There are no ads in the free or the Pro version, and no feed of sponsored content.
Is Kandou Pro a subscription?
No. Kandou Pro is a one-time $4.99 USD in-app purchase with no recurring fees. Future features are included.
What happens to my quotes if I reach the free limit?
Nothing is removed. You keep every quote and can keep using the app; you cannot add a 16th quote of your own until you upgrade or delete one. Library quotes do not count against the limit.
Do I need an account for the free version or for Pro?
No. Kandou has no accounts. The Pro purchase is tied to your Apple Account through the App Store, and your quotes are stored on your iPhone.