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Build Mode vs Velo

A side-by-side comparison built from both listings. Blank cells mean the company has not given that detail; we never guess.

Build Mode compared with Velo
DetailBuild Mode logo Build ModeVelo logo Velo
What it doesPrivate time tracker for Mac that records focused work with one button Premium reader for EPUBs and PDFs with Focus Mode, real typography, and instant mode switching
StageNot given Not given
FoundedNot given Not given
Based inNot given US
Pricing modelPaid Freemium
Pricing$29 one-time payment (early builder price, will rise to $49). Includes one-button time tracking, daily/weekly/all-time totals, automatic app tracking, custom categories, long-term hour goals, weekly visual reflections, and local data storage. No subscription, no account. Free tier with 3 personal books and unlimited classics. Velo Pro Annual: $69.99 USD per year. Velo Pro Monthly: $8.99 USD per month. Additional Enhanced Processing credits: 10 for $4.99 USD, 50 for $19.99 USD. 7-day free trial available.
Key features
  • One-button keyboard shortcut to start and stop sessions
  • Live session clock in MacBook notch
  • Automatic mode suggestions from active app
  • Pauses idle time and display sleep
  • Dashboard with daily, weekly, and all-time totals
  • Wrapped weekly visual recap shareable as image
  • Custom categories or skills
  • All data stored locally on Mac
  • Focus Mode displaying one word at a time at 50-1,000 WPM
  • Three reading modes with instant switching at same position
  • Intelligent PDF processing with chapter detection and OCR
  • Read-aloud with word-by-word tracking and voice picker
  • Cloud sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac
  • Velobrary with unlimited free public-domain classics
  • Catch Me Up on-device Apple Intelligence recap
  • Offline library with no internet required
  • Highlights in multiple colors, notes and dictionary lookup
  • Enhanced Processing for academic and scanned PDFs
What makes it different
  • No screen recording or access to browser history
  • One-time lifetime purchase with no subscription
  • Built by a solo founder for their own use
  • Three intelligent reading modes with one synced position instead of switching contexts
  • Transforms difficult PDFs into readable books through automatic structure detection and OCR
  • Real typography and faithful rendering preserving code blocks and diagrams in technical content
  • Complete privacy with books stored on-device and optional encrypted cloud sync
  • Fully offline reading with no account required for the free tier
Free planNot given Not given
Open sourceNot given Not given
PlatformsNot given Not given
Public APINot given Not given
Community votes00
DR (Domain Rating by Ahrefs)27 no change since last checkNot checked yet no change since last check
Trust Flow (Majestic)220
Citation Flow (Majestic)2716
Referring domains (Majestic)7610

5 details filled in for both companies.

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