Comparison

Note Always vs Screen Time

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Note Always

A dedicated notebook app optimized for Apple Pencil, offering a smooth writing experience and intuitive editing tools. Effortlessly organize thoughts, draft ideas, and modify content without switching tools.

Highlights
  • Outstanding writing feel
  • Circle, grab, and move content
  • Intuitive modification (erase, undo)
  • Diagram creation
  • Photo editing
  • Drag and drop to other apps
Read full description

“Write smoothly. Correct intuitively.” Note Always is a dedicated notebook app for Apple Pencil. - Outstanding feel The fastest response. Realistic, smooth renderings of blurring and blotching. Because this app is just for the Apple Pencil, we were able to achieve this outstanding feel. - Circle, grab and move All it takes is enclosing the part you wish to move in a circle and move the hand icon. Color, width, and the size are also adjustable. - Smooth modification Erase with your finger, undo by tapping with two fingers, and “circle and move”. Without switching tools, perform “erase, undo, and modify” intuitively. Draft your thoughts. Sort out and elaborate drafts. In order to support the repeated process of think, write, and re-write, the product is made to pursue the pleasant ease of write and stress-free modification. Perfect for sorting ideas, drafting presentation or manuscript, self-brainstorming. For research, travel journaling, and schedule management. Main Features Stickies Intuitive stickies “writing with a pen and move with your finger” Free sorting is the most suitable for sorting out ideas and thoughts. Diagrammatization Straight line, square and circle can be modified beautifully without losing the handwritten style. Tip of the pen can be pushed in strongly, too. Edit photos Clipping and applying a retrospective filter, Shading gridlines. Casually making it look slightly stylish. Drag & drop Enclose and push with your finger to drop into another app as is! Easy linkage even with a part of a page in a notebook. Other features include zooming, Split View, rearranging pages, exporting to PDF, and saving on the iCloud. Note Always was created specifically for the Apple Pencil. You can use the app without one, but your writing will be much less smooth and responsive. We ask for your understanding.

About

Screen Time

This tool helps you control your phone usage by blocking app actions based on custom rules. Set daily or weekly limits, schedule restrictions, or temporarily block apps for focused tasks. It offers a strict blocking screen with no bypass options, ensuring adherence to your digital detox goals.

Highlights
  • Strict blocking screen with no ignore option
  • Focus Mode for app restrictions
  • Daily/weekly app usage limits
  • Usage time notifications
  • Time-based app restrictions
  • Temporary app blocking with timer
  • Manual blocking via Control Center/Action Button/Shortcuts
Read full description

AppStops is a powerful tool to control your phone use. Based on your rules, it blocks all app actions except closing. It’s a one-time purchase—no subscriptions, no hidden fees. Just a simple tool you can rely on forever. ▼ Features • Strict blocking screen with no “Ignore Limit” button. • Block apps while in Focus Mode, e.g., “No entertainment apps during Work Mode.” • Set daily or weekly app limits, e.g., “Social apps limited to 1 hour per day.” • Usage time notifications, e.g., “20% (12 min) of today’s social app time remaining.” • Time-based app restrictions, e.g., “No video apps from 9 AM to 5 PM.” • Temporary app blocking with a timer, e.g., “Focus on studying for the next 90 minutes.” • Manually block apps via Control Center (*1), Action Button (*2), Lock Screen (*3), or Shortcuts app. ▼ User Guide The app includes user guides with images and texts for all rules, so you can use it with confidence. ▼ If You Need to Urgently Disable App Blocking By uninstalling the AppStops app, you can regain access to blocked apps and websites. If uninstalling does not disable the block (a rare occurrence due to OS issues), please reinstall the AppStops app and go to Settings App > Screen Time > APPS WITH SCREEN TIME ACCESS, then toggle off the switch for AppStops. ------------------------------------------------------------ *1: Control Center is available on iOS 18 or later *2: Action Button is available only on devices with an Action Button running iOS 18 or later. *3: Lock Screen control is available only on iPhone devices running iOS 18 or later. ※ The system screen for selecting apps and web domains may crash sometimes. While you can avoid crashes by following the steps outlined in the Help section, please be aware of this issue before making your purchase. Terms of Use https://yoshiharustudio.com/appstops/terms-of-use.html Privacy Policy https://yoshiharustudio.com/appstops/privacy-policy.html Specified Commercial Transaction Act https://yoshiharustudio.com/appstops/specified-commercial-transactions-act.html

Screenshots

Screen Time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Screen Time at $4.99 against Note Always's $14.99. Screen Time also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and review sentiment (100% vs 68%). Note Always's advantage is ratings volume (27 vs 2) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.5). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Note Always costs $14.99 and Screen Time $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Screen Time holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Note Always has 27 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Note Always's written reviews are positive against 100% of Screen Time's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Note Always ships an update every 2 weeks, Screen Time every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Note Always versus Screen Time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNote AlwaysScreen Time
Price$14.99$4.99 — better
Rating3.9 (27 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlways Sunny Ltd.Yoshiharu Yamada

Customer experience

Note Always

All ratings26 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral3.8%
Negative23.1%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive68.4%
Neutral10.5%
Negative21.1%

Screen Time

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Note Always

No in-app purchases

None

Screen Time

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Note Always free?
Note Always costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Screen Time free?
Screen Time costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Note Always or Screen Time?
Screen Time is rated higher. Note Always averages 3.9 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Screen Time averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Note Always or Screen Time have ads?
Neither Note Always nor Screen Time shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Note Always or Screen Time?
Note Always ships an update every 2 weeks, and Screen Time every 3 days. Most recently, Note Always was updated on October 7, 2026 and Screen Time on October 8, 2026.

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