Comparison

Freedom vs BB

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

Head to head
About

Freedom

This app helps you block distracting apps and websites to improve focus and productivity. Schedule blocking sessions across all your devices to build better screen time habits and reclaim productive hours.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps and websites
  • Schedule blocking sessions
  • Sync across all devices
  • Block the internet
  • Locked Mode for habit commitment
  • Focus sounds
Features
Read full description

Block distracting apps and websites so you can focus, be more productive, and build better screen time habits. We've built the world's best app and website blocker, trusted by over 3 million individuals and teams to deliver focused attention for the things that matter most. During a Freedom session, when you attempt to open an app or website on your blocklist, Freedom blocks the app from opening and displays a peaceful green screen - reminding you that you're currently free of that distraction. Freedom users report gaining an average of 2.5 hours of productive time every day. They're more fulfilled, happier with work and family life, and have a healthier relationship with their technology. Schedule a Freedom app blocking session to start automatically when you need it – for complete, seamless control over distractions. Because Freedom works across all your devices, you'll feel confident knowing you're in complete control. We call it mindful productivity. There's no limit to the number of devices (including phones, tablets, and computers) you can connect to Freedom, so you can block apps and websites regardless of where you are or what you're doing. You'll stay focused, productive, and distraction-free. "Our favorite distraction-killing app blocker." – Lifehacker "One antidote to the always-on life is Freedom…" – Time Magazine "As Freedom shows, the solution to the problems created by technology isn't anti-technology, but more and better technology." – Huffington Post "Freedom has garnered celeb fans like Dave Eggers, Nick Hornby, Seth Godin, and Nora Ephron." – Mashable PEACE OF MIND - COVER EVERY DEVICE - For one price, Freedom covers all your devices (phones, tablets, and computers) with our powerful distraction-blocking technology. TURN OFF THE NOISE - BLOCK APPS and WEBSITES - Block distracting apps and websites for as long as you want. Select from a pre-made blocklist or create a custom blocklist of your time-consuming distractions. EXPERIENCE TOTAL PEACE - BLOCK THE INTERNET - Block the internet with a single button. Enjoy peace, quiet, and focus, away from all distractions. Freedom won't block important texts or calls, so you can enjoy offline time knowing you can be reached if need be! SMART COVERAGE - SYNC ACROSS YOUR DEVICES - Distractions aren't limited to your phone! Sync block sessions to your phones, tablets, and computers. There's no limit to the number of devices you can use. CREATE GOOD HABITS - USE POWERFUL SCHEDULING - Schedule your blocks now, later, or create recurring blocks to help make focus and productivity a habit. LOCKED MODE - Use Locked Mode to commit to breaking bad digital habits and addictions. FOCUS SOUNDS - Free audio tracks give you an assortment of music, café, office, and nature sounds to help you stay focused and productive, no matter where you are. We're excited about helping you be the best version of yourself. We're continually building new tools - and they're always included in your subscription. We've also got a great Perks program which offers discounts on top productivity products. SUBSCRIPTION PRICING AND TERMS We’re confident that you’ll love Freedom, but just so you can be sure, we offer a 7-day free trial of Freedom Premium. After that it’s only $39.99 per year. Many Freedom users tell us it pays for itself within a few days! These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. Your Freedom subscription will automatically renew at the end of each term and your credit card will be charged through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can turn off auto-renew at any time from your iTunes account settings. Terms and Conditions - https://freedom.to/terms Privacy Policy - https://freedom.to/privacy Thank you!

About

BB

This app helps users break free from social media addiction and reduce screen time. It offers advanced blocking mechanisms to regain control over digital habits and improve mental well-being.

Highlights
  • Fight social media addiction
  • Reduce screen time
  • Multiple blocking mechanisms
  • Schedule-based blocking
  • Usage-based blocking
  • Strict Mode
  • Customizable blocking
Features
Read full description

Apps like social media use powerful psychological tricks to make you unable to stay away from them for too long. Burnout Buddy blocks these apps when you don't want to use them to help you break free and heal their impact on your mental health. * Fight social media addiction * Reduce screen time and improve your focus * Multiple blocking mechanisms * Completely free for most use cases * No account creation or shady VPNs Burnout Buddy is stronger than your iPhone's native Screen Time controls. Designed specifically with social media addiction and unhealthy work habits in mind, it offers a wider variety of blocking mechanisms and allows you to be extremely specific regarding how access to a specific group of apps and websites should be restricted. If you already use Burnout Buddy, keep an eye out for updates that add even more blocking mechanisms and customization points! MAIN FEATURES * Block indefinitely * Schedule-based blocking * Usage-based blocking * Location-based blocking (via Siri) * Focus Mode-based blocking (via Siri) * Siri-based Blocking: Build your own custom blocking conditions by integrating BB with Siri and the Shortcuts app! * Multiple Conditions: Configure multiple blocking conditions for a single group of content for maximum control of your habits. * Multiple Configurations: Want to block a certain group of apps under certain conditions but also another group under other conditions? No problem! * Strict Mode: Have the bad habit of "cheating" app blockers by snoozing them? Strict Mode bans you from updating/deleting schemas when they're active. * Starter Schemas: Plug-and-play configurations that cover the most common reasons people use Burnout Buddy for. * Widgets • Custom App Icons * Block Uninstall * Block Screen Customization • Push Notifications • • • Try Burnout Buddy for free and start taking control of your digital habits today. Want to know more and see what's coming next? Check out BB at https://burnoutbuddy.io! Questions or feedback? You can reach out to us on Twitter at @BurnoutBuddy.

Screenshots

Freedom4 screens
BB4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: BB at free with in-app purchases against Freedom's subscription. BB also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (90% vs 64%). Freedom's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 402). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Freedom sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and BB sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BB holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 6.1K ratings behind it against 402, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Freedom's written reviews are positive against 90% of BB's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, BB every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Freedom versus BB: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFreedomBB
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (6.1K ratings)4.9 (402 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews90.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.1K — better402
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.116.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEighty Percent SolutionsBruno da Rocha e Silva

Customer experience

Freedom

All ratings6,059 ratings
Positive85.6%
Neutral3.0%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews1,372 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral7.5%
Negative28.2%

BB

All ratings391 ratings
Positive98.0%
Neutral0.3%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive90.3%
Neutral2.2%
Negative7.5%

User reviews

Freedom

From 6.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Effective at blocking distractions
  • 👍 Customizable blocklists
  • 🔒 Locked mode prevents bypassing
  • 💡 Cross-device sync
  • 👍 Helpful for productivity and focus

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent blocking, doesn't always work as expected
  • 🐛 Scheduled sessions don't always start automatically
  • 🐛 Buggy, crashes frequently
  • 🔒 Easy to bypass by disabling VPN or deleting app
  • 👎 Limited app blocking on iOS

BB

From 402 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app
  • 👍 Intuitive and effective
  • 🔒 Strict mode makes it hard to bypass
  • 💰 Reasonable one-time purchase
  • 🕰️ Helpful scheduling and time management features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Some bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Difficulty customizing strict mode
  • 🔒 Lack of password protection for settings

Bugs and requests

Freedom

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Blocks unintended apps/websites
  • Fails to block certain apps like Facebook, Instagram
  • Doesn't work in low power mode on iOS

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow specific app whitelisting
  • Add time limit/usage tracking features
  • Improve scheduling options (e.g. by day, not just time)
  • Better integration with mobile OS features (e.g. iOS Screen Time)

BB

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Schemas not working as expected
  • Inconsistent app/website blocking behavior
  • Crashes and function-limiting bugs

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add option to pause schemas for a set time
  • Implement screen time tracking and analytics
  • Provide ability to block Safari and other browsers
  • Add warning before app/website gets blocked
  • Sync schemas across devices

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Freedom

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly Subscription$8.991 Month
  • Freedom Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Freedom Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$39.991 Year
  • Freedom Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Freedom Forever$199.00
5 purchases

BB

One-time5
  • Kind Tip$0.99
  • Generous Tip$4.99
  • Burnout Buddy Pro$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Super Tip$9.99
  • Supreme Tip$19.99

Questions

Is Freedom free?
Freedom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BB free?
BB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Freedom or BB?
BB is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while BB averages 4.9 from 402 ratings.
Do Freedom or BB have ads?
Neither Freedom nor BB shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Freedom or BB?
Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, and BB every 3 weeks. Most recently, Freedom was updated on October 31, 2026 and BB on October 23, 2026.

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