# Freedom vs Bonfire

The clearest difference is monetization model: Bonfire at free with in-app purchases against Freedom's subscription. Freedom's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (6.1K vs 68). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Freedom sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Bonfire sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Freedom against 4.5 for Bonfire. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 6.1K ratings behind it against 68, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Freedom's written reviews are positive against 63% of Bonfire's.

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, Bonfire every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freedom | Bonfire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228/reviews) | **[4.5 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonfire-screen-time-blocker/id6498787504/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 68 |
| Positive reviews | **64.3% of reviews** | 62.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 94 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eighty Percent Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/960372430) | [Offbeat Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1694629081) |

## What reviewers say

### Freedom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228)

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:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Freedom Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Freedom Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Freedom Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Freedom Forever | $199.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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)


### Bonfire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonfire-screen-time-blocker/id6498787504)

This app helps reduce excessive phone usage and improve focus. It offers features like app blocking, real-time focus feedback, and progress tracking to enhance productivity and well-being. Manage your digital habits and build structured routines for a better quality of time spent on your device.

**Highlights:** App blocking, Focus reporting, Real-time focus score, Scheduled focus sessions, Digital habit management, Productivity enhancement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bonfire Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freedom free?

Freedom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bonfire free?

Bonfire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Freedom or Bonfire?

Bonfire is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Bonfire averages 4.5 from 68 ratings.

### Do Freedom or Bonfire have ads?

Bonfire shows ads; Freedom does not.

### Which is updated more often, Freedom or Bonfire?

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, and Bonfire every 6 weeks. Most recently, Freedom was updated on October 31, 2026 and Bonfire on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*