# Freedom vs Impulse

The clearest difference is rating: Freedom at 4.4 against Impulse's 2.0. Freedom also leads on ratings volume (6.1K vs 2). Impulse's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Freedom sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Impulse asks for nothing beyond the download.

Freedom holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 6.1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Freedom's written reviews are positive against 67% of Impulse's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, Impulse fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freedom | Impulse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228/reviews)** | [2.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/impulse-app-blocker-and-focus/id6736623036/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 94 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eighty Percent Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/960372430) | [Pablo Granados](https://appshunter.io/developer/1539620937) |

## 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)


### Impulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/impulse-app-blocker-and-focus/id6736623036)

This app helps you block distracting applications and websites to improve focus and productivity. It offers customizable blocking levels and group features for shared accountability.

**Highlights:** Block distracting apps and websites, Set daily usage limits, Three strictness levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, Create custom focus profiles, Group blocking for shared accountability, Works across iPhone and Chrome extension

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freedom free?

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

### Is Impulse free?

Impulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Freedom is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Impulse averages 2.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Freedom or Impulse have ads?

Neither Freedom nor Impulse shows ads.

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

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, and Impulse fortnightly. Most recently, Freedom was updated on October 30, 2026 and Impulse on October 24, 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.*