# Freedom vs Study Guard

Freedom and Study Guard both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 64% of Freedom's written reviews are positive against 28% of Study Guard's. Freedom also leads on ratings volume (5.9K vs 347) and chart position (#182 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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 and Study Guard sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Study Guard holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 5.9K ratings behind it against 347, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Freedom's written reviews are positive against 28% of Study Guard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Freedom ships an update every 9 days, Study Guard every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freedom | Study Guard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228/reviews) | **[4.6 (347 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-guard-study-and-focus/id6744607430/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.9K** | 347 |
| Positive reviews | **63.6% of reviews** | 28.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#182** | — |
| Size | 90 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eighty Percent Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/960372430) | [Jason Mayo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1808403182) |

## What reviewers say

### Freedom

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

**Currently charting:** #182 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

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)


### Study Guard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-guard-study-and-focus/id6744607430)

This app transforms social media habits into a learning tool. It uses flashcard mastery to unlock social media access, ensuring focused study sessions. Create custom flashcards or generate them automatically from notes and PDFs.

**Highlights:** Social media leverage for motivation, Flashcard accountability for phone access, Custom flashcard creation, AI flashcard generator from notes/PDFs, Social media blocking during study, Progress tracking and insights, Unlimited flashcard sets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Study Guard (Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Study Guard Plus | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Plan (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Study Guard Plus Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Study Guard (Yearly) | $34.99 | per year |
| Study Guard (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freedom free?

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

### Is Study Guard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Freedom or Study Guard?

Study Guard is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5.9K ratings, while Study Guard averages 4.6 from 347 ratings.

### Do Freedom or Study Guard have ads?

Neither Freedom nor Study Guard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Freedom or Study Guard?

Freedom ships an update every 9 days, and Study Guard every 2 weeks. Most recently, Freedom was updated on September 24, 2026 and Study Guard on September 21, 2026.

---

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