# Freedom vs Couples Screen Time

The clearest difference is monetization model: Couples Screen Time at free with in-app purchases against Freedom's subscription. Couples Screen Time also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Freedom's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 7) and chart position (#184 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads 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 Couples Screen Time sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Couples Screen Time holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 6.1K ratings behind it against 7, 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 100% of Couples Screen Time's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 15, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freedom | Couples Screen Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228/reviews) | **[4.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couples-screen-time-burn/id6759897354/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#184** | — |
| Size | 94 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eighty Percent Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/960372430) | [Vincent Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1604233303) |

## What reviewers say

### Freedom

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

**Currently charting:** #184 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)


### Couples Screen Time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couples-screen-time-burn/id6759897354)

This app helps couples manage screen time and tasks together. By sharing a screen time pool and to-do lists, users earn minutes back by completing tasks, keeping a shared flame alive. It encourages accountability and shared goals for digital well-being.

**Highlights:** Shared screen time pool, Shared to-do lists, Earn screen time by completing tasks, Visual flame indicator, App locking when time is up, Individual and couple modes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Burn+ | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freedom free?

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

### Is Couples Screen Time free?

Couples Screen Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Freedom or Couples Screen Time?

Couples Screen Time is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Couples Screen Time averages 4.7 from 7 ratings.

### Do Freedom or Couples Screen Time have ads?

Neither Freedom nor Couples Screen Time shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Freedom or Couples Screen Time?

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, and Couples Screen Time every 2 weeks. Most recently, Freedom was updated on November 15, 2026 and Couples Screen Time on November 5, 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.*