# Freedom vs FocusWell

The clearest difference is rating: FocusWell at 5.0 against Freedom's 4.4. FocusWell also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). Freedom's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (6K vs 3). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

FocusWell holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 6K ratings behind it against 3, 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 FocusWell's.

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, FocusWell every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freedom | FocusWell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focuswell-screen-time-control/id6761383712/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 64.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 94 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eighty Percent Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/960372430) | [Stanislav Varetskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889264591) |

## 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)


### FocusWell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focuswell-screen-time-control/id6761383712)

This app helps you regain control of your daily screen time and combat excessive scrolling. It introduces a mindful pause before opening distracting applications and allows you to set custom limits and focus sessions to build lasting concentration.

**Highlights:** Mindful pause before distracting apps, Custom app limits, Focus sessions, Daily screen time insights, Distraction-free design, Private data handling

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freedom free?

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

### Is FocusWell free?

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

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

FocusWell is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6K ratings, while FocusWell averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Freedom or FocusWell have ads?

FocusWell shows ads; Freedom does not.

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

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, and FocusWell every 8 days. Most recently, Freedom was updated on October 23, 2026 and FocusWell on October 14, 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.*