Comparison

Freedom vs grounded | mindful screen time

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Freedom

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
Read full description

Block distracting apps and websites so you can focus, be more productive, and build better screen time habits. We've built the world's best app and website blocker, trusted by over 3 million individuals and teams to deliver focused attention for the things that matter most. During a Freedom session, when you attempt to open an app or website on your blocklist, Freedom blocks the app from opening and displays a peaceful green screen - reminding you that you're currently free of that distraction. Freedom users report gaining an average of 2.5 hours of productive time every day. They're more fulfilled, happier with work and family life, and have a healthier relationship with their technology. Schedule a Freedom app blocking session to start automatically when you need it – for complete, seamless control over distractions. Because Freedom works across all your devices, you'll feel confident knowing you're in complete control. We call it mindful productivity. There's no limit to the number of devices (including phones, tablets, and computers) you can connect to Freedom, so you can block apps and websites regardless of where you are or what you're doing. You'll stay focused, productive, and distraction-free. "Our favorite distraction-killing app blocker." – Lifehacker "One antidote to the always-on life is Freedom…" – Time Magazine "As Freedom shows, the solution to the problems created by technology isn't anti-technology, but more and better technology." – Huffington Post "Freedom has garnered celeb fans like Dave Eggers, Nick Hornby, Seth Godin, and Nora Ephron." – Mashable PEACE OF MIND - COVER EVERY DEVICE - For one price, Freedom covers all your devices (phones, tablets, and computers) with our powerful distraction-blocking technology. TURN OFF THE NOISE - BLOCK APPS and WEBSITES - Block distracting apps and websites for as long as you want. Select from a pre-made blocklist or create a custom blocklist of your time-consuming distractions. EXPERIENCE TOTAL PEACE - BLOCK THE INTERNET - Block the internet with a single button. Enjoy peace, quiet, and focus, away from all distractions. Freedom won't block important texts or calls, so you can enjoy offline time knowing you can be reached if need be! SMART COVERAGE - SYNC ACROSS YOUR DEVICES - Distractions aren't limited to your phone! Sync block sessions to your phones, tablets, and computers. There's no limit to the number of devices you can use. CREATE GOOD HABITS - USE POWERFUL SCHEDULING - Schedule your blocks now, later, or create recurring blocks to help make focus and productivity a habit. LOCKED MODE - Use Locked Mode to commit to breaking bad digital habits and addictions. FOCUS SOUNDS - Free audio tracks give you an assortment of music, café, office, and nature sounds to help you stay focused and productive, no matter where you are. We're excited about helping you be the best version of yourself. We're continually building new tools - and they're always included in your subscription. We've also got a great Perks program which offers discounts on top productivity products. SUBSCRIPTION PRICING AND TERMS We’re confident that you’ll love Freedom, but just so you can be sure, we offer a 7-day free trial of Freedom Premium. After that it’s only $39.99 per year. Many Freedom users tell us it pays for itself within a few days! These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. Your Freedom subscription will automatically renew at the end of each term and your credit card will be charged through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can turn off auto-renew at any time from your iTunes account settings. Terms and Conditions - https://freedom.to/terms Privacy Policy - https://freedom.to/privacy Thank you!

About

grounded | mindful screen time

This app offers a mindful approach to screen time by introducing brief awareness checks before you open distracting applications. It helps you regain control over your phone usage by prompting reflection rather than outright blocking.

Highlights
  • Pre-app awareness checks
  • Customizable app selection
  • Variety of reflection prompts
  • Time-limited app access
  • Gentle relationship with phone
  • Focus on awareness, not control
Features
Read full description

Stop reaching for distraction & start returning to yourself. Grounded transforms the moment you instinctively reach for your phone into a moment of awareness. Instead of falling into endless scrolling, you’re gently invited to breathe, check in, and reconnect with what you actually need. Meditate. Breathe. Reflect. Focus. Or simply decide your phone isn’t what you needed after all. Grounded helps you replace unconscious habits with intentional ones. & not through guilt or restriction, but through calm awareness Designed for people who want a slower, more mindful relationship with technology. — Inspired by the book Safe to Receive and the nervous system work behind it. — Subscription info Monthly: $8.99 USD/month Annual: $39.99 USD/year Subscriptions auto-renew through your Apple ID unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Manage or cancel anytime in iOS Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions. Questions? Reach out at support@fulfilledsoul.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://fulfilledsoul.com/privacy

Screenshots

Freedom4 screens
grounded | mindful screen time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: grounded | mindful screen time at free with in-app purchases against Freedom's subscription. grounded | mindful screen time also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (89% vs 64%). Freedom's advantage is ratings volume (5.9K vs 10). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Freedom sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and grounded | mindful screen time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

grounded | mindful screen time holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 5.9K ratings behind it against 10, 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 89% of grounded | mindful screen time's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, grounded | mindful screen time weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Freedom versus grounded | mindful screen time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFreedomgrounded | mindful screen time
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (5.9K ratings)4.8 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.2% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.9K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size93 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEighty Percent SolutionsDatrie Allman

Customer experience

Freedom

All ratings5,947 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral3.1%
Negative11.5%
Written reviews1,362 reviews
Positive64.2%
Neutral7.6%
Negative28.3%

grounded | mindful screen time

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Freedom

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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)

grounded | mindful screen time

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Freedom

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly Subscription$8.991 Month
  • Freedom Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Freedom Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$39.991 Year
  • Freedom Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Freedom Forever$199.00
3 purchases

grounded | mindful screen time

Subscriptions2
  • Grounded Monthly$8.991 Month
  • Grounded Annual$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Grounded Lifetime$129.99

Questions

Is Freedom free?
Freedom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is grounded | mindful screen time free?
grounded | mindful screen time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Freedom or grounded | mindful screen time?
grounded | mindful screen time is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5.9K ratings, while grounded | mindful screen time averages 4.8 from 10 ratings.
Do Freedom or grounded | mindful screen time have ads?
Neither Freedom nor grounded | mindful screen time shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Freedom or grounded | mindful screen time?
Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, and grounded | mindful screen time weekly. Most recently, Freedom was updated on October 18, 2026 and grounded | mindful screen time on October 9, 2026.

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