# Freedom vs Fictate

The clearest difference is rating: Fictate at 5.0 against Freedom's 4.5. Fictate also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (100% vs 64%). Freedom's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 6) and chart position (#196 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 Fictate sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Fictate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 6.1K ratings behind it against 6, 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 Fictate's.

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, Fictate weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freedom | Fictate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fictate/id6783365473/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#196** | — |
| Size | 94 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eighty Percent Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/960372430) | [Sarah Sawyer](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783365475) |

## What reviewers say

### Freedom

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

**Currently charting:** #196 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)


### Fictate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fictate/id6783365473)

This app offers specialized dictation for fiction writers, understanding unique character names and dialogue. It learns your words, cleans up transcripts, and integrates recording, transcription, and word count into one tool. Write offline and sync later, with your work remaining private.

**Highlights:** Fiction-specific dictation, Customizable word learning, Automated cleanup and punctuation, Integrated recording and transcription, Offline recording capabilities, Daily word count tracking, Direct export to writing software

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Storyteller | $5.99 | per month |
| Author Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Fictator Monthly | $44.99 | per month |
| Storyteller Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Author Annual | $179.99 | per year |
| Fictator Annual | $419.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freedom free?

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

### Is Fictate free?

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

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

Fictate is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Fictate averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Freedom or Fictate have ads?

Neither Freedom nor Fictate shows ads.

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

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, and Fictate weekly. Most recently, Freedom was updated on November 2, 2026 and Fictate on October 16, 2026.

---

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