# Freedom vs Happy Squid

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Happy Squid at 100% against Freedom's 64%. Freedom's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (6.1K vs 1). 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 Happy Squid sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Freedom holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 6.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Freedom's written reviews are positive against 100% of Happy Squid's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, Happy Squid every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freedom | Happy Squid |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/happy-squid/id6811662936/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 94 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eighty Percent Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/960372430) | [Brunnel Maar Zinn GbR](https://appshunter.io/developer/6806780763) |

## 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)


### Happy Squid

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/happy-squid/id6811662936)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Happy Squid Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Happy Squid Pro | $35.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freedom free?

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

### Is Happy Squid free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Freedom or Happy Squid?

Freedom is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Happy Squid averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Freedom or Happy Squid have ads?

Neither Freedom nor Happy Squid shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Freedom or Happy Squid?

Freedom ships an update every 2 weeks, and Happy Squid every 9 days. Most recently, Freedom was updated on October 29, 2026 and Happy Squid on October 29, 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.*