Time Study Buddy vs Screen Time Control
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Time Study Buddy
Streamline your time study process with this mobile application, designed to sync seamlessly with your desktop software. It offers specialized support for California County Social Services and Public Health programs. This tool is available at no cost to existing county customers.
- Parallel time study entry
- Automatic data mirroring
- Desktop software integration
- Specialized county program support
- Free for existing customers
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Too busy to do your time study? You can now use this app to do so. It works in parallel with your existing desktop software. Entries in one are automatically mirrored in the other. This app is free for our existing county customers. We currently offer specialized products for two programs within California: County Social Services, and County Public Health MAA/TCM We host the hardware and software and county workers complete their time studies using either this app or on their desktop computer. For more information find us on the web or contact help@timestudybuddy.com
Screen Time Control
This app helps you reduce screen time by requiring a photo of your pet to access distracting apps. It uses image recognition to verify your pet and tracks your progress in reclaiming lost hours. Multiple modes are available for focused work or social accountability.
- Pet photo verification for app access
- Block any distracting app
- Screen time tracking and stats
- Streak tracking for habit building
- Multiple CatKey support
- Loop, Focus, and Contract modes
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CatNap helps you control your screen time by giving your cat (or dog) the keys to your phone. Create a CatKey, select your distracting apps, and switch to CatNap mode. If you want to use those distracting apps, you have to get up and take a picture of your pet. If you want to doomscroll, you're gonna have to pay the Cat Tax first. Doomscrolling is killing your productivity. You've tried willpower. Nothing sticks because bypassing a limit takes one tap. CatNap is different. When you want to open TikTok, Instagram, or any blocked app, you have to physically find your cat and scan them first. By the time you've gotten off the couch to find your pet, hopefully the urge to scroll has passed. And hey, you spend more time with your pets - everyone wins. HOW IT WORKS: You create a CatKey by scanning your pet's face. Then, you tell Evie, our Cat Mascot, which apps you want to block. When you try to open them, Evie will block them until pay the Cat Tax with a photo of your cat. Not just any cat (or dog) will work to unlock your apps. They have to be one your CatKeys! It's simple, it's fun, and it actually keeps you off your phone. Our cat coders reluctantly allowed dogs to use this app, but don't worry - despite it being called a CatKey, it still works for dogs! CATKEYS: CatNap uses image recognition to verify you've actually scanned your cat. You can collect as many as you want... just make sure you'll be able to find them again. Otherwise, you're going to have to commit Cat Tax Evasion with an Emergency Skip. More on those later... TRACK YOUR PROGRESS: Every time you pay the cat tax, we count the time you've spent in CatNap mode. Watch your screen time drop day by day. Build streaks and track hours saved. CatNap shows you exactly how much of your life you're reclaiming. CATNAP MODES: Loop - your apps are blocked by default and your cat only allows increments of screen time until your apps re-lock automatically Focus - session based app blocking Contract - session based app blocking with your friends as witnesses: remember when we mentioned Cat Tax Evasion? If you use an Emergency Skip, every cat on the block is going to hear about it immediately with a notification BLOCKING CAPABILITIES: Block any app: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, games, websites — you choose You can't fool our cat recognition Screen time tracking with daily and weekly stats Streak tracking to build better habits Multiple cats supported (enroll your whole clowder - tbh, we just learned what clowder meant while making this app lol) WE MADE CATNAP FOR: Anyone addicted to TikTok, Instagram, or social media People who've tried everything and nothing works Students who need to focus during study sessions Business owners losing hours to their phone Parents who want to model better screen habits Cat owners looking for an excuse to interact with their pet more Anyone doing a digital detox or dopamine reset THE CAT TAX PHILOSOPHY: We believe redirection works better than punishment. Instead of feeling guilty about phone use, CatNap turns the unlock into a fun moment. You get off your phone AND you hang out with your cat. That's a win-win. Pay the Cat Tax. Break the scroll. PREMIUM PLANS ($2.99/week, $7.99/month, $39.99/year or $24.99/year coupon, $99.99/lifetime): Unlimited app blocking Multiple CatKeys Full stats history with trends and insights By downloading this app, you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy: Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://trycatnap.com/privacy Support: https://www.format.partners/support Contact: hello@format.partners CatNap uses Apple's FamilyControls framework to block apps and Anthropic-powered image recognition to verify cat scans. This app is designed for personal screen time management — it's not a parental control solution. Use CatNap to break your phone addiction, build better habits, and spend more time with your cat.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Screen Time Control at 4.7 against Time Study Buddy's 3.0. Screen Time Control also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (18 vs 2). Time Study Buddy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Screen Time Control sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Time Study Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.
Screen Time Control holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Screen Time Control has 18 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Time Study Buddy's written reviews are positive against 80% of Screen Time Control's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Time Study Buddy ships an update every 4 months, Screen Time Control every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Time Study Buddy | Screen Time Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 4.7 (18 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 18 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fiscal Experts, Inc. | Format Partners LLC |
Customer experience
Time Study Buddy
Screen Time Control
In-app purchases
Time Study Buddy
No in-app purchases
Screen Time Control
- CatNap - Premium Weekly3 Days trial$2.997 Days
- CatNap - Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
- CatNap - Premium Annual Coupon$24.991 Year
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- CatNap - Premium Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- CatNap - Premium Lifetime$99.99
Questions
Is Time Study Buddy free?
Is Screen Time Control free?
Which has better reviews, Time Study Buddy or Screen Time Control?
Do Time Study Buddy or Screen Time Control have ads?
Which is updated more often, Time Study Buddy or Screen Time Control?
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