ScreenZen vs Screen Time Control
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ScreenZen
This app offers multiple strategies to help you reduce screen time and control app usage. Features include delayed app opening, timed scrolling interruptions, and customizable app limits. It also provides options for strict blocking, settings protection, and encourages mindful breaks.
- Delayed app opening
- Scrolling interruption
- Set app goals and limits
- Configurable daily schedules
- Strict app blocking
- Screen time tracking for distracting apps
- Settings protection locks
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Multiple strategies to reduce your screentime 1. Delay before opening your app: A bit of time before choosing if you need to open your distracting app. You can have the wait time increase each time you open your app. 2. Interrupt your scrolling: Check your distracting apps for short periods of time so you don't get sucked in. 3. Set an app goal and optionally block when you reach your limit. 4. Configurable for different days of the week and time by app. 5. Messages like "Is this important" before opening your app. 6. See your screen time for only your distracting apps. Don't worry about Google Maps bloating up your time. 7. Strict block your apps: Either for time ranges, after a certain number of opens or ScreenTime. 8. Locks on Settings to prevent you from changing your settings when you want to open an app. 9. Breathing and other activities to encourage you not to need to open the app while waiting for it to unlock. 10. Streaks to encourage you not to exceed your limits or override your settings.
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 ratings volume: ScreenZen at 50K against Screen Time Control's 18. ScreenZen also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (93% vs 80%). 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
Both are free to download. ScreenZen sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Screen Time Control sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ScreenZen holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ScreenZen has 50K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of ScreenZen's written reviews are positive against 80% of Screen Time Control's.
ScreenZen ships an update every 3 weeks, Screen Time Control every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ScreenZen | Screen Time Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (50K ratings) — better | 4.7 (18 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 93.4% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 50K — better | 18 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #174 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 159 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ScreenZen LLC | Format Partners LLC |
Customer experience
ScreenZen
Screen Time Control
Bugs and requests
ScreenZen
Reported bugs
3 issues- Unlock button not working as expected
- App stops working after some time
- Compatibility issues with iOS 16 update
Requested features
4 requests- Add more customization options
- Integrate with productivity/to-do apps
- Add more pause/break options
- Improve website blocking functionality
Screen Time Control
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ScreenZen
- Kind Tip$5.00
- Generous Tip$10.00
- Amazing Tip$20.00
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- Fantastic Tip$40.00
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









