Comparison

ScreenZen vs Hobby Blocks

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Hobby Blocks

Visualize and track time spent on your hobbies with dynamic blocks that grow as you invest more time. Log activities quickly with presets or timers and gain insights into your patterns without judgment.

Highlights
  • Dynamic block visualization
  • Quick time logging presets
  • Smart timers with pause/resume
  • Activity heatmap
  • Streak tracking
  • Flexible time filters
Features
Read full description

Track and visualize time spent on your hobbies. Hobby Blocks transforms the way you track your hobbies with a stunning visual approach that makes logging time effortless and insights instantly clear. Watch your passions come to life as dynamic, growing blocks — the more time you invest, the bigger they become. SEE YOUR TIME COME ALIVE Your home screen is a living treemap of your hobbies. Each activity is represented by a colorful block that grows and shrinks based on how much time you've invested. At a glance, you'll know exactly where your hours are going — no spreadsheets, no complicated charts, just beautiful, intuitive visualization. LOG IN SECONDS, NOT MINUTES We believe tracking should never get in the way of doing. That's why Hobby Blocks offers multiple lightning-fast ways to log your time: * Quick Presets — Tap once to log 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, or custom durations you set yourself * Smart Timers — Start a timer and forget about it. Pause, resume, or run multiple timers simultaneously * One-Tap Logging — Add time directly from any hobby block on your home screen INSIGHTS THAT INSPIRE (NOT GUILT) Discover meaningful patterns in your hobby life without judgment: * Activity Grid — A beautiful year-at-a-glance heatmap shows your consistency over time * Streak Tracking — See how many days in a row you've practiced your craft * Smart Stats — Total time, session counts, averages, and your longest sessions * Flexible Time Filters — View your progress by day, week, month, or year

Screenshots

ScreenZen4 screens
Hobby Blocks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hobby Blocks at none against ScreenZen's 4. ScreenZen's advantage is ratings volume (50K vs 2) and chart position (#162 vs unranked). On price, rating and ads 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. ScreenZen sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Hobby Blocks asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ScreenZen against 5.0 for Hobby Blocks. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ScreenZen has 50K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
ScreenZen versus Hobby Blocks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreenZenHobby Blocks
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (50K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews93.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings50K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#162 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size159 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScreenZen LLCCameron Nazemi

Customer experience

ScreenZen

All ratings50,446 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews6,761 reviews
Positive93.4%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.9%

Hobby Blocks

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Hobby Blocks

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

ScreenZen

One-time4
  • Kind Tip$5.00
  • Generous Tip$10.00
  • Amazing Tip$20.00
Show 1 more
  • Fantastic Tip$40.00
None

Hobby Blocks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ScreenZen free?
ScreenZen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hobby Blocks free?
Hobby Blocks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ScreenZen or Hobby Blocks?
Hobby Blocks is rated higher. ScreenZen averages 4.9 out of 5 from 50K ratings, while Hobby Blocks averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do ScreenZen or Hobby Blocks have ads?
Neither ScreenZen nor Hobby Blocks shows ads.

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