ScreenZen vs Counting Journey
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.
Counting Journey
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Every count tells a story. Counting Journey is a personal and shared counting app for goals, challenges, rituals, research, classrooms, and everyday progress. It is not just another habit tracker. Instead of forcing your life into streaks and checkboxes, Counting Journey helps you track repeated actions while preserving the story behind each count. Create a journey for anything you want to measure: workouts, books, meditation, coffee, practice sessions, gratitude moments, reduction goals, group challenges, or long-term projects. PERSONAL JOURNEYS Track unlimited personal journeys. Keep a running total, use daily resets, set limits, reduce unwanted habits, add notes, attach photos or videos, and look back through your timeline to remember what happened and why it mattered. CIRCLES: COUNT TOGETHER A Circle is a shared journey. Invite people to participate, collaborate, and check in together. Perfect for families, friends, classrooms, teams, accountability groups, research projects, and community challenges. Participants can count progress and add notes. Audience members can follow along without changing the journey. This makes Circles useful for both active collaboration and simple observation. TIMELINE, NOTES, AND PROOF Numbers are more meaningful when they have context. Add notes, photos, or videos to record proof, reflections, memories, and small details that would otherwise disappear. Your timeline becomes the story behind the count. INSIGHTS WITHOUT THE SPREADSHEET FEEL See totals, check-ins, recent notes, activity patterns, group progress, contributor views, and simple dashboards that help you understand momentum without making the app feel cold or complicated. TEMPLATES TO START FAST Use personal and Circle templates when you need ideas: fitness challenges, classroom tracking, family goals, coffee leagues, photo-a-day projects, wellness routines, and more. Start quickly, then customize the journey your way. PRIVATE WHEN YOU NEED IT Keep personal journeys local, protect private cards with device authentication, choose what to share, and export your records when you need a copy. FREE AND MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS Solo is free and includes unlimited personal journeys, watching Circles, and limited participation in shared Circles. Guild and Community memberships unlock Circle creation, larger group capacities, Circle templates, cloud backup, video notes, and more shared-journey tools. Counting Journey is built for repetition with meaning: one count, one note, one journey at a time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://righteous-polyester-b24.notion.site/Counting-Journey-Terms-of-Use-Privacy-Policy-391618a3228580eeb1e2ea07f7e77f7b
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Counting Journey at every 4 days against ScreenZen's every 3 weeks. Counting Journey also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). ScreenZen's advantage is chart position (#150 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. ScreenZen sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Counting Journey sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ScreenZen ships an update every 3 weeks, Counting Journey every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ScreenZen | Counting Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (53K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 93.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 53K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #150 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 159 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | ScreenZen LLC | Jamyang Nima |
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
Counting Journey
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
Counting Journey
- Guild Monthly$2.991 Month
- Community Monthly$7.991 Month
- Guild Yearly$24.991 Year
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- Community Yearly$69.991 Year
Questions
Is ScreenZen free?
Is Counting Journey free?
Do ScreenZen or Counting Journey have ads?
Which is updated more often, ScreenZen or Counting Journey?
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