Comparison

Screen Freedom vs BePresent

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

Head to head
About

Screen Freedom

This app helps you reduce phone usage by partnering with a friend for accountability. Set screen time goals for specific apps, and they'll automatically block when you reach your limit. Your friend is notified if you try to break the goal, offering support or even the ability to deny your request.

Highlights
  • Partner accountability for screen time
  • Set app-specific time limits
  • Automatic app blocking
  • Friend notifications for goal breaks
  • Friend can deny requests to exceed limits
  • Track individual and partner streaks
  • View historical goal achievement data
Read full description

Have you ever tried to spend less time on your phone? There are so many solutions out there, but they all seem to rely on your discipline in one way or another. Although that can work for some, here at Screen Freedom we have an alternative solution: accountability! Screen Freedom allows you to partner with a friend and hold each other accountable for how much time you spend on your phones. Simply set a screen time goal, selecting the apps of your choice and choosing a daily time limit. Next, use those apps until you reach your limit, at which point they block. At this point, you can either go on living your life, adding a successful day to your screen time streak, or you can unblock your apps, at which point your friend will be notified of your decision and given the chance to reach out to you to offer support. You can also optionally give your friend the ability to deny your request to go over your goal! With Screen Freedom, you are no longer alone in your battle against the tech attempting to control your attention. Unlock the power of accountability and be amazed at how many hours you save! Key Features: - Partner with a friend, holding each other accountable for your screen time usage - Select a screen time goal, choosing what apps to track and your time limit on them - Automatically block your chosen apps when you reach your daily time limit - Notify your friend if you choose to break your daily screen time goal - Turn on accountability lock to allow your friend to accept or deny your request to exceed your screen time goal - Build your individual goal-achieved streak, as well as your cumulative streak with your partner - View your own and your partner's historical data of goal-achievement - Track your feelings at the time of breaking your screen time goal - Set downtime windows when your chosen apps are blocked regardless of how much time you have spent on them - Select apps that are always blocked regardless of whether you have reached your goal or not Note: Although data concerning whether you successfully achieved your goal is saved in the cloud to share with your partner, all specific app-usage data remains securely on your device. We take privacy very seriously and would not risk sensitive data such as this. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

BePresent

This app helps you reduce screen time through app blocking, gamification, and real-life rewards. It offers individual and group sessions, goal setting with monetary stakes, and leaderboards to motivate mindful phone habits. Earn points redeemable for wellness-focused rewards like meditation subscriptions and workout classes.

Highlights
  • App blocking sessions (individual, group, BEAST MODE)
  • Set daily goals and build streaks with monetary stakes
  • Compete on weekly leaderboards with friends
  • Earn real-life rewards for limiting screen time
  • Hourly scrolling awareness reminders
  • Time tracking and daily reports
  • Improve overall well-being by reducing screen time
Features
Read full description

BePresent is the #1 app to control your screen time and supercharge your productivity, mental health, and quality of life. Experience life beyond the screen as you reclaim Your Time and earn rewards that improve your life with BePresent! 25 years. That’s the average time you will spend on your phone. With a combination of app blocking, gamification, social competition with friends, and real-life rewards, you will reclaim YEARS of your life like thousands of BePresent members already have. We know you’ve tried to solve this problem before. But we’re not like other screen time apps. ▶ WHAT USERS ARE CELEBRATING ◀ • “I was able to go from 7+ hours per day to less than 2 hours! 10/10 would recommend” - Andrew M. • “FINALLY an app that actually curbs my screen addiction instead of time limits that I just ignore!” - Gina V. • “I’ve tried everything but nothing has worked. I almost gave up before I used BePresent! Thank god I tried it as I’ve reduced my screen time by over 3 hours a day!” - Jack W. Download now to experience life to the fullest. Instead of annoying app blockers or time limits, BePresent makes it fun and easy to stay off your phone. ▶ FEATURES ◀ [ BePresent App Blocking Sessions - Individual, Group, & BEAST MODE ] • Dive into Present Sessions! Dedicate breaks from screens, whether it's a focused study session or a no-phone night out. Team up with friends for Group Sessions and joint tech time-outs. Share updates, cheer, and keep one another accountable—all from within the app. Need a stringent break? Enter BEAST MODE, ensuring unwavering commitment [ Set Daily Goals and Build Your Streak ] • Choose your digital boundaries. Maintain your streak by sticking to set screen time limits. Back your commitment with a monetary stake — overshoot, and that stake's gone. Customize reminders and design your journey to digital well-being. [ Compete on Weekly Leaderboards and Challenge Your Friends] • Show off your productivity prowess by competing against others on weekly leaderboards. Advance tiers so you’ll feel like a productivity superhero every day. Practicing mindful phone habits has never been so motivating and rewarding! [ Earn Real-Life Rewards ] • The ultimate motivation - earn points you can redeem for real-life rewards by limiting your screen time. Best of all, your rewards will also improve your life. Learn to meditate with a premium Headspace subscription. Redeem free workout classes with ClassPass. Schedule discounted therapy sessions with BetterHelp. Earn these rewards and more all by staying off your phone. [ Never Doomscroll Again ] • Set hourly scrolling awareness reminders so you never lose track of time doomscrolling again [ Time Tracking & Daily Reports ] • Measure the moments you're truly present. Access daily and weekly breakdowns, complemented by a comprehensive day-before report, amplifying your adherence to reality. [ Improve Your Well-Being ] • By reducing screen time, you'll improve your overall well-being and gain access to educational content that explains how reducing screen time can benefit you in multiple ways. Learn how to manage ADHD better, improve your mental health, and be more present with your loved ones, all while improving your sleep and becoming less distracted. [ Complete Privacy and Data Security ] • Data dignity, delivered. All of your data is private and safe with Apple’s Screen Time API. We do not have access to any specific content you access on your iPhone, and none of your personal data ever leaves your device. ▶ WE'RE HERE FOR EVERY QUERY ◀ Questions or feedback? Reach us at https://www.getpresentapp.com/ or shoot an email at contact@getpresentapp.com. Let's journey to mindful tech use together. Note: All rewards are sponsored by BePresent and our partners. Apple does not sponsor any of the in-app rewards. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.getpresentapp.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Screen Freedom4 screens
BePresent4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Screen Freedom at none against BePresent's 10. Screen Freedom also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 69%). BePresent's advantage is ratings volume (72K vs 7) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. BePresent sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Screen Freedom asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Screen Freedom holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BePresent has 72K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Screen Freedom's written reviews are positive against 69% of BePresent's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Screen Freedom ships an update every 3 weeks, BePresent every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Screen Freedom versus BePresent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreen FreedomBePresent
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (7 ratings) — better4.8 (72K ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better68.7% of reviews
Number of ratings772K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#49 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB107 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEmancipas, LLCScreen Detox Inc

Customer experience

Screen Freedom

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

BePresent

All ratings71,784 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.3%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews4,024 reviews
Positive68.7%
Neutral6.3%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Screen Freedom

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

BePresent

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Freezing and crashing issues
  • Inaccurate screen time reporting
  • Inability to restore purchases
  • Persistent app blocking even after uninstallation
  • Setup process getting stuck on permissions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow selective app blocking
  • Exclude certain apps from screen time tracking
  • More customization options for notifications
  • Expand to iPad and other devices
  • Improve overall stability and reliability

In-app purchases

None

Screen Freedom

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

BePresent

Subscriptions10
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Monthly (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Annual (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$24.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • BePresent Pro (Annual)$24.991 Year
  • BePresent Pro (Annual)$29.991 Year
  • Annual (3-Day Free Trial)3 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Annual (30-day Trial)1 Month trial$59.991 Year
  • Annual (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Annual (2-week Free Trial)14 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • BePresent Pro Family (iCloud)7 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Screen Freedom free?
Screen Freedom is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BePresent free?
BePresent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Screen Freedom or BePresent?
Screen Freedom is rated higher. Screen Freedom averages 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while BePresent averages 4.8 from 72K ratings.
Do Screen Freedom or BePresent have ads?
BePresent shows ads; Screen Freedom does not.
Which is updated more often, Screen Freedom or BePresent?
Screen Freedom ships an update every 3 weeks, and BePresent every 5 days. Most recently, Screen Freedom was updated on November 12, 2026 and BePresent on November 14, 2026.

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