BePresent vs Emberglow
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BePresent
This app helps you regain control of your screen time through app blocking, gamified challenges, and real-life rewards. It encourages users to reduce phone usage, improve productivity, and enhance mental well-being by making digital detox engaging and beneficial.
- App Blocking Sessions (Individual, Group, BEAST MODE)
- Set Daily Goals and Build Streaks
- Monetary Stakes for Commitment
- Weekly Leaderboards and Friend Challenges
- Earn Real-Life Rewards (e.g., subscriptions, classes)
- Hourly Scrolling Awareness Reminders
- Time Tracking and Daily Reports
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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
Emberglow
This app transforms screen breaks into an RPG adventure. Lock your phone to send your hero on quests, and return to discover unfolding stories and rewards. It encourages reducing screen time and reconnecting with real life.
- Digital detox RPG
- Progress happens offline
- Mindful design, no ads
- Branching storylines
- Co-op quests
- Reflection journal
- Screen time control
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Put down your phone and watch your hero rise. Emberglow turns screen breaks into epic adventures. Lock your phone, send your hero on a quest, and return to discover the unfolding story of Vaedros. The less you use your phone, the more present you become in your own life, and the more your hero grows. Reduce screen time, break phone addiction, and enjoy real life with a digital detox RPG. THE ONLY GAME THAT REWARDS YOU FOR NOT PLAYING IT Your hero’s journey unfolds only when you’re off-screen. Lock your phone and step away. Your character continues their path through the hand-painted realm of Vaedros. When you return, you’ll find new story chapters, choices, and rewards. In this way it’s not punishment for using your phone. Instead, it’s a calm invitation to reduce screen time and reconnect with real life. A DIFFERENT KIND OF FOCUS GAME While other screen time apps track minutes, emberglow rewards stillness. Each quest becomes a mindful ritual where you get a moment to pause, breathe, and regain digital wellbeing. Perfect for study sessions, procrastination problems, creative breaks, or whenever you need to manage screen time without pressure. A QUEST FOR MENTAL CLARITY & DIGITAL WELLBEING Explore atmospheric tales that mirror your inner balance. Choose how your story unfolds and reflect on your progress. These moments of stillness become powerful tools for self-care, focus, and calm. And this makes emberglow ideal for players seeking therapeutic games or calm games for anxiety and phone addiction. EMBERGLOW GAME FEATURES: · Digital detox RPG: progress only happens while offline · Mindful design: no ads, no distractions, only reflection · Branching storylines: every quest and choice shapes your journey · Co-op quests: take a screen break together with a friend · Reflection journal: optional post-quest journaling for mental clarity · Screen time control: gently limit use without guilt or judgment · Narrated chapters: immersive storytelling and guided calm · Dopamine detox loop: the longer you stay off, the stronger you grow WHY EMBERGLOW If you’ve ever felt trapped in: • Doomscrolling that drains your focus • Phone addiction that steals your time • Screen fatigue that clouds your mind In short: emberglow offers a better path to digital detox. Here it’s not about restriction, it’s about reconnection. Play emberglow if you want to: ► Build lasting focus and productivity for work ► Restore your digital wellbeing ► Find calm, balance, and space to breathe Go offline, not astray. Discover your calm, restore your focus, and let your story unfold in the only screen break game that rewards peace, not punishment. Play emberglow for FREE. Terms of Service: https://www.emberglowapp.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: BePresent at 69% against Emberglow's 0%. BePresent also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (71K vs 4). Emberglow's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, 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
Both are free to download. BePresent sells 23 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Emberglow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
BePresent holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BePresent has 71K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of BePresent's written reviews are positive against 0% of Emberglow's.
BePresent ships an update every 5 days, Emberglow every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BePresent | Emberglow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (71K ratings) — better | 4.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 68.6% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 71K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #24 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 106 MB | 84 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Screen Detox Inc | Vaedros Software |
Customer experience
BePresent
Emberglow
Bugs and 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
Emberglow
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BePresent
- Monthly$3.991 Month
- Monthly (Mid Tier)$6.991 Month
- Monthly (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$6.991 Month
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- Monthly (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Monthly (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$14.991 Month
- Annual$24.991 Year
- Annual (Mid Tier)$24.991 Year
- Annual (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- BePresent Pro (Annual)$24.991 Year
- Free Trial for BePresent Pro7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Monthly (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$24.991 Month
- BePresent Pro (Annual)$29.991 Year
- BePresent Pro Family$39.991 Year
- Annual (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Annual (High Tier)$44.991 Year
- Annual (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- BePresent Family7 Days trial$59.991 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
- Annual (1-Week Free Trial)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Emberglow
- unQuest Circle Monthly$3.991 Month
- unQuest Circle Annual$29.991 Year
- unQuest Circle Lifetime Access$79.99









