Comparison

Shadow vs Nepsis

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

Head to head
About

Shadow

This app helps you block distracting applications on your iOS device to improve focus and productivity. It offers a "Safe Zone" for uninterrupted work and robust parental controls to manage children's screen time. Your settings are protected with Face ID and passcode.

Highlights
  • Block distracting iOS applications
  • Create a "Safe Zone" for focused work
  • Parental controls for screen time management
  • Face ID and passcode protection
  • Develop good habits
Features
Read full description

Shadow is a powerful iOS app blocker designed to help you break social media addiction, focus on deep work, and actually get things done. Set your limits, lock away distracting apps, and instantly drop your screen time. Core Features: • Block Distractions Instantly: Restrict access to social media, addictive games, and endless scrolling with strict Screen Time limits. • Create Your ‘Safe Zone’: Need to study or work? Whitelist only the essential apps you need and lock the rest away for deep, uninterrupted focus. • Strict Mode (Face ID Lock): Prevent yourself from cheating. Lock your blocking settings behind Face ID or a passcode so you stay fully committed to your digital detox. • Parental Controls: Easily set screen time limits and block specific apps to ensure a healthy digital balance for your kids. Who is Shadow For? • Students: Lock your phone during study sessions and prep for exams without TikTok or Instagram breaking your focus. • Professionals & ADHD: Create uninterrupted blocks of deep work and reclaim hours of lost productivity. • Parents: Guide and protect your child’s digital habits with foolproof app restrictions. Say goodbye to endless doomscrolling. Download Shadow today and experience the transformative impact of a focused, mindful lifestyle. Privacy Policy: https://goldencanal.nl/#privacypolicy Terms Of Use: https://goldencanal.nl/#termsofuse

About

Nepsis

Features
Read full description

NEPSIS — SELF-CONTROL, NOT SELF-DECEPTION You already know what pulls you away from your day: the feed you didn't mean to open, the "just five minutes" that becomes forty. Nepsis helps you block it — using Apple Screen Time to enforce rules you set for yourself. This isn't a parental control app. There's no monitoring, no family sharing, no dashboard for someone else to check. Nepsis is built for one person: you, versus your own impulses. HOW IT WORKS Nepsis uses Apple Screen Time to actually restrict access to the apps and categories you choose — not just track them. Grant Screen Time permission once, then set your rules. THREE WAYS TO BLOCK - Just Block — flip a switch and block chosen apps right now, on demand. - Daily Limits — allow a set amount of time per app or category, then block once you hit it. - Focus Schedules — automatically block during windows you define: work hours, sleep, deep focus, mornings, whatever your day needs. FRICTION THAT ACTUALLY WORKS Timers are easy to ignore. So when you try to pause, disable, or weaken a rule, Nepsis can ask you to earn it first: - Physical challenges — shake your phone, do squats or push-ups - Mindful challenges — a breathing exercise, a calm-down pause, a mirror check - Cognitive challenges — type a phrase, solve simple math - Reflective challenges — speak a short justification out loud FOUR PROTECTION LEVELS Choose how hard it should be to talk yourself out of your own rules: Easy → Focused → Committed → Strict (a passcode is required to turn off, edit, or weaken any rule) The stricter the level, the harder it is for future-you to undo what present-you decided. SEE YOUR PROGRESS Weekly reports and a simple focus score show your habits over time — how often you followed your rules, where you slipped, and how your patterns shift week to week. It's a lightweight companion to your discipline, not a full analytics suite. MINDFUL OPEN Add a short pause or challenge before opening a specific app, anywhere on your phone, using Shortcuts — a moment of friction right when you need it most. MAKE IT YOURS Customize how your block screen looks, so the moment you're stopped feels like your own reminder, not a generic system alert. NEPSIS PREMIUM Core features require a Nepsis Premium subscription to unlock fully. Pricing and terms are shown in the app and on the App Store before you subscribe. PRIVACY No Nepsis account or login is required to get started. Your usage insights and focus events are processed on your device. If you're signed into iCloud, your rules and block-screen look settings can sync across your own devices — the specific apps you've selected are not synced, so you'll reselect them on a new device. Subscription status is handled through Apple, not a Nepsis account. Nepsis works with Apple Screen Time to enforce rules you create; it doesn't replace or duplicate Apple's own Screen Time settings. Nepsis is designed for adults managing their own device and their own habits. It is not intended for monitoring another person's device or for parental or family control. Terms of Use: https://nepsisapp.site/terms/

Screenshots

Shadow4 screens
Nepsis4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Nepsis at none against Shadow's shown. Shadow's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shadow sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Nepsis sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Shadow versus Nepsis: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowNepsis
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (113 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings113 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better18
Further details — not scored
Size124 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdish PadhaniNartai Aitmukashev

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Shadow

Subscriptions9
  • Weekly Subscription$1.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription Trial7 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Monthly Subscription Trial7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription Discount$6.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription Discount$9.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription Discount$17.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription$34.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription With Trial7 Days trial$34.991 Year
3 purchases

Nepsis

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Shadow free?
Shadow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nepsis free?
Nepsis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shadow or Nepsis have ads?
Shadow shows ads; Nepsis does not.

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