Comparison

Barrier vs Screen Time Buddy

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

Head to head
About

Barrier

This app helps you break free from social media distractions by blocking access to social apps. It encourages healthier digital habits by requiring users to watch an ad or wait before accessing them, promoting mindful usage and digital wellness.

Highlights
  • Block social media apps
  • Limit app access
  • Promote healthier digital habits
  • Incentivize reduced scrolling
  • Digital wellness assistant
Features
Read full description

Are you tired of wasting precious hours scrolling through social media apps? Do you want to break free from the cycle of constant distractions? Barrier is here to help. Our app acts as a blocker for social media apps, limiting your access and promoting healthier digital habits. With Barrier, you can only open your social media apps if you watch an ad or wait our 30 second load times, creating an incentive to reduce the amount of time you spend scrolling mindlessly. But Barrier is more than just a blocker. It's a digital wellness assistant, helping you take control of your digital life Don't let social media control your life. Take back control with Barrier!

About

Screen Time Buddy

This app transforms reducing screen time into a fun, game-like experience. It uses app limits, friend accountability, and character progression to help users regain control of their phone usage and improve focus.

Highlights
  • Gamified screen time reduction
  • App limits and blocking
  • Friend accountability system
  • Character progression and evolution
  • Weekly leaderboards
  • Focus and productivity improvement
Features
Read full description

Spending too much time scrolling? Same. Screen Time Buddy turns cutting back into a game you actually want to play -- with friends who keep you honest (and roast you when you slip). 5 to 6 hours. That's how long most of us burn on our phones every day. Not learning something new. Just... scrolling. Screen Time Buddy gives you app limits, friend accountability, character progression, leaderboards, and a coin system that makes putting your phone down feel like winning. Real People, Real Results "Cut my screen time from 6 hours to 2.5 in one week. Game changer." -- Sarah K. "Finally an app that works instead of just nagging me." -- Mike T. "The buddy system is genius. My friends keep me accountable." -- Jess L. "Went from Sloth to Eagle in two weeks." -- Ryan M. Why Screen Time Buddy Works You've tried other screen time apps. They lectured. They nagged. They made you feel bad. Then you deleted them. Screen Time Buddy is different. It's fun. It's social. And it sticks. Your Daily Character Every day, you earn a character based on your screen time. Under 1.5 hours? You're an Eagle. Hit 3 hours? A clever Fox. Panda at 4 hours. Sloth at 5. Which one are you today? Buddy-Powered Accountability Set limits on the apps that steal your time. Hit your limit and they're locked. Need more time? Ask a friend -- they have to approve it. No sneaking. No bypassing. Just real accountability. Climb the Leaderboard See where you rank among your crew. Weekly leaderboards, coins, and friendly competition to keep you motivated. The Results - 92% feel less distracted - 89% report better focus and productivity - 86% say they sleep better What that looks like: more focus at work, better sleep, less "I wasted my whole day" guilt, and actually being present with people you care about. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.powermate.app/privacy-policy Terms & Conditions: https://www.powermate.app/terms-and-conditions Premium Plans Monthly: $59.99 -- Full access with a free first week Yearly: $24.99 -- Full access for 12 months (Save 96%!) Auto-renewing subscriptions. Cancel anytime in your account settings. Payment charged to your Apple Account at purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.

Screenshots

Barrier4 screens
Screen Time Buddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barrier at none against Screen Time Buddy's 2. Barrier also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 50%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, ads, 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. Screen Time Buddy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Barrier asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Barrier holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Barrier has 343 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Barrier's written reviews are positive against 50% of Screen Time Buddy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barrier ships an update fortnightly, Screen Time Buddy monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Barrier versus Screen Time Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarrierScreen Time Buddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (343 ratings) — better4.3 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews80.3% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings343 — better10
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB106 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHaplo, LLCPower Insights Company

Customer experience

Barrier

All ratings308 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive80.3%
Neutral10.6%
Negative9.1%

Screen Time Buddy

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Barrier

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Blocking does not work at correct times or remains blocked at incorrect times
  • Blocking stops working after a while
  • Apps remain unlocked after unlocking
  • Streak keeps breaking for no reason
  • Custom schedule does not unlock when it's supposed to
Show 9 more
  • Last iOS release caused issues with re-locking after unlocking
  • Timer resets but apps remain unlocked after unlocking
  • Instagram and TikTok not always blocked
  • App stops working after a few days, requires re-download
  • Editing screen for blocked apps crashes sometimes
  • Custom schedule setting does not work for overnight blocking (end time before start time)
  • Does not unlock apps half the time after watching an ad
  • Cannot make edits to timer or unlock time
  • Cannot unlock apps without reinstalling after deleting the app before unlocking

Requested features

7 requests
  • Ability to set different apps to lock during different times
  • More flexibility in setting multiple check-in times
  • Option to customize the duration after watching an ad
  • Fix for custom schedule not working for overnight blocking
  • Option to have a daily time limit per app
Show 2 more
  • Ability to set a certain amount of time per day and then block apps
  • Update to end the 10-minute screentime after the ad finishes

Screen Time Buddy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Barrier

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Screen Time Buddy

Subscriptions2
  • Powermate Pro monthly3 Days trial$24.991 Month
  • Screen Time Buddy Pro Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Barrier free?
Barrier is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Screen Time Buddy free?
Screen Time Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Barrier or Screen Time Buddy?
Barrier is rated higher. Barrier averages 4.7 out of 5 from 343 ratings, while Screen Time Buddy averages 4.3 from 10 ratings.
Do Barrier or Screen Time Buddy have ads?
Both Barrier and Screen Time Buddy show ads.
Which is updated more often, Barrier or Screen Time Buddy?
Barrier ships an update fortnightly, and Screen Time Buddy monthly. Most recently, Barrier was updated on October 27, 2026 and Screen Time Buddy on October 24, 2026.

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