Barrier vs Screen Time Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Barrier
This app helps you break free from social media distractions by limiting access to your favorite apps. It introduces intentional delays or ad-watching requirements before you can open them, encouraging healthier digital habits and increased productivity.
- Blocks social media apps
- Introduces ad-watching or wait times
- Promotes healthier digital habits
- Digital wellness assistant
- Reduces mindless scrolling
- Increases productivity
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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!
Screen Time Tracker
This app helps you reduce unproductive screen time by blocking distracting apps and websites. It provides visual charts of your usage and allows you to filter out essential productive applications. Keep your data private and track your progress over time.
- Block unproductive apps and websites
- Filter productive apps
- Visualize screen time with charts
- Track usage progress
- See app time consumption
- Private data storage
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Your new screen time companion to stop using unproductive apps and block distracting websites. Completely free with no ads or in-app purchases. KEY FEATURES Some apps are productive! Filter them out to help you decrease your unproductive screen time. Apple’s default app blocker is too easy to override! Choose apps and websites to block completely. Visualise your screen time on beautiful, interactive charts. Review your screen time usage progress over last four weeks. See exactly which apps consume your time. All your screen time data is kept completely private and only visible to you - not even the developer. PERFECT FOR STUDENTS - Allow productive study apps and block entertainment and social media PROFESSIONALS - track your work vs personal device usage ANYONE who wants to decrease the amount of time they spend on their device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Barrier at 4.7 against Screen Time Tracker's 3.9. Barrier also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Screen Time Tracker's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). On price, ratings volume, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Barrier holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 346 and 154 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Barrier's written reviews are positive against 100% of Screen Time Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Barrier ships an update fortnightly, Screen Time Tracker every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Barrier | Screen Time Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (346 ratings) — better | 3.9 (154 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 346 — better | 154 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Haplo, LLC | Jack Finnis |
Customer experience
Barrier
Screen Time Tracker
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
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- 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
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- 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 Tracker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Barrier
No in-app purchases
Screen Time Tracker
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Barrier free?
Is Screen Time Tracker free?
Which has better reviews, Barrier or Screen Time Tracker?
Do Barrier or Screen Time Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Barrier or Screen Time Tracker?
Other comparisons
