Barrier vs ScrollBudget
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 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.
- Block social media apps
- Limit app access
- Promote healthier digital habits
- Incentivize reduced scrolling
- Digital wellness assistant
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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!
ScrollBudget
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ScrollBudget is a Safari extension that sets a daily budget for Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts in the browser. It adds a floating counter displaying the budget while on the page, building awareness and helping you make intentional choices. The budget recovers dynamically. When you hit zero, recovery is frozen for 48h. This creates an incentive to stop before depletion, turning mindless scrolling into a conscious decision.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: ScrollBudget at none against Barrier's shown. ScrollBudget also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Barrier | ScrollBudget |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (343 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 343 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | — |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Haplo, LLC | Lasse von der Heydt |
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
ScrollBudget
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Barrier
No in-app purchases
ScrollBudget
No in-app purchases
