# Bonfire vs Study Guard

The clearest difference is monetization model: Bonfire at free with in-app purchases against Study Guard's subscription. Bonfire also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 28%). Study Guard's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bonfire sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Study Guard sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Study Guard holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Study Guard has 376 ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Bonfire's written reviews are positive against 28% of Study Guard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Bonfire ships an update every 6 weeks, Study Guard every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bonfire | Study Guard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonfire-screen-time-blocker/id6498787504/reviews) | **[4.6 (376 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-guard-study-and-focus/id6744607430/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 65 | **376** |
| Positive reviews | **62.5% of reviews** | 28.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 77 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Offbeat Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1694629081) | [Jason Mayo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1808403182) |

## What reviewers say

### Bonfire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonfire-screen-time-blocker/id6498787504)

This app helps reduce excessive phone usage and improve focus. It offers features like app blocking, real-time focus feedback, and progress tracking to enhance productivity and well-being. Manage your digital habits and build structured routines for a better quality of time spent on your device.

**Highlights:** App blocking, Focus reporting, Real-time focus score, Scheduled focus sessions, Digital habit management, Productivity enhancement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bonfire Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Bonfire Premium | $59.99 | per year |


### Study Guard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-guard-study-and-focus/id6744607430)

This app transforms social media habits into a learning tool. It uses flashcard mastery to unlock social media access, ensuring focused study sessions. Create custom flashcards or generate them automatically from notes and PDFs.

**Highlights:** Social media leverage for motivation, Flashcard accountability for phone access, Custom flashcard creation, AI flashcard generator from notes/PDFs, Social media blocking during study, Progress tracking and insights, Unlimited flashcard sets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Study Guard (Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Study Guard Plus | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Plan (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Study Guard Plus Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Study Guard (Yearly) | $34.99 | per year |
| Study Guard (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bonfire free?

Bonfire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Study Guard free?

Study Guard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bonfire or Study Guard?

Study Guard is rated higher. Bonfire averages 4.4 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Study Guard averages 4.6 from 376 ratings.

### Do Bonfire or Study Guard have ads?

Bonfire shows ads; Study Guard does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bonfire or Study Guard?

Bonfire ships an update every 6 weeks, and Study Guard every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bonfire was updated on October 10, 2026 and Study Guard on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*