Screen Time Control vs Smart Focus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Screen Time Control
This app helps you build better focus habits by scheduling app blocking and managing screen time. It offers scheduled blocking, manual focus sessions, and usage insights to eliminate distractions and improve productivity.
- Scheduled app blocking
- Manual focus sessions
- Smart notifications
- Usage insights
- Privacy-focused design
- Apple Screen Time framework integration
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Anchor: Work Smarter, Scroll Less Build better focus habits with scheduled app blocking and intentional screen time Stay Grounded Welcome to Anchor — a focused productivity tool built on Apple's Screen Time framework. Anchor helps you eliminate distractions by blocking apps on a schedule, so you can show up fully for work, study, and the moments that matter. Scheduled Blocking Set recurring focus schedules for any day of the week. Choose the apps and categories you want blocked, pick your hours, and let Anchor handle the rest — automatically, every day. Manual Focus Sessions Need to focus right now? Start an instant focus session in one tap. Select your distracting apps and lock them out for as long as you need. Smart Notifications Get reminded before a focus session starts and notified when it ends, so you can prepare, transition, and stay in control of your time. Usage Insights See a clear breakdown of your screen time, app usage, and pickups. Understand your habits so you can make smarter decisions about where your attention goes. Simple & Private Anchor is designed to be fast, clean, and easy to use. All blocking is powered by Apple's Screen Time API — your usage data never leaves your device. Unlock the complete AppShield experience with Anchor Pro. Choose from three convenient auto-renewable subscription options: - Weekly - Monthly - Lifetime Subscription Details: - Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at the time of purchase confirmation. - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, identifying the cost of the renewal. - Manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. - Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited upon purchasing a subscription, where applicable. Privacy Policy: https://caseadri.com/appshield/privacypolicy.html Terms & Conditions: https://caseadri.com/appshield/termsandconditions.html Support: appshield-support@caseadri.com
Smart Focus
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THE RIGHT FOCUS MODE FOR EVERY SITUATION Focus modes let your iPhone adapt to different parts of your life. You may use Work to silence personal distractions, Personal to hide professional notifications, Holiday to disconnect from work, or Sleep to reduce interruptions at night. But the automation options built into iOS may not be flexible enough for every schedule. Smart Focus adds the missing logic. AUTOMATICALLY CHOOSE THE RIGHT FOCUS MODE Smart Focus determines which Focus mode should be activated based on your configuration, including: - working and non-working days; - working hours; - wake-up and bedtime schedules; - ongoing calendar events; - accepted or tentative meetings; - all-day events; - keywords found in event titles; - public holidays from a dedicated calendar; - custom exclusion keywords. FLEXIBLE AND FULLY CONFIGURABLE Choose which Focus modes you want to use and enter their exact names as configured on your iPhone. You can configure modes such as: - Do Not Disturb; - Work; - Personal; - Holiday; - Sleep; - or no active Focus mode. You can also define different schedules for working days and non-working days. WORKS WITH APPLE SHORTCUTS For privacy and security reasons, third-party apps cannot directly change the active Focus mode. Smart Focus determines the appropriate mode, then Apple Shortcuts applies it automatically. A ready-to-use shortcut template is available from the support page, or you can create your own automation. PRIVACY-FOCUSED Your configuration and calendar information are processed on your device. Smart Focus does not require an account and does not upload your calendar content to an external server. TRY IT FREE Smart Focus can be used free for 30 days. After the trial period, you can choose: - a monthly subscription; - a yearly subscription; - or a one-time lifetime purchase. An additional trial period may be available when starting a subscription. The standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA) apply: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://stilltrue.hsd.me/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Smart Focus at every 10 days against Screen Time Control's every 5 months. On price, ads, 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. Screen Time Control sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Smart Focus sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Screen Time Control ships an update every 5 months, Smart Focus every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on July 9, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Screen Time Control | Smart Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Stephen Fung | Stephane DEFAYE |
In-app purchases
Screen Time Control
- Weekly$3.997 Days
- Monthly$9.991 Month
- Lifetime$29.99
Smart Focus
- Smart Focus3 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Smart Focus7 Days trial$1.991 Year
- Smart Focus (Lifetime)$3.99
Questions
Is Screen Time Control free?
Is Smart Focus free?
Do Screen Time Control or Smart Focus have ads?
Which is updated more often, Screen Time Control or Smart Focus?
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