# Nereus vs Normal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nereus at none against Normal's 9. Nereus also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Normal's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (39 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Normal sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.00 per month. Nereus asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Nereus against 4.9 for Normal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Normal has 39 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Nereus ships an update every 2 months, Normal every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nereus | Normal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nereus-deep-work/id6642642941/reviews)** | [4.9 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/normal-screen-time-control/id6768861415/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **39** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 16 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Balkan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1738281624) | [Normal Engineering Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896611331) |

## What reviewers say

### Nereus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nereus-deep-work/id6642642941)

This app helps you focus by blocking distracting applications on your iPhone during dedicated work sessions. It syncs with a desktop application to automatically lock down your phone, allowing you to choose which apps to block and stay productive.

**Highlights:** Blocks distracting apps, Deep Work mode, Cross-device sync, QR code pairing, Customizable app blocking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Normal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/normal-screen-time-control/id6768861415)

This app helps you reduce phone usage by blocking selected applications by default. To access blocked apps, you must physically scan an NFC tag, QR code, or barcode, or be at a specific location. It offers granular control, timed unblocks, and scheduling to help you regain control of your screen time.

**Highlights:** Block apps via NFC, QR codes, and barcodes, Use any NFC tag, QR code, or barcode, Unblock/block specific apps, Timed unblocks, Scheduling, Granular control, Bypass prevention options

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Support | $5.00 | per month |
| Monthly Support | $10.00 | per month |
| Monthly Support | $20.00 | per month |
| One-time Donation | $5.00 | one-time |
| One-time Donation | $10.00 | one-time |
| One-time Donation | $20.00 | one-time |
| One-time Donation | $50.00 | one-time |
| One-time Donation | $100.00 | one-time |
| One-time Donation | $200.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nereus free?

Nereus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Normal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nereus or Normal?

Nereus is rated higher. Nereus averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Normal averages 4.9 from 39 ratings.

### Do Nereus or Normal have ads?

Neither Nereus nor Normal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nereus or Normal?

Nereus ships an update every 2 months, and Normal every 2 days. Most recently, Nereus was updated on October 2, 2026 and Normal on October 15, 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.*