Friend Controls vs Grip
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Friend Controls
This app helps you manage your screen time by setting daily limits for app usage. When you reach your limit, friends can approve or deny your requests for additional time, putting accountability in their hands.
- Set time limits for apps
- Schedule app block-out times
- Request extra screen time from friends
- Approve or deny time requests with messages
- Monitor screen time reduction
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Friend Controls is the screen time app that actually works. Set your daily limits, and when time runs out, your real friends decide if you get more. No algorithms. No willpower tricks. Just real social accountability. Unlike every other screen time app you have tried, Friend Controls puts your friends in charge. The result? Users reduce screen time by an average of 60%. HOW IT WORKS 1. Download and choose which apps you want to limit. 2. Set your daily screen time for each app. 3. Invite friends to be your buddies. 4. When your time runs out, the app locks. Want more? Send a request to your friends. 5. Your friends see your request and decide: approve or deny. No mercy required. That is it. Simple, social, and surprisingly effective. KEY FEATURES App Blocking That Works: Choose any app on your phone to restrict. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, games, dating apps, or anything else draining your hours. Real Friend Accountability: Your friends are not bots or timers you can snooze. They are real people who can say no. Request and Approve System: Run out of time? Send a plea to your Controllers. Make your case. Accept their judgment. Usage Tracking: See exactly how much time you spend on each app. Daily, weekly, and monthly breakdowns so you can track your progress. Focus and Study Mode: Block distracting apps during study sessions, work hours, or any time you need to concentrate. Privacy First: We do not sell your data. We do not track what you do inside apps. We only monitor time spent so your friends can help you stay on track. WHO IS THIS FOR? Students who need to focus during exam season. Couples who want to spend less time on their phones together. Friends who want to hold each other accountable. Anyone who has tried every screen time app and failed. People who know they waste hours every day but cannot stop on their own. THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT Research shows that social accountability is one of the most powerful behavior change tools. When someone else is watching, you try harder. Friend Controls takes that principle and puts it in your pocket. Download now and take back your time. Your friends are waiting to help. PRIVACY Friend Controls uses Apple's ScreenTime API. All your monitoring and blocking run on your device. Your browsing data does not leave your phone TERMS OF USE https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ **App blocking feature requires a purchase if you choose to block more than 1 app. All other features are free.**
Grip
This app helps you regain control of your screen time by making distractions costly. It offers instant app blocks, daily limits, and scheduled focus sessions to combat doomscrolling and build better habits. The unique paywall mechanic encourages mindful usage of blocked applications.
- Instant app blocks
- Daily screen time limits
- Scheduled focus sessions
- Paid unblocks for controlled access
- Customizable unlock limits
- Automatic block scheduling
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The first app to make distractions costly ($4.99 to access Instagram or TikTok)—get a grip on your life with instant blocks, daily limits, and scheduled focus sessions. As the ultimate screen time control app, Grip helps you block apps, limit screen time, and build better habits. Successful people don't have stronger willpower, they use tools that aggressively protect their time and energy. Grip is that ironclad app blocker for anyone who: - Feels the drain of doomscrolling and excessive screen time - Tried other tools like basic blockers but bypassed them too easily - Wants a system to stop their smartphone from stealing focus Grip turns distractions into a real cost, so you treat your time like it's worth something. Rated 5 stars by users: "Finally, an app that works!" KEY FEATURES: 1. Power Grip: Instant App Blocks: Block distracting apps like Instagram or TikTok immediately for a set duration. Schedule automatic blocks—e.g., no social media for the first 30 minutes after waking up. Perfect for screen time control and daily focus. 2. Iron Grip: Indefinite Blocking with Limits: Apps stay blocked until you choose to unlock. Set custom limits on unlocks per app (frequency) and duration per session, giving you total control over usage. 3. Releases: Paid Unblocks for Controlled Access: Need a quick check? Use Releases—an in-app paid feature—to temporarily access blocked apps. Get 3 free emergency Releases per month with your subscription. This paywall mechanic ensures mindful decisions, unlike easy overrides in other focus apps. Download now and start your free trial! Subscription Terms: Grip offers a 3-day free trial, then $4.99/month or $59.99/year. Cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. LEGAL INFORMATION Terms of Use: https://joingrip.io/terms Privacy Policy: https://joingrip.io/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Friend Controls at free with in-app purchases against Grip's subscription. Friend Controls also leads on ratings volume (559 vs 30). Grip's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 85%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Friend Controls sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Grip sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Grip holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Friend Controls has 559 ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Friend Controls's written reviews are positive against 100% of Grip's.
Friend Controls ships an update every 8 days, Grip every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Friend Controls | Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (559 ratings) | 5.0 (30 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 559 — better | 30 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 16.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 71 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ryan Moazzami | Joingrip LLC |
Customer experience
Friend Controls
Grip
In-app purchases
Friend Controls
- Monthly Access$2.991 Month
- Weekly Access$4.997 Days
- Monthly Access$5.991 Month
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- Monthly Access$9.991 Month
- Monthly Access$14.991 Month
- Yearly Access$14.991 Year
- Yearly Access$29.991 Year
- Yearly Access$44.991 Year
- Yearly Access$59.991 Year
- Lifetime Access$29.99
Grip
- Grip: Screen Time Control3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Grip: Screen Time Control3 Days trial$59.991 Year
- 1 Release$4.99









