Comparison

Friend Controls vs Journey

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.**

About

Journey

Transform real-world habits into an engaging game to reduce screen time. Complete daily quests, verify with photos, and earn rewards while distracting apps remain locked. This app uses game mechanics to motivate you to build positive habits and stay off your phone.

Highlights
  • Daily real-world quests
  • Photo verification for completion
  • App blocking until quests are done
  • Earn crowns for progress
  • Focus mascot for motivation
  • Streak tracking and journal
Features
Read full description

Almost every app on your phone is engineered to keep you scrolling. Journey is engineered to get you off it by turning real-world habits into a game you actually want to play. Each morning, you unlock a set of real-world quests like going to the gym, reading, running, or getting outside. Complete them and earn Knight's gold. The apps that waste your time stay locked until you buy more screentime, so you stop instinctively scrolling everytime you pick up your phone. It's the same reward loop that makes games addictive, except now it's working for you instead of against you. - Daily Habits Every morning at 6 AM, your main quest resets. Each one is a real-world habit: exercise, reading, going outside. Earn time on social media by completing it or else you'll stay locked out. - App Blocking Pick the apps that drain your focus and lock them down. Your apps unlock only after you buy more screentime with the gold you earn. - Focus Buddy Your mascot reflects how you're doing. Stay off your phone and it thrives. Pick it up too much and it lets you know. It's a visual reminder that keeps you motivated to do better. *Access to Journey requires a paid subscription* Terms of Service: https://www.brainnourishment.io/_files/ugd/2e1950_ad149e0f2a11466682626871fd073315.pdf

Screenshots

Friend Controls4 screens
Journey4 screens

Verdict

The call

Friend Controls and Journey both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of Friend Controls's written reviews are positive against 74% of Journey's. Journey's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 664). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Friend Controls sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Journey sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Friend Controls against 4.8 for Journey. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 664 and 2.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Friend Controls's written reviews are positive against 74% of Journey's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Friend Controls ships an update every 9 days, Journey every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Friend Controls versus Journey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFriend ControlsJourney
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (664 ratings)4.8 (2.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.6% of reviews — better73.7% of reviews
Number of ratings6642.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.416.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB174 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperRyan MoazzamiBrain Nourishment, LLC

Customer experience

Friend Controls

All ratings664 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.3%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive83.6%
Neutral7.3%
Negative9.1%

Journey

All ratings2,100 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral2.5%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive73.7%
Neutral6.6%
Negative19.7%

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Friend Controls

Subscriptions10
  • Monthly Access$2.991 Month
  • Weekly Access$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Access$5.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Monthly Access$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Access2 variants$14.991 Year
  • Monthly Access$14.991 Month
  • Yearly$19.991 Year
  • Yearly Access$24.991 Year
  • Yearly Access$29.991 Year
  • Yearly Access$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$29.99
8 purchases

Journey

Subscriptions7
  • Full Access To Journey$7.997 Days
  • JourneyKeep$9.997 Days
  • JourneyKeep Pro$14.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Full Access To Journey$24.991 Year
  • Full Access$34.991 Year
  • Full Access To Journey$49.991 Year
  • Full Access To Journey$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Knight Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Friend Controls free?
Friend Controls is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Journey free?
Journey is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Friend Controls or Journey?
Journey is rated higher. Friend Controls averages 4.7 out of 5 from 664 ratings, while Journey averages 4.8 from 2.5K ratings.
Do Friend Controls or Journey have ads?
Neither Friend Controls nor Journey shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Friend Controls or Journey?
Friend Controls ships an update every 9 days, and Journey every 2 weeks. Most recently, Friend Controls was updated on November 1, 2026 and Journey on October 30, 2026.

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