# Friend Controls vs Useless

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Friend Controls at 86% against Useless's 31%. Friend Controls also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Friend Controls sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Useless sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Friend Controls holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 559 and 269 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Friend Controls's written reviews are positive against 31% of Useless's.

Friend Controls ships an update every 8 days, Useless every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Friend Controls | Useless |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (559 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friend-controls-screen-time/id6651826679/reviews)** | [4.5 (269 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/useless-screen-time-control/id6755298184/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **559** | 269 |
| Positive reviews | **86.4% of reviews** | 31.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 71 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.4** | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ryan Moazzami](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552062516) | [DaDaMa Ug (haftungsbeschränkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852993941) |

## What reviewers say

### Friend Controls

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friend-controls-screen-time/id6651826679)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Weekly Access | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Access | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly Access | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $44.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $59.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $29.99 | one-time |


### Useless

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/useless-screen-time-control/id6755298184)

This app leverages social accountability to help users reduce screen time. Instead of relying solely on personal willpower, friends control access to apps when daily limits are reached, fostering a collaborative approach to digital well-being.

**Highlights:** Friend accountability for app usage, Set daily app time limits, No snooze button on limits, Friends vote on time extension requests, Public 'Walk of Shame' for requests, Weekly leaderboards and progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Sub | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Friend Controls free?

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

### Is Useless free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Friend Controls or Useless?

Friend Controls is rated higher. Friend Controls averages 4.7 out of 5 from 559 ratings, while Useless averages 4.5 from 269 ratings.

### Do Friend Controls or Useless have ads?

Neither Friend Controls nor Useless shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Friend Controls or Useless?

Friend Controls ships an update every 8 days, and Useless every 10 days. Most recently, Friend Controls was updated on September 21, 2026 and Useless on September 22, 2026.

---

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