# Friend Controls vs grounded | mindful screen time

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Friend Controls at 676 against grounded | mindful screen time's 10. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Friend Controls sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and grounded | mindful screen time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Friend Controls against 4.8 for grounded | mindful screen time. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Friend Controls has 676 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Friend Controls's written reviews are positive against 89% of grounded | mindful screen time's.

Friend Controls ships an update every 9 days, grounded | mindful screen time weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Friend Controls | grounded | mindful screen time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (676 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friend-controls-screen-time/id6651826679/reviews) | **[4.8 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grounded-mindful-screen-time/id6761880149/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **676** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 83.6% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 74 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ryan Moazzami](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552062516) | [Datrie Allman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891920620) |

## 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 (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Access | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $24.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $44.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $29.99 | one-time |


### grounded | mindful screen time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grounded-mindful-screen-time/id6761880149)

This app offers a mindful approach to screen time by introducing brief awareness checks before you open distracting applications. It helps you regain control over your phone usage by prompting reflection rather than outright blocking.

**Highlights:** Pre-app awareness checks, Customizable app selection, Variety of reflection prompts, Time-limited app access, Gentle relationship with phone, Focus on awareness, not control

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grounded Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Grounded Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Grounded Lifetime | $129.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Friend Controls free?

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

### Is grounded | mindful screen time free?

grounded | mindful screen time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Friend Controls or grounded | mindful screen time?

grounded | mindful screen time is rated higher. Friend Controls averages 4.7 out of 5 from 676 ratings, while grounded | mindful screen time averages 4.8 from 10 ratings.

### Do Friend Controls or grounded | mindful screen time have ads?

Neither Friend Controls nor grounded | mindful screen time shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Friend Controls or grounded | mindful screen time?

Friend Controls ships an update every 9 days, and grounded | mindful screen time weekly. Most recently, Friend Controls was updated on November 8, 2026 and grounded | mindful screen time on October 31, 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.*