Comparison

Excelsior vs Screen Time Control

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

Head to head
About

Excelsior

Understand where your time goes, set goals, and track progress. Plan your day in advance with customizable routines and receive helpful reminders. Includes features for relaxation and sleep assistance.

Highlights
  • Time tracking (stopwatch, timer, interval)
  • Goal setting and progress tracking
  • Daily planning and routine scenarios
  • Reminders and notifications
  • Relaxation and sleep assistance activities
  • Detailed analytics and reports
  • Customizable sound settings
Features
Read full description

This app is perfect for you if: - You want to understand where your time goes. - You want to set goals and track your progress. - You need assistance with learning or training activities. - You want to receive reminders throughout the day about your routine. - You want to plan any day in advance. - You want to fall asleep quickly or relax when you’re irritated. The first app with a no-subscription model. One coin - one perfect day. Coins can be earned in the app through your efforts or purchased. Coins do not expire. Three types of tracking: 1. Stopwatch. Suitable for tasks with uncertain durations, such as “Commuting to work” or “Cleaning.” You can set an approximate time, and the app will remind you when it’s up while continuing to count until you stop it. If you forget to stop the stopwatch on time, you can adjust it on the fly. 2. Timer. Perfect for time restrictions. 3. Interval Program. Ideal for techniques like Pomodoro, HIIT, and Tabata. 4. Manual input of start time and duration. The app offers a rich set of analytics widgets that are always available, even if you have no coins in your account. Balance Wheel, Daily Reports, Monthly and Yearly Summaries, Time-of-Day Analysis, and more. Highly customizable sound settings for timers and interval programs. Want ticking sounds every second? Or at the halfway mark? Or maybe voice announcements? Easy. Plan your days in advance. You can create day scenarios, such as “Weekdays,” “Weekends,” or “Emergency.” Each scenario can include activities and a schedule for each. Using scenarios allows you to quickly set up your plan for the day. The app includes built-in activities: "Falling Asleep," "Meditation," and "Calm Down." Using vibration, they help regulate your breathing. Just follow the assistant’s instructions, and you’ll be able to fall asleep in 15 minutes, even if you don’t feel like sleeping. If you’re irritated, start the "Calm Down" activity and deeply relax. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Screen Time Control

This app promotes mindful screen time usage by prompting regular reflection and offering optional focus sessions. It guides users toward healthier digital habits through awareness and subtle nudges, rather than strict blocking. Data is kept private on the device.

Highlights
  • Mindful screen time prompts
  • Optional focus sessions
  • Daily activity notifications
  • App blocking for routines
  • Privacy-focused data storage
Features
Read full description

Inscreen is more than a screen time tracker. Inscreen helps you pause and reflect on your screen time at regular intervals throughout the day. Designed for simplicity and privacy, Inscreen has minimal features and a zero learning curve, helping you get started quickly. ⏵ HOW IS INSCREEN DIFFERENT? Unlike other screen time apps that completely block access, Inscreen draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you recognize your screen time habits through regular prompts and inculcate healthier behaviours without restrictions. ⏵ WHY IT WORKS? We tap into a few key psychological principles and behavioural patterns. Here’s why it works: - Awareness = Better Choices: Regular reminders to ask whether you're on your phone intentionally, encouraging healthier choices. - Guiding, not controlling: Instead of strict limits, scheduled subtle nudges to guide you toward mindful decisions, without the frustration of restrictions. - Accountability: Weekly progress, actionable insights and daily notifications leading to lasting behaviour changes. - Low barrier to entry: No drastic changes or restrictions, making it easy to integrate into daily life and gradually adjust over time. ⏵ FEATURES - Alerts to be intentional about your screen time. - Focus sessions to completely block distracting apps for a set routine, say, during work or winding down at night. - Strict daily limits to keep your screen time in control. - Notifications that help you track your daily activity. - Secure and private. All your data stays on your device. ⏵ HOW DOES THE SETUP WORK? 1. Choose the distracting apps or categories. 2. Set a daily limit. 3. Set up focus sessions (optional). ⏵ FINANCIAL AID We’re on a mission to solve phone addiction and distraction. We’re determined to help everyone. Our Financial Aid program offers a free 1 year subscription to individuals who are financially stretched but are in need. The link to apply is in the app. ⏵ ABOUT Inscreen is self-funded and run by two independent developers — Preet and Vaibhav. ⏵ LINKS Privacy Policy: https://github.com/theinscreenapp/ios/blob/main/privacy.md. Terms: https://github.com/theinscreenapp/ios/blob/main/terms.md. Support: https://github.com/theinscreenapp/ios/blob/main/support.md.

Screenshots

Excelsior4 screens
Screen Time Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Excelsior at 5.0 against Screen Time Control's 4.5. Excelsior also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 74%) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). Screen Time Control's advantage is ratings volume (33 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Excelsior sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Screen Time Control sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Excelsior holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Screen Time Control has 33 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Excelsior's written reviews are positive against 74% of Screen Time Control's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Excelsior ships an update every 3 days, Screen Time Control fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Excelsior versus Screen Time Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExcelsiorScreen Time Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.5 (33 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better73.9% of reviews
Number of ratings233 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGrachev DmitriiVaibhav Negi

Customer experience

Excelsior

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Screen Time Control

All ratings33 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive73.9%
Neutral8.7%
Negative17.4%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Excelsior

One-time3
  • 21 gold coins$4.99
  • 90 gold coins$14.99
  • 366 gold coins$39.99
6 purchases

Screen Time Control

Subscriptions4
  • Inscreen (Monthly)3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Inscreen (Monthly for Family)3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Inscreen (Yearly)7 Days trial$14.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Inscreen (Yearly for Family)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Inscreen (Lifetime)$29.99
  • Inscreen (Lifetime for Family)$59.99

Questions

Is Excelsior free?
Excelsior is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Screen Time Control free?
Screen Time Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Excelsior or Screen Time Control?
Excelsior is rated higher. Excelsior averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Screen Time Control averages 4.5 from 33 ratings.
Do Excelsior or Screen Time Control have ads?
Neither Excelsior nor Screen Time Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Excelsior or Screen Time Control?
Excelsior ships an update every 3 days, and Screen Time Control fortnightly. Most recently, Excelsior was updated on September 22, 2026 and Screen Time Control on September 21, 2026.

Other comparisons