Comparison

Kandoo vs Ctrl

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

Head to head
About

Kandoo

This app provides companion-supported behavioral activation therapy for teenagers experiencing depression. It is designed to be used in conjunction with clinical guidance.

Highlights
  • Behavioral activation therapy
  • Companion support
  • Teen-focused
  • Clinical guidance integration
  • Therapeutic exercises
Features
Read full description

Companion-supported behavioral activation therapy for teens with depression. To be used under clinical guidance.

About

Ctrl

Features
Read full description

Replace screen time with real life. The psychology of why you scroll. The science of what to do instead. When your phone pulls you in, Ctrl offers something better. Ctrl is for people who want their time back. You set your own goals for phone use and pick the activities you'd rather be doing. When you drift past a goal, Ctrl steps in with one of those activities, without ever needing to open the app. DESIGNED BY A PSYCHOLOGIST Ctrl was co-founded by Scott Kollins, PhD, a clinical psychologist who has spent more than 20 years studying attention, habits and addiction. As a professor at Duke University, he led the clinical research behind the first video game treatment authorized by the FDA. That research points to something simple: locking yourself out of apps rarely sticks, but people can change their own habits when they get the right help at the right moment. Ctrl is built to be that help. HOW IT WORKS • Set your goals. Limit all phone use, specific apps, or chosen apps during part of your day, such as evenings or the first hour after you wake. • Pick your "Replace". Choose from six categories: Move, Outdoors, Creative, Social, Calm and Focus. Pick as broadly as "anything outdoors" or as narrowly as a single run, creative writing, or a simple focus block. • Get an offer at the right moment. When Ctrl detects usage of screen time flagged by you, Ctrl offers three of your picks. For each goal, choose a gentle Nudge notification or a Shield that covers the app. • Do it. Every Replace Activity runs on a timer on your Lock Screen. YOUR CTRL SCORE One daily number from 0 to 100 that shows whether you kept the goals you set. It measures you against your own goals, not anyone else's idea of healthy. Tougher goals are worth more, and every Replace you complete adds to your score. THERE WHEN YOU NEED IT Ctrl works entirely outside the app: Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets, Live Activities, shields and notifications. Open the app to see your history, adjust your picks, or do the Sunday check-in, a short weekly review to tune your goals for the week ahead. CIRCLE (OPTIONAL) Invite a few friends to cheer each other on and take on challenges together. Invites go from your own Messages app, and Ctrl never contacts anyone for you. Circle is entirely optional, and everything else works without it. GROUNDED IN RESEARCH Goals and activities come with a short note on their benefits and the published study behind it. Where no study exists, we say so. CTRL PREMIUM Premium adds more goals, Circle challenges and your full set of personal insights. It's available as a monthly or annual subscription, each with a free trial for eligible new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm your purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless you turn it off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage or cancel it in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://youreinctrl.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://youreinctrl.com/privacy

Screenshots

Kandoo3 screens
Ctrl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kandoo at none against Ctrl's 2. Kandoo also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Ctrl's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 4 months). On price, ads and device support 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. Ctrl sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Kandoo asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kandoo ships an update every 4 months, Ctrl daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Kandoo versus Ctrl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKandooCtrl
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size366 MB62 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperMindful Digital Therapeutics LLCYou're In Ctrl, Inc.

In-app purchases

None

Kandoo

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Ctrl

Subscriptions2
  • Ctrl Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Ctrl Premium (Yearly)7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Kandoo free?
Kandoo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ctrl free?
Ctrl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Kandoo or Ctrl have ads?
Neither Kandoo nor Ctrl shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kandoo or Ctrl?
Kandoo ships an update every 4 months, and Ctrl daily. Most recently, Kandoo was updated on October 30, 2026 and Ctrl on November 13, 2026.

Other comparisons