Comparison

Screen Time Control vs Readbase

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

Head to head
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.

About

Readbase

Features
Read full description

Readbase is the inbox that's just for newsletters. Get your own private @readbase.io address, move your Substack and other subscriptions there, and every newsletter arrives with an AI summary. Get the point in seconds instead of reading every word, and save 4+ hours every month. Free to start. No credit card required. YOUR PRIVATE NEWSLETTER INBOX • Your own @readbase.io address, just for newsletters. • Subscribe once and keep newsletters completely out of Gmail, Outlook and your work email. • Moving from Substack takes one email change, and every subscription follows. • Substack's own notification emails stay out by default, so you only see the posts. AI SUMMARIES FOR EVERY NEWSLETTER • Every newsletter arrives with a summary crafted for long-form writing. Get the key ideas before you even open it. • Daily Recap: start each morning with one AI summary of your unread newsletters, so you know what's worth reading at a glance. • Ask AI: ask anything about a newsletter, or select a passage to have it explained. (Premium) Skim the summary, ask AI for the rest, and read in full only what is worth it. READ ANYWHERE • Offline Mode: everything stays available on flights and commutes. • iPhone and web: read in the app or at readbase.io, always in sync. • Siri & Shortcuts: ask Siri for your latest summary, or mark a subscription as read, hands-free. STAY IN CONTROL • 1-Click Unsubscribe: drop the newsletters you stopped reading in seconds. • Bookmarks: keep the newsletters you want to come back to. • Reading Stats: see what you actually read and build better reading habits. (Premium) WORKS WITH EVERY NEWSLETTER Read newsletters from Substack, Beehiiv, Ghost, Kit (ConvertKit), Medium, Buttondown, Mailchimp and any other provider that sends by email. One app for all your newsletter subscriptions, from daily briefings to long-form essays. PRIVACY-FIRST Your newsletters are yours. Readbase doesn't sell your data, and newsletter content is only used to power features like summaries and offline reading. FREE AND PREMIUM Readbase Free: your private @readbase.io inbox, AI summaries for every newsletter, Daily Recap, 1-click unsubscribe, bookmarks and offline reading. Readbase Premium adds Ask AI, the latest AI models for your summaries, Reading Stats with monthly insights, smart unsubscribe suggestions and push notifications for new newsletters. Billed monthly or annually. Cancel anytime. If newsletters are getting lost in your email, Readbase gives them a calm home of their own: just newsletters, summarised and ready to read. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://readbase.io/legal/privacy

Screenshots

Screen Time Control4 screens
Readbase4 screens

Verdict

The call

Screen Time Control and Readbase are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Screen Time Control sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Readbase sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Screen Time Control ships an update fortnightly, Readbase every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Screen Time Control versus Readbase: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreen Time ControlReadbase
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (39 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings39 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB22 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperVaibhav NegiLlingas LTD

In-app purchases

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
4 purchases

Readbase

Subscriptions4
  • Readbase Premium - Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Readbase Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Readbase Premium - Annual$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Readbase Premium - Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Screen Time Control free?
Screen Time Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Readbase free?
Readbase is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Screen Time Control or Readbase have ads?
Neither Screen Time Control nor Readbase shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Screen Time Control or Readbase?
Screen Time Control ships an update fortnightly, and Readbase every 9 days. Most recently, Screen Time Control was updated on November 8, 2026 and Readbase on November 9, 2026.

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