ScreenMindful vs Brain
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ScreenMindful
This app helps you reduce mindless scrolling with gentle, game-like pauses. It uses CBT principles and mini-games to break dopamine loops, allowing you to make intentional choices about app usage. Track your progress and understand your digital triggers without guilt.
- Calming mini-games for app access
- Emotion logging to understand triggers
- CBT-powered AI coaching
- ADHD-friendly interface
- Kind analytics for progress tracking
- Gentle friction to break scrolling habits
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Scrolling can feel automatic when you are anxious, overwhelmed, lonely, or bored. ScreenMindful helps you pause before a distracting app opens, notice what is driving the urge, and choose what you want to do next. ScreenMindful is a gentle digital detox for people who want to limit screen time without adding more guilt. Instead of relying only on rigid lockouts, it creates a short, supportive pause between the urge and the scroll. PAUSE. NOTICE. CHOOSE. 1. Select the apps, categories, and websites that pull you into automatic scrolling. 2. Pause when you try to open one. 3. Check in with how you feel and why you want to scroll. 4. Choose a calming exercise or continue with a clear intention and time limit. CALM THE URGE FIRST Choose a short practice that brings your attention back to the present moment: • Anxiety SOS grounding flow • Guided breathing • Bird counting and mindful play • Gratitude journaling • Self-compassion reflection • Mindfulness quotes • Ocean-inspired calming exercises These tools support reflection and general wellbeing. ScreenMindful is not a medical service and does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. UNDERSTAND YOUR TRIGGERS Screen time does not tell the whole story. Connect app use with feelings such as anxiety, boredom, loneliness, stress, or calm. Review your emotional patterns and notice what tends to happen before you scroll. SET SUPPORTIVE BOUNDARIES • Block selected apps, categories, and websites • Create schedules for different days and times • Set an intention and duration before scrolling • Use stricter limits when you need firmer boundaries • See your intention and remaining time with Live Activities SEE PROGRESS, NOT SHAME Track mindful actions, focus sessions, streaks, emotional patterns, and screen-time trends. Weekly reviews help you understand what worked without turning a difficult day into failure. REFLECT WITH AN AI COACH Explore the pattern behind an urge and identify one small next step. The AI Coach uses questions inspired by cognitive behavioral principles. It is not a therapist, medical provider, or crisis service. A KINDER RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PHONE ScreenMindful is inspired by mindfulness, self-compassion, CBT, and MBCT principles. The goal is not perfect discipline or giving up your phone completely. It is creating enough space to make a conscious choice. From a verified U.S. App Store review: “I love the pause and self-love talks that it gives you before it unlocks the app.” Start your digital detox without shame. Download ScreenMindful and turn the next automatic scroll into a moment of choice. Terms of Use: https://shorturl.at/qYVYS Privacy Policy: https://shorturl.at/Rv4Vr
Brain
Engage in a personal brain gym with fun mini-games designed to sharpen mental performance, improve focus, and aid memory. Track your progress and mood with self-measures, and target specific brain lobes for cognitive exercise. Ideal for daily mental workouts and rehabilitation support.
- Interactive games for focus and attention
- Memory and processing speed improvement
- Mood tracking with GAD-7 and PHQ-9
- Targeted exercises for brain lobes
- Personal progress tracking
- Rehabilitation support
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Your personal brain gym is here! Whether you want to sharpen your mental performance, or are looking for support with attention and memory challenges, Squeeze Your Brain is designed for you. Our collection of fun and challenging mini-games is ideal for daily cognitive exercise. Originally designed to aid in rehabilitation after a stroke or brain injury, and now includes all levels to help with ADHD, Autism, neurodivergent, and even neurotypical brains. Track your progress and feel your mind get stronger every day! Features: Interactive games to improve focus, attention, and processing speed Self-measures like GAD-7 and PHQ-9 to track your mood. Targeted exercises for each brain lobe. Personal profile to track your progress. By using this app, you agree to the Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: ScreenMindful at none against Brain's shown. ScreenMindful also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). Brain's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. ScreenMindful sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Brain sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 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 — 5.0 for ScreenMindful against 5.0 for Brain. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
ScreenMindful ships an update every 3 weeks, Brain every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ScreenMindful | Brain |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 76 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 榕 陈 | Heidi Green |
Customer experience
ScreenMindful
Brain
In-app purchases
ScreenMindful
- Monthly PRO3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Annual Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Lifetime PRO$59.99
Brain
- Premium Monthly$0.491 Month
- Squeeze Your Brain$0.99









