# touch grass vs ZenGate

The clearest difference is rating: touch grass at 4.7 against ZenGate's 3.0. touch grass also leads on ratings volume (3K vs 2). ZenGate's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. touch grass sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ZenGate asks for nothing beyond the download.

touch grass holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: touch grass has 3K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of touch grass's written reviews are positive against 100% of ZenGate's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

touch grass ships an update every 3 weeks, ZenGate every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | touch grass | ZenGate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-grass-screen-time-limit/id6739589530/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zengate-focus/id6743924318/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 76.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 80 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rhys Kentish](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732733441) | [24 Labs Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1805086478) |

## What reviewers say

### touch grass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-grass-screen-time-limit/id6739589530)

This app helps you break free from mindless scrolling by blocking distracting applications. It requires you to verify that you've touched real grass before allowing access, encouraging you to connect with nature and reduce screen time.

**Highlights:** Block apps until grass is touched, Computer vision for grass detection, Track screen time progress, Flexible unblock durations, Block unlimited apps (premium), View screen time history (premium)

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| touch grass pro monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| tg pro weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| touch grass pro monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| tg pro monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| tg pro black friday 2025 | $19.99 | per year |
| touch grass yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| touch grass yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| touch grass skip credit | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2 touch grass skip credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3 touch grass skip credits | $2.99 | one-time |
| 4 touch grass skip credits | $3.99 | one-time |
| 5 touch grass skip credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| 6 touch grass skip credits | $5.99 | one-time |
| 7 touch grass skip credits | $6.99 | one-time |
| 8 touch grass skip credit | $7.99 | one-time |
| 9 touch grass skip credits | $8.99 | one-time |
| 10 touch grass skip credits | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great concept
- 👍 Motivates users to go outside
- 💡 Unique approach to reducing screen time
- 🚀 Works well for most users
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model limits free features
- 🐛 Issues with grass detection in certain conditions
- 🔒 Ability to bypass restrictions with minimal effort
- 🕰️ Time frame settings can be confusing
- 🌱 Challenges for users in areas with limited greenery

**Reported bugs**

- Camera menu going black
- Inconsistent app behavior after touching grass
- Issues with app recognizing grass in certain conditions

**Requested features**

- More flexible scheduling options
- Ability to block more than 2 apps in free version
- Flashlight or low-light detection for night use
- Expanded detection for different outdoor surfaces
- Social features to share outdoor experiences


### ZenGate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zengate-focus/id6743924318)

This system helps you block distractions and enter deep focus with a physical card and app. Customize focus modes for different activities and create separation between work and rest.

**Highlights:** Activate focus modes with a tap, Block distracting apps, Silence notifications, Customize focus modes, Create work-life separation, Physical commitment device

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is touch grass free?

touch grass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ZenGate free?

ZenGate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, touch grass or ZenGate?

touch grass is rated higher. touch grass averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while ZenGate averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do touch grass or ZenGate have ads?

Neither touch grass nor ZenGate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, touch grass or ZenGate?

touch grass ships an update every 3 weeks, and ZenGate every 5 days. Most recently, touch grass was updated on October 30, 2026 and ZenGate on October 10, 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.*