Comparison

Screen Time vs ReadKey

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

Head to head
About

Screen Time

This app promotes mindful screen time by tracking usage and providing gentle nudges when sessions end, rather than outright blocking. It helps users understand their habits and make conscious choices about their digital engagement.

Highlights
  • Session-based time tracking
  • Automatic start and stop timers
  • Gentle nudges, not hard blocks
  • Guilt-free timer snoozing
  • Detailed usage statistics
  • Customizable session lengths and daily goals
Features
Read full description

Blocking apps sound good in theory. In practice, you turn them off the moment they get in the way, and then feel worse about it. Break Check brings your screen time down without blocking a thing. You see how long you have been going, get a nudge when your time is up, and decide what happens next. No locked screens, no workarounds, no shame spiral. TRACK ANY HABIT, NOT JUST SCREEN TIME Doomscrolling, binge watching, gaming, the gym, shopping, reading, a bathroom break that got away from you. If you can start it and stop it, you can put it on a timer. SET A DAILY GOAL Give a habit a daily limit. Stay under it and the day counts as a win. Every day you meet your goal adds to your streak. NO HARD CUTOFFS When your time is up you get a gentle notification and the timer keeps counting, so you always know where you stand. Need longer? Add a few minutes with one tap. OR A REAL ALARM For a habit that needs a firmer stop, end the session with a full alarm instead. It gets through silent mode and Focus. NOTHING TO FORGET Timers can start and stop on their own: when you open an app, when you arrive somewhere, or at a time you pick each night. Your social apps can run their own timer. The gym one starts when you walk in. Setup takes about a minute. CONTROL IT FROM ANYWHERE A running timer sits in your Dynamic Island, Notification Center and Lock Screen, so you can check it or pause it without opening anything. Start one from Control Center, your Action Button, or a Home Screen widget. SEE WHERE YOUR TIME GOES Watch each day add up, spot your patterns, and see how close you are to your goal. Your time is kept as real sessions rather than one daily total, so you can find the hour you did not know you were spending. LIFE HAPPENS Waiting at the doctor? Long train ride? Some phone time should not count. Snooze every timer at once and take a guilt free break. No streak broken, no pressure. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. Nothing to sign up for, ever. Break Check never asks for Screen Time access and never sees which apps you open, only the timers you start. Your habits sync through your own iCloud and are never collected or sold. YOUR FIRST TIMER IS ALWAYS FREE Not a trial. Track one habit for as long as you like, at no cost. Unlimited adds the rest: a timer for every habit, full alarm alerts, and the button that snoozes them all. Monthly, yearly, or a one-time purchase that is yours forever. Privacy Policy: https://codewerm.com/breakcheck/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ReadKey

Features
Read full description

ReadKey turns reading into a simple rule. Instead of relying on willpower, ReadKey helps you reduce distractions by temporarily restricting access to selected apps on your device. You choose what to lock. You decide when to focus. Add any book by searching its title or ISBN. Log the pages you read. Convert your reading progress into scrolling minutes. Use those minutes to unlock access to distracting apps. ReadKey transforms reading into a clear exchange: pages read → scrolling earned. Build a streak, stay consistent, and make reading part of your daily routine. ReadKey is built for people who want fewer distractions and a stronger reading habit. Features: • Block selected apps using Screen Time integration • Add books by title or ISBN • Log pages you read • Convert reading pages into scrolling minutes • Unlock apps through reading progress • Track your reading streak • Clean, minimal design • Built with privacy in mind No ads. No tracking. Just focus.

Screenshots

Screen Time4 screens
ReadKey4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ReadKey at none against Screen Time's 4. Screen Time's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Screen Time sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. ReadKey asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Screen Time ships an update weekly, ReadKey every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Screen Time versus ReadKey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreen TimeReadKey
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCodeWerm LLCIgor Filiuk

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Screen Time

Subscriptions3
  • Unlimited Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Unlimited Yearly Early Adopter$9.991 Year
  • Unlimited Yearly7 Days trial$11.901 Year
One-time1
  • Unlimited Lifetime$39.99
None

ReadKey

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Screen Time free?
Screen Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReadKey free?
ReadKey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Screen Time or ReadKey have ads?
Neither Screen Time nor ReadKey shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Screen Time or ReadKey?
Screen Time ships an update weekly, and ReadKey every 6 weeks. Most recently, Screen Time was updated on October 17, 2026 and ReadKey on October 15, 2026.

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