Comparison

Screen Time vs App Blocker

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

App Blocker

Features
Read full description

Less phone. More life. Mute is an app blocker and screen time control that protects time for work, study, meals, rest and sleep. Start a timed break, block distractions or keep only important apps available. Create your own schedules and see usage reports provided by iOS. These tools remain free. MUTE PLUS Answer a short quiz about your habits and daily routine. With an optional subscription, AI proposes a program of breaks, schedules and daily limits. Review the program and activate it with one button. Check in and request adjustments or short support when you want to stop a break. You stay in control, and saved rules keep working after the subscription ends. PRIVACY AND PERMISSIONS Screen Time permission is required for blocking. AI requires internet access and your separate consent. Your answers and information you choose to share are processed through AppHunt and Anthropic. System Screen Time reports and selected-app tokens are not automatically sent to AI. No account or Apple Intelligence is required. SUBSCRIPTIONS Mute Plus is available as an auto-renewing monthly or annual subscription through Apple In-App Purchase. Prices and any eligible trial are shown before purchase. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Free blocking does not require a subscription. The new program flow is available in English and Russian. Mute shields supported apps and websites; it does not disable the entire phone. Privacy: https://apphunt.app/mute/privacy Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Screen Time4 screens
App Blocker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: App Blocker at none against Screen Time's 4. On price, update cadence, 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. Screen Time sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. App Blocker asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Screen Time ships an update weekly, App Blocker every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Screen Time versus App Blocker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreen TimeApp Blocker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (13 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCodeWerm LLCGlory Mae Dagapioso

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

App Blocker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Screen Time free?
Screen Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is App Blocker free?
App Blocker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Screen Time or App Blocker have ads?
Neither Screen Time nor App Blocker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Screen Time or App Blocker?
Screen Time ships an update weekly, and App Blocker every 5 days. Most recently, Screen Time was updated on October 24, 2026 and App Blocker on October 13, 2026.

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