Comparison

Monkeyless vs breakfree

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

Head to head
About

Monkeyless

This app helps you reduce phone addiction by incorporating mindfulness before opening distracting applications. It offers guided meditations, personalized screen time analysis, and habit-building plans to foster healthier digital habits.

Highlights
  • Meditate to unlock apps
  • Guided meditations
  • Screen time analysis
  • Habit building plans
  • Progress tracking
  • Micro-mindfulness exercises
Features
Read full description

Monkeyless is a mindfulness screen time app that helps you end phone addiction by meditating before opening distracting apps. Here’s how: Meditate to unlock – our soft app blocking feature creates a mindful moment before distractions begin. Take a short breath before opening certain apps. No more autopilot to distracting apps. Daily guided meditations – access guided meditations and micro-mindfulness exercises to reset your mind daily. Turn insight into action – get personalized screen time analysis to uncover patterns, triggers, and areas for growth. Build better habits – choose from science-backed habit plans designed to help you dismantle addictive phone behaviors and build mindful ones. Track your transformation – a clear, encouraging progress system keeps you motivated as you build mindfulness and intention into every tap. Try all features free during your trial. After the trial, access requires a subscription. We believe mindful tools should be accessible - if cost is a barrier, reach out. We’re here to help. Join 10 000+ users who have already liberated themselves. The average person spends over 6 hours a day on their phone. What about you? The root cause? Low mindfulness. It’s so easy to open Instagram or TikTok and, hours later, realize you’ve lost track of time. Hours have passed by. Your mind is on autopilot. East Asian philosophy describes this as the "Monkey Mind" - restless and mindlessly jumping from one thing to another. Like every addiction, breaking the habit seems like fighting uphill against yourself. And harsh measures such as blocking apps, or setting time limits never seem to work in the long run. Monkeyless takes a radically different approach. Why? 1. The root cause of doomscrolling is the restless "Monkey Mind," shaped by years of conditioning toward constant distractions such as your phone. 2. The only solution lies in calming this same mind with mindfulness. Simply blocking apps or setting time limits, like most screen time apps do, don't address the root issue. 3. Cultivate mindfulness with meditation. Combine pragmatism with optimism. You don't have to be a monk to do this - but hey, we always welcome you to join us. Science? Using mindfulness backed by science, we make it easier to break these habits in a lasting way. Meditation has been proven to effectively help in dismantling addictive behaviors. For instance, a study on Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) found that mindfulness training was associated with a reduction in relapse rates among individuals, and it could help manage stress-induced addictive behaviour​. Other research on MBRP and similar approaches has shown reductions in relapse, emotional distress, and impulses. Ancient wisdom from thousands of years ago is still highly relevant today. Change with Monkeyless, break free from the Monkey Mind forever. AI Transparency Notice: Monkeyless uses artificial intelligence to assist in creating the audio tracks for our guided meditations. All meditation scripts are written by humans. FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions): https://www.monkeyless.app/faq Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://monkeyless.app/privacy-policy.html Our special thanks goes to the book: The Mind Illuminated by Culadasa. Some of the teachings in this app are inspired by this.

About

breakfree

This app helps you regain control of your phone usage by blocking distracting apps and feeds. It allows you to stay connected through messages without endless scrolling, build focus streaks, and even engage in group focus sessions with friends. A virtual pet grows with your consistency, making habit building more visible and rewarding.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps and feeds
  • Access messages in a feed-free interface
  • Schedule focus sessions
  • Track focus streaks and progress
  • Group focus sessions with friends
  • Focus Pet companion for habit building
Features
Read full description

In today’s world, our relationships live on our phones. Messages, plans, and moments of connection all happen inside apps built to keep us scrolling. To stay connected, we’re forced to fight algorithms designed to steal our attention. BreakFree exists to change that. Block the noise. Remove distracting feeds and short-form content when you need to focus. Start a session instantly or schedule focus time ahead. Keep the connection. Access your messages in a clean, feed-free interface. Stay reachable through social media without getting pulled back into endless scrolling. Build momentum. Every focused session turns into streaks, momentum, and time saved. Progress you can see adds up faster than you think. Lock in together. Focus with friends, stay accountable, and create an environment that pushes everyone forward. Friendly competition. Shared wins. Turn focus into something social through group sessions and leaderboards. Focus Pet A small companion that grows with your consistency, because good habits feel better when they’re visible. BreakFree helps you stay present with the people that matter, without being consumed by the feed. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://breakfree.app/privacy

Screenshots

Monkeyless4 screens
breakfree4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: breakfree at free with in-app purchases against Monkeyless's subscription. Monkeyless's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Monkeyless sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and breakfree sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Monkeyless holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 116 and 114 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Monkeyless's written reviews are positive against 70% of breakfree's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Monkeyless ships an update every 2 weeks, breakfree weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Monkeyless versus breakfree: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonkeylessbreakfree
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (116 ratings) — better4.5 (114 ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better70.3% of reviews
Number of ratings116 — better114
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB153 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMonkeylessRoshan Kattil

Customer experience

Monkeyless

All ratings116 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative10.0%

breakfree

All ratings114 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral6.1%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive70.3%
Neutral16.2%
Negative13.5%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Monkeyless

Subscriptions10
  • Monkeyless Pro Weekly$5.997 Days
  • Monkeyless Pro Weekly7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Monkeyless Pro$11.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • Monkeyless Pro Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Monkeyless Pro Monthly1 Month trial$17.991 Month
  • Monkeyless Pro Monthly1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Monkeyless Pro Annual$34.991 Year
  • Monkeyless Pro7 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • Monkeyless Pro7 Days trial$72.991 Year
  • Monkeyless Pro Annual$89.991 Year
2 purchases

breakfree

Subscriptions2
  • Breakfree Premium Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Ad Free7 Days trial$37.991 Year

Questions

Is Monkeyless free?
Monkeyless is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is breakfree free?
breakfree is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Monkeyless or breakfree?
Monkeyless is rated higher. Monkeyless averages 4.7 out of 5 from 116 ratings, while breakfree averages 4.5 from 114 ratings.
Do Monkeyless or breakfree have ads?
breakfree shows ads; Monkeyless does not.
Which is updated more often, Monkeyless or breakfree?
Monkeyless ships an update every 2 weeks, and breakfree weekly. Most recently, Monkeyless was updated on September 18, 2026 and breakfree on September 17, 2026.

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