Screen Time Limit vs Focus Gnome
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Screen Time Limit
This app helps you regain control of your phone usage by setting clear boundaries. It combines app blocking, customizable schedules, and simple insights to minimize distractions during work, study, or relaxation. Take back your time and reduce impulse checking with this minimalist screen time companion.
- App blocking by category or individual app
- Customizable focus sprints and longer blocks
- Daily and weekly scheduling for routines
- Insightful dashboard for usage patterns
- Minimalist and simple user interface
- Scheduled downtime for calmer evenings
Read full descriptionHide full description
Most of us pick up our phones hundreds of times a day. Research shows, the average internet user spends about 3h 46m per day online on mobile devices and 2h 52m on computers. That time adds up fast. Disconnect helps you take back control by turning “I should stop scrolling” into clear boundaries that actually stick. TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR TIME Disconnect is a minimalist screen time companion for iPhone. It combines app blocking, schedules, and simple insights so you can work, study, and relax without constant distractions. QUIT ENDLESS DOOMSCROLLING When you feel yourself slipping into “just one more minute,” start a block and get back on track. • Pick distracting apps (or entire categories) • Choose a duration (from a short focus sprint to a longer reset) • See your remaining time at a glance while a block is active • Disconnect steps in so you don’t have to rely on willpower BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS Create friction where it matters, right at the moment you’re about to open a distraction. • Block social media, video, games, or any apps you choose • Get a clear blocked screen instead of an endless feed • Protect focus during work sessions, classes, reading, or workouts • Reduce impulse checking and “auto-pilot” tapping CREATE YOUR OWN SCHEDULES Make focus automatic with schedules that run in the background. • Build daily or weekly routines (Work Time, Deep Sleep, Gym Time, etc.) • Keep evenings calmer by scheduling downtime • Sleep better by removing late-night scrolling triggers • See what’s active now and what’s coming up next • Take a break when you need it, then jump back in INSIGHTS THAT MAKE YOU AWARE (WITHOUT THE GUILT) Awareness is the first step to change. Disconnect gives you a clean dashboard so you can understand your patterns and improve over time. • Your screen time today at a glance • Hour-by-hour activity to spot peak scrolling moments • A simple list of your most-used apps • Track progress over time as your routines get stronger MADE FOR REAL LIFE Disconnect is useful for: • Work & study: protect deep focus and finish tasks faster • Sleep: stop “one more scroll” at night • Digital detox: reset your relationship with your phone for a day or a weekend • Training & hobbies: stay present and consistent • Family & friends: create distraction-free time • Anyone who wants fewer interruptions and more intentional time GET STARTED IN UNDER A MINUTE 1) Choose the apps (or categories) you want to block 2) Start a one-time block or set up a schedule 3) Check Insights to see what changed SIMPLE BY DESIGN No clutter. No complicated setup. Just the tools you need to block distractions, build routines, and reclaim your time. POPULAR WAYS TO USE DISCONNECT • Morning focus: block distractions for the first hour of your day • Work time: keep social apps out of reach during deep work • Study sessions: block distractions while you revise, write, or take notes • Deep sleep: schedule a nightly block so your phone doesn’t pull you in at bedtime • Quick reset: start a short block when you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling • Weekend detox: create a longer schedule for a calmer weekend WHAT YOU’LL NOTICE • Less “checking” without thinking • More uninterrupted time for the things you actually care about • A clearer picture of where your time goes, so you can change it DISCONNECT IS FOR YOU IF… • You want stronger boundaries than “I’ll just stop later” • You keep opening the same apps out of habit • You want your phone to support your goals—not steal your attention IMPORTANT Disconnect's features require a Disconnect Pro subscription (free trial available). Disconnect uses Apple’s Screen Time framework to block apps and apply restrictions. You will be asked to grant the required permissions. Blocking behavior and availability can vary by app and system conditions. Install Disconnect and take back control of your time, starting today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Focus Gnome
Read full descriptionHide full description
The gnome is already sitting. Wind the dial — it runs backwards on purpose, like a kitchen timer — take three settling breaths, and begin. While you work, he meditates. Remaining time is a golden wedge that quietly shrinks; no ticking numbers to squint at. Lay the phone face down and he sinks deeper, the sounds soften, and the room gets calmer. Every sitting leaves a firefly drifting in the grove. Ending early still counts — a dimmer firefly, never a dead tree, never a broken streak, never a scolding. However long you stay counts. Nothing here is lost, and nothing is taken away. WHAT'S INSIDE • A hand-wound visual dial: 5 minutes to 2 hours, a soft click for every detent • Three settling breaths before the clock starts (skippable, and it remembers) • Face-down deepening — putting the phone away is the point, so the app rewards it • The grove: every sitting you've ever finished, drifting behind him • Name your sittings ("Thesis · 45m") and keep an honest ledger • Hand-made ambient soundscapes: hearth, rain, forest night • A choosable clock: storybook or blocky, in three inks • One notification, ever: when your sitting ends NO CATCHES No ads. No account. No subscription. No streaks you can lose. Everything stays on your phone. We built Focus Gnome for everyone who has ever been scolded by a productivity app. This is the timer that doesn't punish you for being human.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Focus Gnome at none against Screen Time Limit's 5. 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
Both are free to download. Screen Time Limit sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Focus Gnome asks for nothing beyond the download.
Screen Time Limit ships an update every 8 days, Focus Gnome every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Screen Time Limit | Focus Gnome |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (10 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thom Kamphuis | MATTHEW MALHAM |
In-app purchases
Screen Time Limit
- Weekly$5.997 Days
- Monthly$9.991 Month
- Yearly$29.991 Year
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Yearly3 Days trial$34.991 Year
- Yearly$59.991 Year
Focus Gnome
No in-app purchases









