Comparison

Brainrot vs Takeback

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

Head to head
About

Brainrot

This app helps you regain control of your digital life by blocking distracting apps and websites. Utilize a focus timer and smart schedules to improve productivity, sleep, and reduce screen time. A visual indicator provides a playful nudge to encourage mindful usage.

Highlights
  • App and website blocking
  • Focus timer
  • Smart scheduling
  • Mindful breaks
  • Usage insights
Features
Read full description

Reclaim your day with Brainrot, a playful screen time control, app blocker, and focus coach. Pick the apps and sites to block, set schedules, and watch your cute brain avatar decay as you doom scroll. The visual nudge helps you put the phone down. Save about 2 hours per day, feel less distracted, sleep better, and get more done. What you get: - Instant blocking for apps and websites - Focus timer for deep work and Pomodoro - Smart schedules for bedtime, mornings, and meetings - Mindful breaks so you reset without the guilt - Clear insights to spot Brainrot apps fast ### PRIVATE & SECURE Brainrot uses Apple’s Screen Time API; all monitoring and blocking run *entirely* on your device. Your browsing data never leaves your phone. *All features described above require a subscription.* Terms of Service: https://thebrainrotapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://thebrainrotapp.com/privacy

About

Takeback

This app uses a drill sergeant persona to help you break free from excessive phone use. It negotiates your access to distracting apps and implements a progressive 60-day bootcamp to retrain your habits.

Highlights
  • Drill sergeant accountability
  • Negotiated app access
  • Progressive 60-day bootcamp
  • Customizable difficulty (Chill/Savage)
  • Habit retraining
  • Time and attention recovery
Features
Read full description

Takeback is Sarge, an AI coach who lets you into your social apps when you have a real reason and cuts off the doomscrolling. Not another app blocker. Other blockers lock everything, so you delete them by Friday. Or they're easy to skip. Sarge is tougher, but fair. A REAL REASON GETS YOU IN DMing a friend? Work? You get in. Doomscrolling? He cuts you off. He knows how long you've already scrolled today. 5 MODES. FIND YOURS. Some days your apps stay open, and the second you start doomscrolling, they lock. Some days every open costs a short wait while he tries to talk you out of it. On Blackout days, only a strong reason or a real emergency gets you in. Sarge picks your first modes, then you choose the one that works. HARDCORE WHEN YOU NEED IT On Hardcore days you say it out loud. Hold to talk, tell him why you need your apps, and he talks back. HE LEARNS YOU How you scroll. When you slip up. Then he adjusts your plan, and your daily limit steps down to your goal. YOUR ANTI-ALGORITHM Thousands of engineers. Billions of dollars. One job: keep you scrolling. Willpower can't beat that. It was never your fault. Sarge is an AI on your side against a billion-dollar feed. WANT MORE TIME? EARN IT. Go for a walk, work out, touch real grass, or hold a focus block. He checks the proof: your steps, a fresh photo, or 45 minutes with no unlocks. Pictures of pictures don't work on him. WHAT CHANGES Evenings that end in sleep, not a 2am feed. An attention span you can feel coming back. Hours that used to vanish with nothing to show for them. A phone you finally trust yourself with. WHO'S BEHIND IT Takeback is run by Stan Tatarnykov. He built games played by 80M+ people, so he knows how apps keep you hooked. Now he's on your side. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://trytakeback.com/privacy

Screenshots

Brainrot4 screens
Takeback4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Takeback at 75% against Brainrot's 18%. Takeback also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Brainrot's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (23K vs 2). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. Brainrot sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Takeback sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Takeback holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brainrot has 23K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Brainrot's written reviews are positive against 75% of Takeback's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brainrot ships an update every 6 days, Takeback every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Brainrot versus Takeback: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainrotTakeback
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (23K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews17.7% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings23K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmolworks IncGatarn Games Ltd.

Customer experience

Brainrot

All ratings22,721 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews2,062 reviews
Positive17.7%
Neutral6.5%
Negative75.8%

Takeback

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Brainrot

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Stuck on payment screen with no way out
  • Requires re-entering info every time

Requested features

2 requests
  • Free version with limited features
  • Free trial period

Takeback

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

15 purchases

Brainrot

Subscriptions15
  • Unlimited (1 Month)$3.991 Month
  • Unlimited (1 Week)$3.997 Days
  • Unlimited (1 Week)$4.997 Days
Show 12 more
  • monthly$8.991 Month
  • Unlimited (1 Year)$9.991 Year
  • Unlimited (1 Year)3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Unlimited (1 Year)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Unlimited (1 Year)$19.991 Year
  • Brainrot (Full Access)$24.991 Year
  • Unlimited (1 Year)3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Unlimited (1 Year)$29.991 Year
  • Brainrot (Full Access)$29.991 Year
  • Unlimited (1 Year)3 Days trial$44.991 Year
  • Brainrot Annual3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Unlimited$49.991 Year
9 purchases

Takeback

Subscriptions9
  • Takeback Monthly Plan$8.991 Month
  • Takeback Pro Weekly$9.997 Days
  • Takeback Yearly Plan$19.991 Year
Show 6 more
  • Takeback Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Takeback Annual3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Takeback Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Takeback Annual$44.991 Year
  • Takeback Annual3 Days trial$44.991 Year
  • Takeback Pro Annual$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Brainrot free?
Brainrot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Takeback free?
Takeback is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Brainrot or Takeback?
Takeback is rated higher. Brainrot averages 4.5 out of 5 from 23K ratings, while Takeback averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Brainrot or Takeback have ads?
Takeback shows ads; Brainrot does not.
Which is updated more often, Brainrot or Takeback?
Brainrot ships an update every 6 days, and Takeback every 10 days. Most recently, Brainrot was updated on October 28, 2026 and Takeback on October 25, 2026.

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