Grip vs Customizable Countdowns
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Grip
This app helps you regain control of your screen time by making distractions costly. It offers instant app blocks, daily limits, and scheduled focus sessions to combat doomscrolling and build better habits. The unique paywall mechanic encourages mindful usage of blocked applications.
- Instant app blocks
- Daily screen time limits
- Scheduled focus sessions
- Paid unblocks for controlled access
- Customizable unlock limits
- Automatic block scheduling
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The first app to make distractions costly ($4.99 to access Instagram or TikTok)—get a grip on your life with instant blocks, daily limits, and scheduled focus sessions. As the ultimate screen time control app, Grip helps you block apps, limit screen time, and build better habits. Successful people don't have stronger willpower, they use tools that aggressively protect their time and energy. Grip is that ironclad app blocker for anyone who: - Feels the drain of doomscrolling and excessive screen time - Tried other tools like basic blockers but bypassed them too easily - Wants a system to stop their smartphone from stealing focus Grip turns distractions into a real cost, so you treat your time like it's worth something. Rated 5 stars by users: "Finally, an app that works!" KEY FEATURES: 1. Power Grip: Instant App Blocks: Block distracting apps like Instagram or TikTok immediately for a set duration. Schedule automatic blocks—e.g., no social media for the first 30 minutes after waking up. Perfect for screen time control and daily focus. 2. Iron Grip: Indefinite Blocking with Limits: Apps stay blocked until you choose to unlock. Set custom limits on unlocks per app (frequency) and duration per session, giving you total control over usage. 3. Releases: Paid Unblocks for Controlled Access: Need a quick check? Use Releases—an in-app paid feature—to temporarily access blocked apps. Get 3 free emergency Releases per month with your subscription. This paywall mechanic ensures mindful decisions, unlike easy overrides in other focus apps. Download now and start your free trial! Subscription Terms: Grip offers a 3-day free trial, then $4.99/month or $59.99/year. Cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. LEGAL INFORMATION Terms of Use: https://joingrip.io/terms Privacy Policy: https://joingrip.io/privacy
Customizable Countdowns
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Countdowns is a simple, beautiful way to track the moments that matter—birthdays, trips, launches, and everything in between. Create custom countdowns, organize them with tags, and get notified when the big day is close. What you can do: - Create and customize countdowns with emoji, color, and notes - Create unlimited countdowns - Use tags to group and find events fast - Add recurring events (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) - Get notifications so you never miss a milestone - Add Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets (Pro) - Use Live Activities on Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, and StandBy (Pro, supported devices) - Sync across devices with iCloud (Pro) Pro: Countdown Pro unlocks widgets, Live Activities, and iCloud sync. Pro is available as monthly/yearly auto-renewing plans or a one-time Lifetime purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://toffyffot.github.io/countdowns-info-page/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Customizable Countdowns at every 5 days against Grip's every 2 weeks. On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. Grip sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Customizable Countdowns sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Grip ships an update every 2 weeks, Customizable Countdowns every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Grip | Customizable Countdowns |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (30 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 30 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joingrip LLC | Krystoffer Medina |
In-app purchases
Grip
- Grip: Screen Time Control3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Grip: Screen Time Control3 Days trial$59.991 Year
- 1 Release$4.99
Customizable Countdowns
- Monthly$0.991 Month
- Yearly$5.991 Year
- Lifetime Pro$12.99
Questions
Is Grip free?
Is Customizable Countdowns free?
Do Grip or Customizable Countdowns have ads?
Which is updated more often, Grip or Customizable Countdowns?
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