# Step Guard vs Esse

The clearest difference is rating: Step Guard at 5.0 against Esse's 4.8. Esse's advantage is ratings volume (24 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Step Guard sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Esse sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Step Guard holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Esse has 24 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Step Guard ships an update every 5 days, Esse weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Step Guard | Esse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/step-guard-screen-time-block/id6745701169/reviews)** | [4.8 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esse-ai-video-summarizer/id6751778111/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **24** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eugene Ondora](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813394563) | [100K31D D.O.O.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826502418) |

## What reviewers say

### Step Guard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/step-guard-screen-time-block/id6745701169)

This app transforms your steps into screen time, locking distracting apps and websites until you reach your daily step goal. It encourages physical activity by making movement the key to accessing your phone.

**Highlights:** Set daily step or walk goals, Lock selected apps and websites, Automatic unlock upon goal achievement, Syncs with Apple Watch and Apple Health, Group challenges for accountability, Detailed movement insights (Premium)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StepGuard Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| StepGuard Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| StepGuard Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $19.99 | one-time |


### Esse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esse-ai-video-summarizer/id6751778111)

Instantly transform lengthy YouTube videos into concise, easy-to-understand summaries. This tool offers bullet-point takeaways, deep dives, and supports over 60 languages, creating a personal knowledge library. Save time and effortlessly share key information.

**Highlights:** AI video summarization, Bullet-point takeaways, Deep dive summaries, 60+ languages supported, Searchable library, Automatic clipboard detection, Time saved tracking

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Step Guard free?

Step Guard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Esse free?

Esse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Step Guard or Esse?

Step Guard is rated higher. Step Guard averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Esse averages 4.8 from 24 ratings.

### Do Step Guard or Esse have ads?

Neither Step Guard nor Esse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Step Guard or Esse?

Step Guard ships an update every 5 days, and Esse weekly. Most recently, Step Guard was updated on October 30, 2026 and Esse on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*