# Hold It vs Earnie

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Earnie at 100% against Hold It's 50%. Earnie also leads on price (Free vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Hold It's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Earnie is free to download; Hold It costs $9.99 up front. Earnie sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Hold It asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hold It ships an update every 2 weeks, Earnie every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hold It | Earnie |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earnie-screen-time-control/id6758642616/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **32** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 3 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [kaisei watanabe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1543587757) | [Transnode LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874145047) |

## What reviewers say

### Hold It

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hold-it-simple-app-blocker/id6745756356)

This app helps you stay focused by limiting access to distracting applications during study or deep work sessions. Set daily time limits or launch counts for chosen apps with a simple, private, and effective system. Pay once and use it forever, with no recurring fees or hidden costs.

**Highlights:** Limit app usage by time or launches, One-time purchase, no subscriptions, Simple setup in under a minute, Works fully offline, Private, no data uploaded or shared, Designed for students and deep work

**In-app purchases:** none


### Earnie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earnie-screen-time-control/id6758642616)

This app helps families encourage healthy offline habits in children through a reward system. Parents can set goals and track progress, motivating kids to spend less time on screens and more time on activities like reading and exercise.

**Highlights:** Reward system for offline activities, Screen time tracking, Goal setting for children, Progress tracking, Building healthy routines, Easy setup for families

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Subscription of Earnie Club Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| 每年订阅 | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Free for All Features | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hold It free?

Hold It costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Earnie free?

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

### Do Hold It or Earnie have ads?

Earnie shows ads; Hold It does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hold It or Earnie?

Hold It ships an update every 2 weeks, and Earnie every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hold It was updated on October 28, 2026 and Earnie on October 22, 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.*