ByTime vs ScrollKick Screen Time Control
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ByTime
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Earn your screen time. Most screen-time apps work by taking things away. ByTime works by giving them back — but only when you've earned them. Focus for a few minutes, and minutes drop into your wallet. When you want to use Instagram, TikTok, or any app you've blocked, you spend from what you earned. No daily quotas. No willpower contests. No guilt afterwards. It's the simplest behaviour change there is: you can have it, you just have to earn it first. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps and websites you want to keep at arm's length. 2. Run a focus session. Three minutes, thirty minutes — your call. 3. Spend what you've earned. Tap the shield over a blocked app, choose how many minutes to spend, and it opens. When the minutes run out, the shield comes back. A WALLET, NOT A WARDEN Your earned minutes sit in a balance you can see at a glance. Carry minutes forward. Spend them on whatever you want, in whatever order you want. The app doesn't decide what's important — you do. A FOCUS SESSION YOU CAN LIVE WITH The session screen is dominated by a slow, ambient surface that breathes for as long as you focus — Aurora, Sunset, Observatory, and a handful of other shader-rendered backgrounds you can pick from. The timer is there when you need it, but it isn't the loudest thing on the screen. And the reward you're earning sits next to the time you have left, so the session is about what you're gaining, not just what you're spending. BUILT ON THE 8-8-8 BALANCE Eight hours of focus. Eight hours of reward. Eight hours of sleep. ByTime is built around the idea that a day works best when those three are in rough balance — and your screen time belongs in the reward eight, paid for by the focus eight. You set the daily targets; the wallet does the accounting. A REWARD, NOT A PUNISHMENT The earn-then-spend loop works the way brains actually respond to incentives: positive reinforcement instead of punishment, delayed gratification instead of impulse. You're not being scolded for picking up your phone — you're being paid for putting it down. PRIVACY THE WAY APPLE INTENDED ByTime is built on Apple's Screen Time APIs (FamilyControls, ManagedSettings, DeviceActivity). Your usage data never leaves your device. We don't collect it, we don't see it, and we don't sell it. CALM, PREMIUM, INTENTIONAL Dark-first interface, tactile glass surfaces, fluid motion. ByTime is designed to feel like a well-made instrument — a tool you reach for, not one that scolds you. WHO IT'S FOR — Students who lose hours to TikTok between every study block and want their phone back on their own terms. — Anyone who's tried five blockers and felt punished by all of them. — Adults who want to spend less time scrolling and more time on what they actually planned to do. WHAT IT'S NOT — Not a parental control app. ByTime is built for self-management; you set your own rules. — Not a streak machine. There are no fires to lose, no badges to chase, no scoreboards. — Not a shame engine. The app never tells you you've used your phone too much. It just shows you what you've earned. Earn it. Spend it. Stop fighting your phone.
ScrollKick Screen Time Control
This app helps you manage your social media usage by setting limits on your scrolling sessions and daily app access. It offers customizable protection levels to interrupt your usage without forcing you to quit entirely, promoting healthier digital habits.
- Session limits for each scrolling session
- Daily limits and blocked hours
- Always Blocked for selected apps
- Four protection levels
- Custom pause and access timers
- Screen-time insights
- Kick Points and progress tracking
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You open social media for one quick check. Half an hour later, you’re still scrolling. ScrollKick helps stop that moment before it happens — without forcing you to quit social media. Set a Session Limit to keep each visit short. Add a Daily Limit, Blocked Hours, or Always Blocked when you want stronger boundaries. BREAK THE SCROLL, NOT YOUR SOCIAL LIFE When a limit is reached, ScrollKick interrupts the scroll. Choose how hard it should be to continue with four protection levels — from a short mindful pause to stronger protection. Temporary access ends automatically, and the app returns to protection. KEY FEATURES • Session limits for each scrolling session • Daily limits and blocked hours • Always Blocked for selected apps • Four protection levels • Custom pause and access timers • Strict Mode for stronger commitment • Screen-time insights • Kick Points and progress tracking Start free with essential protection for one app. ScrollKick Pro unlocks more apps, stronger protection, custom timers, Strict Mode, and extended insights. ScrollKick uses Apple’s Screen Time technology to protect selected apps on your device. Check social media. Don’t get stuck there. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ByTime at none against ScrollKick Screen Time Control's 2. 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. ScrollKick Screen Time Control sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. ByTime asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ByTime | ScrollKick Screen Time Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Baalavignesh A | Ihor Pakhomov |
In-app purchases
ByTime
No in-app purchases
ScrollKick Screen Time Control
- ScrollKick Pro Monthly$6.991 Month
- ScrollKick Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Questions
Is ByTime free?
Is ScrollKick Screen Time Control free?
Do ByTime or ScrollKick Screen Time Control have ads?
Which is updated more often, ByTime or ScrollKick Screen Time Control?
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