# Phone Jail vs Arc

The clearest difference is rating: Phone Jail at 4.8 against Arc's 4.3. Phone Jail also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). Arc's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Phone Jail sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Arc sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Phone Jail holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 40 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Phone Jail's written reviews are positive against 64% of Arc's.

Phone Jail ships an update every 5 days, Arc every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phone Jail | Arc |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phone-jail-tools-for-focus/id6747712365/reviews)** | [4.3 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arc-screen-time-control/id6752133918/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **40** | 27 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 63.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 89 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuriy Chernin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801545320) | [Arc Labs LLC (MT)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1838190035) |

## What reviewers say

### Phone Jail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phone-jail-tools-for-focus/id6747712365)

This app helps you regain control of your time and enhance focus by blocking distracting applications and managing screen time. It offers features like scheduled blocking, custom durations, and detailed usage analytics to support digital wellness and productivity.

**Highlights:** Block distracting apps and categories, Schedule blocking in advance, Set custom blocking durations, Strict Block mode, Track focus time analytics, Detailed app usage monitoring, Pomodoro timer

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly 9.99 | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly 13.99 | $13.99 | per month |
| Annual 29.99 | $29.99 | per year |
| Monthly 29 99 | $29.99 | per month |
| Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual 69.99 | $69.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro | $69.99 | one-time |


### Arc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arc-screen-time-control/id6752133918)

This app helps you regain control of your screen time by setting session limits and providing smart nudges for your to-do lists. It offers advanced analytics to understand your scrolling habits and offers AI-powered recommendations for improvement.

**Highlights:** Session limits for automatic breaks, Smart nudges for to-do reminders, Integrated to-do lists, Advanced session analytics, AI-powered recommendations, Bedtime mode with sleep reminders

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Arc Pro (Weekly) | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Arc Pro Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Arc Pro (Annual) | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phone Jail free?

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

### Is Arc free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Phone Jail or Arc?

Phone Jail is rated higher. Phone Jail averages 4.8 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Arc averages 4.3 from 27 ratings.

### Do Phone Jail or Arc have ads?

Phone Jail shows ads; Arc does not.

### Which is updated more often, Phone Jail or Arc?

Phone Jail ships an update every 5 days, and Arc every 2 weeks. Most recently, Phone Jail was updated on October 30, 2026 and Arc on October 30, 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.*