Screen Time Control vs PaperDraft
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Screen Time Control
This app helps you reclaim your time by blocking distracting applications on a schedule or for a set duration. It features a unique 'Focus Gate' to prevent accidental unlocks and rewards you with 'blocks' to build a virtual world for completed focus sessions.
- Scheduled app blocking
- On-demand focus sessions
- Focus Gate for accidental unlocks
- Virtual world building with earned blocks
- Privacy-focused design
- Offline functionality
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You don't decide to lose an hour. You open one app, and it's gone. Paused protects the time you meant to keep. Choose the apps that pull you in, set the hours you want back, and they stay shielded — even when Paused isn't open. FEATURES WITH PAUSED PLUS The protection features below require paid Paused Plus access: a weekly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Apple Screen Time permission is required. PROTECT YOUR DAY ON A SCHEDULE - Build recurring windows like Deep Work, Mindful Morning, Evening Reset, or Sleep Shield. - Pick apps and categories with Apple's own Screen Time picker. - Set start and end times, choose your weekdays, and create windows that run past midnight. - Reuse a selection you already made instead of picking the same apps twice. OR PROTECT THE NEXT HOUR, RIGHT NOW - Start a 15, 30, 60, or 90-minute session whenever you need one. - The shield goes up immediately and lifts on time, whether or not Paused is running. SET A DAILY LIMIT - Give selected apps and categories a shared daily allowance. Usage already accumulated today counts; the allowance resets at midnight. - Once the allowance is reached, those selections are blocked for the rest of the day. - Turning off or removing an enabled limit requires a 10-minute cooldown and confirmation within five minutes. Protection stays on while you wait; confirming ends the current streak, not permanent progress. WHEN YOU REACH FOR A BLOCKED APP A Break Pass makes temporary access a deliberate choice. Name your reason, hold continuously for 10 seconds, then choose 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Releasing early keeps protection on. Review the consequence before confirming: one pass is used and your active streak ends. Only the requested app, category, or website opens temporarily; other protected selections stay shielded. Earned blocks, outposts, and unlocked worlds are never spent or lost. WATCH KEPT TIME TURN INTO SOMETHING - The first completed Focus Now or Schedule session for each day earns eight permanent blocks and one streak day. - Further sessions add to your minutes and session totals, not another block reward. Daily Limits do not earn blocks or complete the daily quest. - Blocks build a voxel world that grows as you do. Unlock visual worlds through streak milestones. - Interrupted sessions do not count as completed focus. Active schedule removal or deactivation also requires a cooldown. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your app and category choices are handled by Apple and stay on your device. Paused never decodes or uploads the names of the apps you pick. Schedules, streaks, and progress live on your iPhone and keep working offline. BUILT PROPERLY iPhone and iPad, portrait and landscape. Dynamic Type and VoiceOver supported. Reduce Motion respected. PAUSED PLUS ACCESS Choose a recurring weekly or yearly subscription, or one-time lifetime access, from the plans shown in the app. Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled; manage or cancel them in your Apple Account settings. Lifetime access is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Blocks and worlds are earned through focus, not bought. Your first saved protection plan stays inactive until Plus access is confirmed. Terms of Use: https://paused.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://paused.app/privacy
PaperDraft
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Replace the clutter of complex productivity apps with the elegant simplicity of PaperDraft. Designed to feel like a real notebook, PaperDraft is your dedicated space to jot down daily tasks, draft thoughts, and reflect on your timeline. Whether you use it as a daily to-do list, a minimalist diary, or a rapid-logging journal, PaperDraft’s gesture-driven interface keeps you focused on your words. Simply swipe left or right to flip through your days, or pinch the screen to instantly zoom out to a beautiful calendar grid of your entire history. CORE FEATURES: • Distraction-Free Drafting: A clean, lined-paper aesthetic that puts your thoughts first. • Effortless Navigation: Swipe smoothly between days just like turning the pages of a notebook. • Pinch-to-Zoom Grid: Pinch out on any draft to seamlessly transition into a grid overview of all your past and future notes. • One-Tap Tasks: Tap the circle next to any line to instantly strike it through and mark it as complete. • Frictionless Editing: Easily add new lines or tap the 'X' to instantly remove a thought from your draft. --------------------------------------------- PAPERDRAFT PRO: Upgrade once and keep it forever. Unlocking PaperDraft Pro gives you access to our complete suite of premium planning tools: • Automatic iCloud Backups: Daily drafts now silently sync to a dedicated "PaperDraft" folder in iCloud Drive as proprietary .pdfe files. (Pro). • Privacy Lock: Secure your personal journal using Face ID or Touch ID. (Pro). • Premium Themes: Swap the classic paper for Dark Mode, Yellow Legal Pad, or Architect Blueprint themes. (Pro). • Unlimited Search: Instantly locate specific tasks, memories, or notes across your entire timeline. (Pro). • Text Export: Turn your daily drafts into beautifully formatted text logs to share, AirDrop, or save to your files. (Pro). • Custom Ink Colours: Write in Fountain Blue, Correction Red, or Highlighter Green (Pro). • Changeable Typography: Fancy something different? No problem, pick a font you love (Pro). • Support the Developer!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: PaperDraft at daily against Screen Time Control's every 4 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. Screen Time Control sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and PaperDraft sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Screen Time Control ships an update every 4 weeks, PaperDraft daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Screen Time Control | PaperDraft |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Worth A Try LLC | Connor Julian-Golding |
In-app purchases
Screen Time Control
- Paused Plus Weekly$6.997 Days
- Paused Plus Annual Offer$29.991 Year
- Paused Plus Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Paused Plus Lifetime$79.99
PaperDraft
- PaperDraft Pro$1.99









