Comparison

Borrow vs Merit.

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Borrow

This app helps you regain control of your screen time by setting daily limits and making each unlock a deliberate choice. It offers features like Focus Mode, customizable time budgets, and an Allowlist for essential apps. Track your usage patterns and take back your time.

Highlights
  • Daily time budget
  • Focus Mode
  • Allowlist for essential apps
  • Protected and Strict modes
  • Live Activity countdown
  • Siri Shortcuts
Read full description

You already know. You pick it up without thinking. Another evening gone. You meant to put it down an hour ago. Borrow doesn't judge you. It gives you a daily budget and makes every unlock a conscious choice. Focus Mode blocks everything on your phone. When you actually need it, you borrow time. You choose how long, you choose why, and when the time's up everything locks again. No streaks. No guilt. Just a limit that means something. Set your daily budget anywhere from 1 minute to 8 hours. Every borrow counts against it. When it's gone, it's gone. Resets at midnight. Each unlock asks you two things: how long, and why. Talk to someone. Something specific. Just need a break. The reason matters, and over time the patterns become obvious. If you need Focus Mode to actually stick, you can set it to Protected mode with a 30-second cooldown before you can turn it off, or go full Strict and lock yourself in until your commitment ends. No exceptions. Your bank app, phone calls, Maps, anything you need always available through the Allowlist. Sessions let you unlock specific apps for a set window. Schedules handle recurring blocks for work hours or evenings. There's a Live Activity countdown on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, home screen widgets, and Siri Shortcuts if you need them. Your Screen Time data never leaves your device. No servers, no account, no analytics, no ads. Take back your time. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Protected mode, Strict mode, and the Allowlist require Borrow Pro, an optional subscription.

About

Merit.

Features
Read full description

Show up. Apps unlock. Merit blocks distracting apps until you physically arrive at the places that matter — the gym, library, office, or anywhere you commit to being. No timers, no willpower needed. Just show up. HOW IT WORKS • Set a commitment: pick a location, choose which apps to block, and set your schedule • When your commitment activates, selected apps are blocked • Walk to your location — Merit detects your arrival via GPS and unlocks your apps • Build streaks by showing up consistently TWO BLOCKING MODES • Block Until Arrival — apps stay locked until you show up (perfect for getting yourself to the gym) • Block While At Location — apps lock only while you're there (perfect for staying focused at the library) ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS Invite a friend to join your commitment. See when they show up. Hold each other accountable. Because it's easier to skip when nobody's watching. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Daily streaks and weekly progress • See how often you show up to each location • Monthly history and unlock records FREE TO START • 1 commitment with up to 3 blocked apps • Join shared commitments from friends • Full streak and stats tracking MERIT PRO • Unlimited commitments and locations • Unlimited blocked apps • Create shared commitments • Custom themes, fonts, and app icons MERIT PRO PRICING Merit Pro is available as a monthly subscription ($6.99/month, introductory offer: $0.99 for the first month) or annual subscription ($49.99/year). A lifetime purchase is also available. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings. Privacy Policy: https://usemerit.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://usemerit.app/terms

Screenshots

Borrow4 screens
Merit.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Merit. at none against Borrow's shown. Borrow's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.2). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Borrow sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Merit. sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Borrow ships an update every 2 days, Merit. every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on August 14, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Borrow versus Merit.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBorrowMerit.
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (16 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings16 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPoteo de la unaMerit Apps LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Borrow

Subscriptions2
  • Pro3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Pro3 Days trial$49.991 Year
3 purchases

Merit.

Subscriptions2
  • Merit Pro Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Merit Pro Annual$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Merit Pro Lifetime$149.99

Questions

Is Borrow free?
Borrow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Merit. free?
Merit. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Borrow or Merit. have ads?
Borrow shows ads; Merit. does not.
Which is updated more often, Borrow or Merit.?
Borrow ships an update every 2 days, and Merit. every 3 days. Most recently, Borrow was updated on August 14, 2026 and Merit. on September 13, 2026.

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