Comparison

Unplug vs A5 Journal

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

Head to head
About

Unplug

This app helps you reduce screen time by setting daily limits on chosen applications. It offers solo and group challenges with a unique point system for accountability. Parents can also use it to manage their teen's screen time and allowances.

Highlights
  • Set daily time limits for apps
  • Block apps when limit is reached
  • Solo and group challenges
  • Commit and earn Unplug Points
  • Family screen time management
  • Guided breathing pauses
  • Customizable shield styles
Features
Read full description

Unplug is a screen time app with something on the line. Choose the apps that pull you in, set a daily limit, and back it with Unplug Points. Stay under and every point comes back. Hit the limit and those apps stay blocked for the rest of the day. HOW IT WORKS • Choose the apps and categories to limit • Back each challenge with Unplug Points, or run it without points as a Premium practice challenge • Set a daily limit and how many days the challenge runs • Hit the limit and those apps stay blocked until tomorrow • Finish under your limit and every point you committed comes back. Go over and those points are gone. FAMILY ALLOWANCE (PREMIUM) Turn screen time into allowance. A parent proposes a weekly screen time limit and allowance, and the teen accepts on their own iPhone. Stay under all week and the allowance is earned. Unplug tracks the week, and the parent pays the allowance directly. Unplug never moves that money, and teens never stake points. During a family deal, Unplug keeps the teen's iPhone on automatic date and time, so the daily limit follows the real clock. UNPLUG POINTS Unplug Points are an in-app purchase. They have no cash value, cannot be cashed out or transferred, and do not expire. Points you commit never go to another user. Finish a challenge under your limit and every point you committed comes back. MORE WAYS TO TAKE IT ON • Personal challenges: your apps, your limit, your points • Focus lock: block your chosen apps for a set stretch, from 15 minutes to 8 hours • One Hour Club: join the weekly group round and keep each other honest • Practice mode (Premium): a full challenge without points SEE YOUR DAY Home shows today's screen time against your usual pace, the apps that take the most of it, and how often you pick up your phone. WHEN YOU HIT THE LIMIT Choose what the block screen says: • A direct "Daily limit reached" notice • A calm "Time's up for today" • A quote to pause on • A guided breathing pause before you decide (Premium) YOUR DATA Unplug uses Apple's Screen Time technology (Family Controls) to block only the apps you choose. Your progress against each challenge's limit syncs to your account so we can confirm results and settle disputes fairly. We never sell your data, and we never use your screen-time data for advertising. UNPLUG PREMIUM Premium adds practice mode, guided breathing, and Family Allowance. It is an auto-renewable subscription, billed monthly or yearly. Your price is shown in the app before you subscribe. New subscribers get a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase, or when your free trial ends if you start one. The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings. Terms of Use: https://unplugmobile.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://unplugmobile.app/privacy.html

About

A5 Journal

Features
Read full description

A5 JOURNAL Your Records. Your Proof. Your Story. Your life deserves more than another notes app. A5 Journal combines the warmth of traditional journaling with powerful digital documentation tools. Build your own beautiful library, create notebooks, and capture everything from everyday memories to important professional records. YOUR HISTORY, PRESERVED Every entry is timestamped and permanently recorded. Once saved, it cannot be edited or rewritten, helping you preserve an authentic history of what happened and when. EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE Create notebooks for personal journaling, work documentation, project tracking, incident reports, memories, and more. FEATURES YOU'LL LOVE • Beautiful digital libraries and notebooks • Permanent, timestamped entries • Photos and supporting attachments • Customizable forms and reports • Offline mobile journaling with automatic synchronization • Shared journals for families and teams • A5 Mailroom for sharing letters and records • Search, starred entries, and reminders • Export your records whenever you need them • Memberships for individuals, families, and businesses BUILT FOR LIFE AND WORK Whether you're preserving memories, tracking personal goals, documenting workplace events, or collaborating with your team, A5 Journal keeps your records organized and accessible. Start building your library today. A5 Journal — Your Records. Your Proof. Your Story. Important Notice: A5 Journal is a documentation and organizational tool, not a legal service. Records are not guaranteed to be legally admissible. A 7-day free trial is available for eligible individual subscriptions. An active subscription is required after the trial. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Unplug4 screens
A5 Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: A5 Journal at 15.0 against Unplug's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Unplug sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and A5 Journal sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Unplug ships an update every 4 days, A5 Journal weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Unplug versus A5 Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUnplugA5 Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB95 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperFarrell Bros LLCThinkFULL Holdings Inc.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Unplug

Subscriptions5
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time5
  • 10 Unplug Points$10.00
  • 20 Unplug Points$20.00
  • 40 Unplug Points$40.00
Show 2 more
  • 50 Unplug Points$50.00
  • 75 Unplug Points$75.00
9 purchases

A5 Journal

Subscriptions9
  • A5 Journal Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • A5 Journal Members - Monthly7 Days trial2 variants$2.991 Month
  • A5 Journal Family Plan$10.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • A5 Journal Business Plan Monthly$25.991 Month
  • A5 Journal Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • A5 Journal Business+ Plan Monthly$49.991 Month
  • A5 Journal Family Plan Yearly$109.991 Year
  • A5 Journal Business Plan Yearly$259.991 Year
  • A5 Journal Business+ Plan Yearly$499.991 Year

Questions

Is Unplug free?
Unplug is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is A5 Journal free?
A5 Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Unplug or A5 Journal have ads?
Neither Unplug nor A5 Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Unplug or A5 Journal?
Unplug ships an update every 4 days, and A5 Journal weekly. Most recently, Unplug was updated on October 30, 2026 and A5 Journal on November 9, 2026.

Other comparisons