Comparison

Tether vs PeerPause

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

Head to head
About

Tether

This app helps you break free from excessive screen time by introducing friction to app usage. It allows you to block apps, websites, and categories with customizable difficulty levels for ending sessions, promoting stronger phone habits.

Highlights
  • App and website blocking
  • Customizable session difficulty
  • Focus modes (indefinite, countdown, Pomodoro)
  • Scheduled sessions
  • Reusable blocklists
  • Strict Mode to prevent loopholes
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island integration
Features
Read full description

You open your phone for "just a second" and lose 45 minutes to scrolling. Tether is an app blocker built to break that loop with real friction. Block apps, websites, and categories, then choose how hard it should be to stop: tap out, scan an NFC tag, scan a QR code, or get approval from someone you trust. Focus modes for real life - Indefinite sessions when you just need to stay locked in - Countdown sessions for deep work, study, and sprints - Pomodoro sessions with built-in breaks - Scheduled sessions for work hours, bedtimes, and daily routines Why Tether works - Create reusable blocklists for work, study, sleep, and weekends - Use Allow Mode to block everything except what you need - Turn on Strict Mode to prevent easy loopholes mid-session - Keep emergency overrides for genuine exceptions - See your session with Live Activity and Dynamic Island - Sync across devices so your rules stay consistent Tether is for people who want less screen time, stronger phone habits, and a system that's harder to cheat. Make distractions harder to reach, make quitting harder to justify, and make focus easier to keep. Terms of Use: https://www.tetherto.me/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.tetherto.me/privacy

About

PeerPause

This app helps you stick to your screen time limits by involving a trusted friend. When your time is up, it blocks apps, and you must ask your 'Time Buddy' for more time, adding social accountability to break scrolling habits.

Highlights
  • App blocking that enforces limits
  • Real-time accountability with a Time Buddy
  • Request additional screen time
  • Approval required for limit changes
  • No easy self-override options
  • Private by design for user data
Features
Read full description

Screen time limits only work when you can't quietly undo them. PeerPause fixes that by putting one person you trust between you and the "just five more minutes" button. Set a daily limit for the apps that eat your day. When the time is gone, the app locks. If you genuinely need longer, you send a request to your Time Buddy — a friend, partner, or sibling who taps accept or deny. No secret override, no deleting the limit at 1am. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the app that distracts you most. 2. Set its daily limit. 3. Add a Time Buddy. 4. When you hit the limit, the app locks. 5. Ask for more time, with a note if you want. 6. Your Time Buddy decides. WHAT YOU GET • Blocking for social, video, game, dating, and shopping apps • Daily limits built on Apple's Screen Time • Time extension requests, answered by a real person • Buddy confirmation before a limit is changed or removed • Streaks and insights that show what's actually improving • No instant self-override when you hit the limit WHY A BUDDY BEATS WILLPOWER Every other blocker lets you turn it off. That is the whole problem — the moment you want to break the limit is exactly the moment you are least able to argue with yourself. Handing that one decision to someone else takes about two seconds and changes the outcome. Your Time Buddy is not a parent or a monitor. They see the app name, how much time you asked for, and any note you send. They cannot see your messages, your browsing, your photos, or what you do inside any app. Your Screen Time data stays on your device. BEING SOMEONE'S TIME BUDDY Answering requests for a friend costs nothing — install PeerPause, get added, and tap accept or deny when they ask. A PeerPause Pro subscription is what lets you create and manage your own limits. Pause first. Scroll less. Take your time back. TERMS OF USE https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Tether4 screens
PeerPause4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PeerPause at every 4 days against Tether's every 10 days. Tether's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Tether sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month and PeerPause sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Tether against 5.0 for PeerPause. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tether ships an update every 10 days, PeerPause every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Tether versus PeerPause: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTetherPeerPause
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (8 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings8 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB100 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperUndrift LLCAndrei Tarce

Customer experience

Tether

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PeerPause

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Tether

Subscriptions5
  • Tether Pro Monthly Member$5.491 Month
  • Tether Pro Free Trial3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Tether Pro Monthly$6.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Tether Pro Yearly Member$24.491 Year
  • Tether Pro Yearly$34.991 Year
One-time2
  • Tether Pro Lifetime Member$79.99
  • Tether Pro Lifetime$99.99
3 purchases

PeerPause

Subscriptions3
  • PeerPause Weekly$3.997 Days
  • PeerPause3 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • PeerPause3 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Tether free?
Tether is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PeerPause free?
PeerPause is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tether or PeerPause?
Tether and PeerPause are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Tether or PeerPause have ads?
Neither Tether nor PeerPause shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tether or PeerPause?
Tether ships an update every 10 days, and PeerPause every 4 days. Most recently, Tether was updated on October 22, 2026 and PeerPause on October 15, 2026.

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