Comparison

Tether vs Deny

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

Deny

This app helps you regain focus by blocking distracting applications. It requires a friend's approval to unlock apps, fostering accountability and making screen time limits stick. Take back your attention with a collaborative approach to digital well-being.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps and sites
  • Schedule app blocking
  • Daily time limits for apps
  • Friend approval required for unlocks
  • Temporary unlock with countdown
  • Collaborative progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Deny locks the apps that waste your time — and puts a friend in charge of the key. Most screen-time apps fail for one reason: the moment you want back in, you just tap "ignore limit." Deny removes that escape hatch. Block your most distracting apps, and when you want to unlock them, you have to ask a friend to approve it. HOW IT WORKS • Build block groups — pick the apps and sites to lock, on a schedule or a daily time limit. • Stay locked. Blocked apps are shielded by iOS, so there's no sneaking past them. • Allow temporary unlocks — give yourself a set number of minutes, with a live countdown showing exactly when apps re-lock. • Bring in friends. Connect with an invite code, then ask a friend for screen time. They approve or deny — you stay accountable. • See each other's progress and keep one another honest. WHY DENY • Friends make it stick. Accountability beats willpower. • Honest by design — no one-tap "ignore." • Private. Your data is yours; we never sell it or use it for ads. Deny uses Apple's Screen Time (Family Controls) features to block apps on your own device. Take back your attention — together.

Screenshots

Tether4 screens
Deny4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Deny at none against Tether's 7. Tether's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, rating, ads 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. Tether sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month. Deny asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 Deny. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tether has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Tether versus Deny: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTetherDeny
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (8 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 10 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUndrift LLCStepAI K.K.

Customer experience

Tether

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

Deny

All ratings1 ratings
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
None

Deny

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tether free?
Tether is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Deny free?
Deny is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Tether or Deny?
Tether and Deny are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Tether or Deny have ads?
Neither Tether nor Deny shows ads.

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