Comparison

Screen Time Control vs Scroll Brake

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

Head to head
About

Screen Time Control

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OceanMode is a Screen Time Control app and App Blocker for iPhone. Quit doomscrolling. Limit screen time. Build better habits. Sleep better! Break bad habits with OceanMode! FEATURES: β€’ App blocker for iPhone β€’ Site blocker for distracting websites β€’ Focus timer for deep work, study, and sleep β€’ Break Protection Modes (Premium) β€’ Ambient Sounds with Timer (Premium) BUILT FOR REAL LIFE β€’ Stop scroll spirals and quit doomscrolling β€’ Reduce screen time and reclaim your day β€’ Sleep better and build habits that hold Limit screen time. Stay focused. Go deeper. Terms: https://oceanmode.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://oceanmode.app/policy

About

Scroll Brake

Features
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Scroll Brake helps you manage your screen time and stop opening distracting apps on autopilot. The app's goal is not to strictly ban apps or forcibly restrict your time on social media. The real goal is to turn mindless tapping into a conscious choice rather than an automatic reaction. The concept is straightforward: once your daily limit for an app or website runs out, access is paused behind a quick math problem. To continue using the app, solve the equation in your head. That brief pause gives you just enough time to reset. You can make this conscious choice anywhere β€” on public transit, in meetings, or in quiet rooms β€” completely discreetly and without disturbing anyone. No awkward physical exercises, loud alarms, or barcode scanning: just a few seconds of quiet mental focus. If you opened the app out of boredom, you can easily put your phone down. If you genuinely need it for work or communication, solve the puzzle and continue. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose the apps and websites you want to limit. 2. Set your daily time allowance. 3. When time expires, Scroll Brake shields the screen with a math problem. 4. Solve the equation to unlock access. PRO TIP: SPLIT LIMITS & STRICT MODE Instead of one broad 1-hour limit, set a 10-minute session interval and cap daily unlocks at 6 in Strict Mode. You still get that same hour, but every 10 minutes a math puzzle breaks the endless feed hypnosis. Once those 6 unlocks are used up, the app stays firmly locked until tomorrow. KEY FEATURES β€’ Adaptive Math Difficulty Equations adjust to your mental calculation speed. You can calibrate the baseline difficulty during setup β€” from quick single-step arithmetic to more challenging puzzles. β€’ Strict Mode Need an unyielding barrier? Set a daily cap on unlock attempts. Once you reach it, apps are strictly locked until tomorrow, with no way to solve your way in. β€’ Conscious Choice Anywhere No awkward tasks, loud sounds, or scanning barcodes. Solving an equation in your head takes seconds and allows you to make an intentional choice in any setting β€” on transit, at work, or at home β€” without disturbing anyone. β€’ Daily Discipline, No Weekday Exceptions There are deliberately no day-of-week schedules. Bad habits don’t follow a work calendar: restricting screen time Monday to Friday only to binge all weekend won’t break the loop. Scroll Brake keeps your focus consistent every day. β€’ App & Website Limits Limit individual apps, categories, or infinite scroll websites in Safari. β€’ Screen Time Stats Keep track of your daily progress and see how much intentional focus time you gain back each week. β€’ Privacy & Battery Efficiency Built directly on Apple's native Screen Time API: highly optimized, zero background battery drain, and no tracking. All calculations and statistics stay strictly on your device. β€’ Zero Push Notifications Scroll Brake never requests notification permissions. It is built for uninterrupted quiet and focus, so it will never spam you with push alerts, sounds, or reminders. Spend your attention on what genuinely matters. Download Scroll Brake and make phone use intentional again. TERMS, PRIVACY & CONDITIONS Read on https://novasynapse.com/products/scroll-brake/privacy/ & https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Screen Time Control4 screens
Scroll Brake4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scroll Brake at none against Screen Time Control's 3. Scroll Brake also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Screen Time Control sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Scroll Brake asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Screen Time Control ships an update every 4 weeks, Scroll Brake weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Screen Time Control versus Scroll Brake: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreen Time ControlScroll Brake
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksWeekly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad β€” better
Requires iOS26.0 β€” better26.5
Further details β€” not scored
Size114 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLunarly LimitedNovaSynapse OU

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Screen Time Control

Subscriptions2
  • DeepMode Pro Monthly$7.991 Month
  • DeepMode Pro Annually3 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • DeepMode Pro Lifetime$129.99
None

Scroll Brake

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Screen Time Control free?
Screen Time Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scroll Brake free?
Scroll Brake is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Screen Time Control or Scroll Brake have ads?
Neither Screen Time Control nor Scroll Brake shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Screen Time Control or Scroll Brake?
Screen Time Control ships an update every 4 weeks, and Scroll Brake weekly. Most recently, Screen Time Control was updated on October 6, 2026 and Scroll Brake on October 7, 2026.

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