Merite vs Gemify
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Merite
This app transforms screen time into a reward by letting users earn usage time by completing tasks. Distracting apps remain blocked until enough time is earned, promoting balance and turning your phone into a tool.
- Earn screen time by completing tasks
- Block distracting apps until time is earned
- Data stays on device, no tracking
- Promotes phone-life balance
- Turn phone into a tool
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Make screen time a reward, not a habit. Merite helps you turn everyday responsibilities into intentional screen time. Create tasks for work, study, chores, or personal goals. Complete them to build your screen time budget, then use that time when you want a break. Instead of scrolling by default, Merite helps you pause, finish what matters, and enjoy your phone with less guilt. - Complete tasks to earn screen time - Keep distracting apps blocked until you have time available - Stay private with on-device data, no accounts, and no tracking - Enjoy guilt-free scrolling because your break is earned Turn your phone from a distraction into a tool for balance. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://artemtalko.github.io/merite.privacy-policy/
Gemify
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Gemify turns the timer on its head: distracting apps stay locked by default, and focused time is the currency that opens them. Most blockers punish you. You hit a wall, feel guilty, and switch the thing off. Gemify spins the loop the other way — you earn the right to a break by doing the work first. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose the apps that pull you away — Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, anything you pick. 2. Run a focus timer (5 / 25 / 50 / 90 minutes) and do real work. Finishing earns Gems. 3. Want a break? Spend Gems to open an app — 1 Gem buys 1 minute. When time runs out, the lock returns automatically. EARN RATES • 5 min focused → 1 Gem • 25 min focused → 5 Gems • 50 min focused → 11 Gems • 90 min focused → 22 Gems Longer sessions carry a small bonus. Unlocks start at 5 Gems for 5 minutes. REAL ENFORCEMENT, NOT WILLPOWER Gemify uses Apple's Screen Time (Family Controls) framework to actually keep the apps you chose closed at the OS level. No browser hack, no overlay, no easy bypass. The lock you set is the lock you get. ONE RULE WE WILL NEVER BREAK Gems cannot be bought. Not with money, not one. Every Gem in your balance is proof of focused time — that is the entire point. If you could pay your way past the block, none of it would mean anything. FREE VS PRO Free includes the full focus timer, the full Gem loop, and 2 blocked apps — enough to feel how the loop changes your day. Pro adds: • Unlimited blocked apps • Web ↔ iPhone sync with the Gemify Chrome extension • Focus analytics (coming soon) Pro is available as a 7-day free trial, then $84.99/year or $10.99/month. Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. PRIVACY Gemify never reads which apps you actually open. The list of apps you mark as blocked is stored on your device as opaque tokens — Apple never tells us their names, and we never store or transmit them. Your Gem balance and focus session history live in your own account so they can sync across devices. Privacy policy: https://rammaru.com/en/legal/privacy Terms of service: https://rammaru.com/en/legal/terms — Built for people whose best work needs depth, not discipline. If Gemify protects an hour of yours, a quiet rating helps it reach the next person.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Merite at 18.0 against Gemify's 26.2. 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
Both are free to download. Merite sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Gemify sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Merite ships an update every 10 days, Gemify every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Merite | Gemify |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (33 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 33 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 11 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Artem Talko | Ranmaru Ito |
In-app purchases
Merite
- Buy me a coffee$0.99
- Buy me a pizza$2.99
- Big tip$5.99
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- Merite Pro Lifetime$79.99
Gemify
- Gemify Pro Monthly7 Days trial$10.991 Month
- Gemify Pro Annual7 Days trial$84.991 Year









