Screen Time Control vs HoldOn
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Screen Time Control
This app helps you master your attention and reclaim your digital independence by setting strict screen time limits and blocking distracting applications. It combines Stoic philosophy with powerful tools to foster discipline, focus on goals, and improve digital well-being for individuals and families.
- Rigorous screen time control
- App locker and hider
- Deep work and time blocking
- Family safety features
- Discipline building
- Digital well-being tools
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Pip is a little cloud who helps you put your phone down. Pick the apps that pull at you and start a focus session. Pip locks them until you're done and quietly gets on with its day. Finish, and you both get something for it. BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS • Lock social media, games and any app you choose while you focus • Built on Apple's Screen Time, so blocks hold even if you close the app • Need a break? Earn it with a few slow breaths or a quick memory game LIMIT YOUR SCREEN TIME • Set a daily screen time goal and see how close you are • Track pickups and screen time trends across days and weeks • Gentle morning and evening nudges, never nagging A FOCUS PET THAT GROWS WITH YOU • Every focused minute earns coins • Dress Pip up with hats, glasses and more from the shop • Keep your streak alive to unlock rewards, and mend it if a day slips MADE FOR REAL LIFE • A focus timer for study, deep work, sleep and time with people • Nightstand mode and a Live Activity keep the timer in view • A hold-to-commit pledge that makes your goal feel official PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your Screen Time data is processed by Apple on your iPhone. Pip never sees which apps you open and never uploads your usage. A subscription unlocks focus sessions and the full experience. Payment is charged to your Apple ID and renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel it any time in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/live/e3c354c7-9a8f-4202-8159-6549f1a5ce00
HoldOn
This app intervenes when you open distracting applications, offering a variety of rotating messages to help you break the cycle of mindless scrolling. It tracks your usage, identifies your scroll type, and provides weekly reports without locking your device.
- Rotating nudges to prevent habituation
- Identifies user's scroll type
- Weekly usage reports
- Pause nudges for specific periods
- Tracks app opens and resistance instances
- No device locking or timers
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Willpower doesn't work against an algorithm built by thousands of engineers. So Hold On doesn't ask for willpower. Every time you open Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Snapchat, Hold On steps in with a nudge - a different nudge based on the moment Most screen time apps show you the same block screen so often you stop reading it after day three. Hold On has 500+ nudges that rotate so it never gets old, and never gets ignored. HOW IT WORKS Open a distracting app → Hold On shows up first, always. Read the nudge (funny, sharp, sometimes a little mean, never preachy). Decide: close the app, or continue in. Keep scrolling? Hold On comes back — every 5 minutes or so, not just once. So you are never left to Doomscroll FIND YOUR SCROLL TYPE After a week of app usage we find out your scroll type — The Night Owl, The Weekend Goblin, The Alarm Clock, and more. Share it with friends YOUR WEEKLY REPORT See exactly how much time went to which apps, how many times you opened them, and how many times you actually resisted. No shame, just the numbers. GOING SOMEWHERE? Pause nudges for a day, a weekend, or however long you need. So you dont need to uninstall the app all together, just Pause the nudges FREE VS PRO - Free: track and get nudged on 1 app. - Pro: unlimited apps, full nudge variety, full weekly reports. Hold On doesn't lock your phone or set a timer counting down to a fight with yourself. It just makes sure you never open distracting apps on autopilot again. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Use: https://hold-on-web.vercel.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://hold-on-web.vercel.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: HoldOn at freemium against Screen Time Control's subscription. Screen Time Control's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Screen Time Control sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and HoldOn sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Screen Time Control against 5.0 for HoldOn. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
Screen Time Control ships an update every 3 days, HoldOn every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Screen Time Control | HoldOn |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DANIEL PETRISOR ATITIENEI | Pardhasaradhi Tirumalasetti |
Customer experience
Screen Time Control
HoldOn
In-app purchases
Screen Time Control
- Weekly Plan$4.997 Days
- Monthly Plan$7.991 Month
- Yearly Plan Discount$29.991 Year
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- Yearly Plan7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- 400 Coins$0.99
- 1,350 Coins$2.99
- 2,500 Coins$4.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- 5,500 Coins$9.99
HoldOn
- Hold On Pro$3.991 Month









