Intention vs BuroBrain
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Intention
This app introduces a "friction" barrier to prevent compulsive app usage. Instead of simple timers, it presents cognitive challenges that must be solved before accessing blocked applications, helping users regain focus and control over their screen time.
- Cognitive challenges (mental math, memory, word scramble, Stroop test)
- Customizable app blocking
- Set unlock durations
- Track screen time and progress
- System-level blocking via Apple APIs
- Privacy-focused design
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You don't have a screen time problem. You have a friction problem. Every time you pick up your phone, the path to Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, or YouTube is one tap away. Intention adds the one thing those apps are designed to remove: a reason to pause. When you open a blocked app, you're not shown a timer or a motivational quote. You're shown a challenge — and you can't get in until you solve it. THE METHOD: COGNITIVE FRICTION Willpower fails. Timers get dismissed. Breathing exercises fade into muscle memory. What actually interrupts a compulsive scroll is cognitive load — a moment where your brain has to switch modes and engage. Intention uses proven challenge types from cognitive psychology to create that moment every single time. FOUR KINDS OF BRAIN CHALLENGES Mix and match to keep your brain on its toes: • Mental Math — arithmetic across addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and multi-step problems • Memory Grid — watch a pattern flash, then reproduce it • Word Scramble — unscramble letters into real words • Stroop Test — the classic color/word conflict test used in focus research Pick one. Pick all four. Turn difficulty up when it gets easy. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose the apps and categories that steal your attention — social, news, games, anything 2. Open a blocked app — a shield appears with a challenge 3. Solve to unlock for a duration you set (5 minutes, 30 minutes, 2 hours — your call) 4. When the timer ends, the shield returns automatically Apple's Screen Time APIs power the blocking, so it's system-level and reliable. No VPN tricks. No jailbreak. No way to swipe around it. WHY PEOPLE STICK WITH INTENTION • It isn't a guilt trip — every unlock is a small win • It's honest about when you actually need the app and when you don't • Your brain gets sharper as a side effect • Either you get smarter by completing a challenge or don't scroll at all, win-win TRACK WHAT MATTERS A clean dashboard shows: • Today's screen time on addictive apps • Weekly and monthly trends • Daily streak and total XP earned from completed challenges • Impact of shielding addictive apps (this one hits) WHO IT'S FOR • People who quit Instagram for a week and were back in three days • Anyone who opens their phone to check one thing and surfaces twenty minutes later • Students, parents, creators, and professionals who need their attention back • Anyone who's tried every screen time app and still gets pulled in BUILT FOR YOUR PRIVACY Intention uses Apple's FamilyControls and ManagedSettings frameworks. Your app selections never leave your device — Apple's system handles them with privacy-preserving tokens that even we can't read. No tracking. No selling data. No ads. TRY IT FREE Start with a 3-day free trial — full access, no commitments. After your trial: • Monthly: $9.99/month • Annual: $59.99/year (save 50% vs. monthly) • Lifetime: $149.99 — one payment, forever Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://tryintention.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://tryintention.app/terms
BuroBrain
Transform paperwork into actionable insights. Scan, organize, and understand documents like letters and invoices with AI. Automatically detect deadlines and receive calendar reminders to stay on top of your tasks and reduce stress.
- Smart document scanning and OCR
- AI summaries for documents
- Automatic deadline detection
- Calendar reminders for due dates
- Status tracking for items
- Structured folder organization
- Private-first workflow
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BuroBrain helps you turn paperwork into clear action. Scan documents, store important files, understand letters and invoices with AI, detect deadlines automatically, and keep everything organized in one place. Whether it's a bill, clinic invoice, school letter, contract, or business document, BuroBrain helps you quickly see what it is, what matters, and what you need to do next. Key features (available with a BuroBrain Premium subscription): - Smart document scanning and OCR - AI summaries for letters, invoices, and PDFs - Automatic deadline detection - Calendar reminders for due dates and important actions - Status tracking for pending, overdue, paid, completed, dismissed, or canceled items - Structured folders by category, subcategory, and sender - Fast access to action-required documents - Private-first workflow BuroBrain is designed for people who want less chaos, fewer missed deadlines, and a simpler way to manage everyday documents. Use BuroBrain to: - Understand incoming paperwork faster - Stay on top of payment dates - Organize health, family, school, immigration, tax, and business documents - Keep important files easy to find - Reduce stress around bills, reminders, and follow-ups Privacy: Original files can remain on your device while synced metadata helps keep your workflow organized. BuroBrain makes documents easier to understand, easier to manage, and much harder to forget. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION BuroBrain requires an auto-renewable subscription to access the features listed above. Available plans: - Individual — $10.99 per month - Family (up to 8 family members) — $19.99 per month Both plans include a 7-day free trial. Payment will be charged to your Apple Account when the trial ends unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the trial period. The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://burobrain.com/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://burobrain.com/terms-of-service
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Intention at free with in-app purchases against BuroBrain's subscription. Intention also leads on ratings volume (13 vs 4). BuroBrain's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Intention sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and BuroBrain sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 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 Intention against 5.0 for BuroBrain. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Intention ships an update every 2 weeks, BuroBrain every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Intention | BuroBrain |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (13 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CLV AI HOLDINGS LLC | BuroBrain LLC |
Customer experience
Intention
BuroBrain
In-app purchases
Intention
- Intention Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Intention Annual3 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Lifetime Access$149.99
BuroBrain
- BuroBrain Individual7 Days trial$10.991 Month
- BuroBrain Family7 Days trial$19.991 Month









