Comparison

Stop Brain Rot vs Cairn

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

Head to head
About

Stop Brain Rot

Features
Read full description

Stop Brain Rot helps you block distracting apps so you can focus on your schedule, with no account and no guilt. How It Works Create blocks: name them, set a time range and which days they're active, and choose which apps to block. When a block is running, those apps are blocked. When it's over, everything is back to normal. Need focus right now? Start a Quick Block in one tap. - Schedule blocks by time and weekdays - Group apps (e.g. "social", "games", "distractions") and assign a group to each block - Start from a preset and be set up in under a minute - Quick Block: block your apps for the next 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours - Session Lock: a running block can't be switched off with a tap, so you can't talk yourself out of it - Breaks that cost something: a short pause after a wait that grows with every break - Streaks: count the days in a row you kept a block - Live Activity: the time left on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island - Insights: see how much time went to your blocked apps, app by app - Uses Screen Time, so your usage stays on your iPhone - Calm, simple interface Reclaim Your Focus Whether it's work, study, sleep, or time with family, set blocks that match your life. Turn off the noise when you need to concentrate. Premium Upgrade for up to 15 blocks and unlimited app groups. One subscription unlocks everything - same calm experience, more flexibility. - Strict Mode: no breaks and no ending early on the blocks you choose - Choose how long a break lasts and how many a day - Unlimited Quick Blocks, from 15 minutes to 12 hours - Streak history, your best streak and a weekly Streak Freeze - Insights trends: week and month views, the time of day it goes, and this week against last Choose monthly or yearly. New subscribers can try the yearly plan free for 7 days; cancel before the trial ends and you won't be charged. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Cairn

Features
Read full description

Stack before you scroll. Cairn helps you stop scrolling by adding one small pause before distracting apps open. Choose the apps you want to protect. When you reach for one, iOS shows a Screen Time shield. Open Cairn, build the requested stone structure, and earn a short window to continue. It is enough to break the reflex. Often, that is all you needed. What's in Cairn - Stack: balance stones into target structures before the app opens. - Short unlock windows: earn a few intentional minutes, then the shield returns. - Multiple rituals: Stack, Breath, Trace, Walk, and Untie. - Stone styles: granite, basalt, riverstone, obsidian, marble, moss, and moonstone. - Sunday reflection: save a private weekly reflection about the pauses you kept. - Lock Screen widget: see minutes reclaimed today at a glance. Built for focus - Uses Apple's Screen Time controls for app blocking. - No account. - No cloud. - No ads. - Your watched-app list stays on your device. - Haptics, sound, and calm visual design built around one idea: interrupt the reach before it becomes a scroll. Free Cairn includes core blocking and daily stack rituals. Cairn Pro unlocks deeper rituals, stone styles, custom unlock windows, weekly reflection, and more ways to hold the trail. Cairn is not a dashboard for judging your phone use. It is a small threshold between impulse and action. Privacy Policy: https://cairnfocus.github.io/privacy/ Terms of Service: https://cairnfocus.github.io/terms/

Screenshots

Stop Brain Rot4 screens
Cairn4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cairn at every 2 days against Stop Brain Rot's fortnightly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Stop Brain Rot sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Cairn sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stop Brain Rot ships an update fortnightly, Cairn every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Stop Brain Rot versus Cairn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStop Brain RotCairn
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size6 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEMIR MATIKabiodun oyetomi

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Stop Brain Rot

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
3 purchases

Cairn

Subscriptions2
  • Cairn Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Cairn Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Cairn Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Stop Brain Rot free?
Stop Brain Rot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cairn free?
Cairn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Stop Brain Rot or Cairn have ads?
Neither Stop Brain Rot nor Cairn shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stop Brain Rot or Cairn?
Stop Brain Rot ships an update fortnightly, and Cairn every 2 days. Most recently, Stop Brain Rot was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cairn on October 8, 2026.

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