Comparison

BrainFree vs Read First

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

Head to head
About

BrainFree

Regain control of your phone usage by blocking distracting apps and websites. Schedule focused work or personal time with customizable templates or build your own. Protect your attention and reclaim your day from endless scrolling.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps and websites
  • Schedule focus time
  • Ready-made and custom schedules
  • App locking
  • Deep focus mode
  • Website blocking
  • App usage time limits
Features
Read full description

You pick up your phone to check one thing. An hour later, you’re still scrolling. The average person spends 7+ hours a day staring at their phone. That’s nearly half your waking life gone to scrolling, tapping, and swiping. BrainFree gives it back to you. Brain Rot stops the cycle. Block distracting apps and websites, schedule focus time, and start living your life again all in under 60 seconds. READY-MADE SCHEDULES OR BUILD YOUR OWN Don’t waste time figuring out what to block. Choose from built-in templates like Work, Study, Sleep, or Family Time: each designed for real life. Want something custom? Create your own schedule in seconds. Pick the apps and websites to block, set your hours, and BrainFree handles the rest. Every day. Automatically. APP LOCK See an app that wastes your time? Lock it. One tap. Done. App Lock is the fastest way to remove a distraction from your day. No settings to configure, no timers to set. Just tap, block, and move on with your life. DEEP FOCUS For the moments when you need zero distractions. Deep Focus blocks your most distracting apps and websites for a set period and you can’t undo it until the timer runs out. Perfect for exams, deadlines, or when you just need your brain back. TIME & DAILY + WEBSITE BLOCKER Most screen time apps only block apps. BrainFree blocks websites too across every session and schedule. Reddit, YouTube, news sites, whatever pulls you in. No loopholes. No switching to Safari to cheat. Your focus is fully protected. Limit your app usage by days, or just set how much time you can afford to use it. Links Terms of Service: https://brainfree.app/legal/terms/ Privacy: https://brainfree.app/legal/privacy/

About

Read First

Features
Read full description

Your scrolling apps stay shut until you've read today's pages. Read First uses Apple's Screen Time to lock the apps that eat your evenings. Read your pages, snap a photo of the page you're on, and they open back up. That's the whole deal. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps that take your time 2. Add your book and the date you want to finish it 3. Read First works out today's page count 4. Read, snap the page, type where you got to. Your apps open. FOCUS TIMER Spin the dial, lock your apps for 5 minutes or 2 hours, and just read. A gentle tune plays when you're done, and the countdown shows on your Lock Screen. MAKE IT YOURS • All day: locked until you've read • Reading hours: locked only during the hours you choose • Relock rounds: read, get a few hours free, then a new page count • Normal or Hard: decide whether the lock screen can be dismissed • Reading reminders and a Home Screen widget for today's pages A LIBRARY THAT GROWS Covers pulled in automatically, an up-next shelf, your finished books and a daily streak. And Folio, a small book who is very happy when you read. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. Your books, pages and photos stay on your iPhone. Screen Time gives Read First anonymous tokens only, so it can't see which apps you picked or anything you do in them. We use anonymous analytics to improve the app, never your name, your books or which apps you lock. SUBSCRIPTION Read First requires a subscription. The plans, prices and any free trial are shown in the app before you subscribe. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at the end of a free trial, or when you subscribe if there is no trial. It renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel in Settings › Apple ID › Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://read-first.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://read-first.app/privacy

Screenshots

BrainFree4 screens
Read First4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Read First at none against BrainFree's shown. Read First also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. BrainFree sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Read First sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BrainFree ships an update every 6 weeks, Read First every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
BrainFree versus Read First: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainFreeRead First
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS2616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe App, Inc.Matt Lamborne

In-app purchases

3 purchases

BrainFree

Subscriptions3
  • BrainFree Pro3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • BrainFree Pro$7.991 Month
  • BrainFree Pro7 Days trial$19.991 Year
5 purchases

Read First

Subscriptions5
  • Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is BrainFree free?
BrainFree is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Read First free?
Read First is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BrainFree or Read First have ads?
BrainFree shows ads; Read First does not.
Which is updated more often, BrainFree or Read First?
BrainFree ships an update every 6 weeks, and Read First every 6 days. Most recently, BrainFree was updated on October 31, 2026 and Read First on October 24, 2026.

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