Comparison

Screen Time Control vs Daybreak

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

Head to head
About

Screen Time Control

This app transforms your to-do list into screen time. Complete tasks to earn logs, which you can then use to extend your allowed usage of distracting apps. When your screen time runs out, those apps are blocked until you earn more time by being productive.

Highlights
  • Task and habit creation with custom rewards
  • Screen time management with app blocking
  • Interactive flame companion with mood states
  • Home and lock screen widgets
  • Customizable screen time limits and app selection
  • Private by design, no cloud sync or tracking
Features
Read full description

Stop doomscrolling. Earn your screen time instead. Burn turns your to-do list into screen time. Get things done, earn logs, and feed them to Burn, a little flame who lives on your phone. Scroll too much and Burn's fuel runs out, and so do your distracting apps. No willpower required. Just a flame worth keeping lit. HOW IT WORKS • Start each day with a screen time budget you choose • Scrolling the apps you pick burns through it, minute by minute • Hit zero and those apps lock • Finish tasks to earn logs • Feed logs to Burn: every log buys 10 more minutes GET STUFF DONE • Give every task its own log reward, so big jobs pay more • Daily, weekday, or custom repeating tasks for your habits • Plan Today, Tomorrow, and the days ahead • Sort tasks into color-coded categories • Shake to undo if you tap too soon A FLAME WORTH KEEPING LIT • Burn reacts to your day: happy when you're on track, worried when time runs low, out cold when it's gone • Tap, pet, and drag logs in to feed him • Dozes off at night with a sleepy face • Keep Burn lit at midnight to build your streak YOU'RE IN CONTROL • Choose exactly which apps and categories burn fuel • Everything else stays open • Set your own daily budget • No account, no sign-in, no ads. BURN+ (ONE-TIME PURCHASE) • 13 flame colors, each with a matching app icon • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, including a task list you can check off without opening the app • Live Activity: watch your fuel count down in the Dynamic Island • Low fuel warnings before your apps lock • Screen Time Insights: see which apps ate your time, by day, week, and month Burn uses Apple's Screen Time to track and limit only the apps you choose. What you do in them never leaves your device.

About

Daybreak

This app automatically blocks distracting applications overnight and keeps them locked in the morning until a focus session is completed. It helps users prioritize their morning routine before accessing social media, games, or news.

Highlights
  • Automatic overnight app blocking
  • Morning focus session requirement
  • Customizable distraction selection
  • Simple, automatic scheduling
  • Emergency access with limits
  • Live Activities and Dynamic Island support
Read full description

Your phone should not be the first thing that takes your attention each morning. Daybreak automatically blocks the distracting apps you choose overnight and keeps them blocked after you wake. Dedicate time in the morning to complete a focus session before those apps become available for the day. HOW DAYBREAK WORKS 1. Choose your distractions Select the social media, video, news, games, or other apps that tend to cloud your mornings. 2. Set your schedule Choose when your apps lock for the night and when your morning focus period becomes available. Daybreak applies the schedule automatically, without requiring you to remember to turn it on. 3. Focus before distractions When you wake up, your selected apps remain blocked until you complete your chosen focus session. After completing it, your apps become available for the rest of the day. BUILT FOR PROTECTED MORNINGS • Automatic overnight and morning app blocking • A clear morning streak • Emergency access for unexpected situations • Live Activities and Dynamic Island support • A simple schedule that runs automatically • Screen Time controls powered by Apple’s Family Controls framework FRICTION WITH A PURPOSE Daybreak does not try to compete with distracting apps for your attention. It creates a clear boundary before the morning begins: focus first, then regain access. Emergency access remains available, but it includes deliberate limits so that it stays an exception rather than becoming the default. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your schedule, selected apps, and focus history are stored on your device. Daybreak does not upload your selected-app information to a remote database. An account is optional. Daybreak can be used without signing in. EARLY ACCESS Every part of Daybreak is available free during its launch while the app is refined with early users. Optional one-time early-support purchases grant lifetime access to Daybreak’s current and future features. There is no recurring subscription during this early-access release. Daybreak requires Screen Time permission to block the apps you select. Permission can be removed from your device settings.

Screenshots

Screen Time Control4 screens
Daybreak4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Daybreak at 5.0 against Screen Time Control's 4.7. Screen Time Control's advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 1) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.4). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Screen Time Control sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Daybreak sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Daybreak holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Screen Time Control has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Screen Time Control ships an update every 3 weeks, Daybreak every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Screen Time Control versus Daybreak: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreen Time ControlDaybreak
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (7 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVincent NguyenRyan Setiawan

Customer experience

Screen Time Control

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Daybreak

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Screen Time Control

One-time1
  • Burn+$9.99
3 purchases

Daybreak

One-time3
  • Supporter$9.99
  • Champion$19.99
  • Founding Member$39.99

Questions

Is Screen Time Control free?
Screen Time Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Daybreak free?
Daybreak is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Screen Time Control or Daybreak?
Daybreak is rated higher. Screen Time Control averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Daybreak averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Screen Time Control or Daybreak have ads?
Neither Screen Time Control nor Daybreak shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Screen Time Control or Daybreak?
Screen Time Control ships an update every 3 weeks, and Daybreak every 2 weeks. Most recently, Screen Time Control was updated on October 11, 2026 and Daybreak on October 2, 2026.

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