Comparison

shells screen time controls vs Tempo

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

Head to head
About

shells screen time controls

Features
Read full description

Take some of your hours back. Shells shows you where your phone time really goes, then helps you use it a little less. It gives you the whole range, from a gentle nudge to a short pause to a firm block, so you can start gentle and only go firmer for the apps that keep pulling you in. LIGHT: GENTLE NUDGES, NOTHING BLOCKED • Soft Nudges: a Volume Warning at 90% of your daily goal, Usage Milestones as your day adds up, a Daily Check-in Reminder for your streak, and Reach Alerts when you keep reaching for a paused or blocked app. MEDIUM: A SHORT PAUSE BEFORE AN APP OPENS • Mindful Pauses (iOS 26 or later): a Shortcuts automation brings up a calm 15 second breath when you open a chosen app, then you pick how long you'd like it for. Its notifications still come through. • Mindful Pauses + No Notifications: the Screen Time version. The app stays behind a shield between pauses, which can also keep its notifications out of the way. • Exercise Unlock: a few squats or a plank first, counted on your iPhone by the camera. • Steps Unlock: a short walk first. • Quick Session: an optional 20 second pass for a quick reply. STRICT: APPS STAY CLOSED WHEN YOU NEED THEM TO • Morning Block: keep your phone down first thing, apart from the essentials you pick. • App Limits: a daily allowance. Once it's used up, the app stays blocked until tomorrow, with 5 minutes of Emergency access if you really need it. • Scheduled Blocks: close apps at set times, like 9 to 5 on weekdays. • Location Blocks: block apps at the places you choose, or allow them only there. • NFC Locks: apps stay locked until you tap your own NFC sticker. AND A FEW EXTRAS • Holiday Mode: pause or relax any control while you're away. Everything switches back on by itself after the last day you pick. • Focus Sessions: block apps for a set time, with a Lock Screen countdown. • Calm browsing: open Instagram, YouTube, X, TikTok, Facebook and Reddit inside Shells with the parts you choose hidden, like the feed, Reels or Shorts. • Widgets: time left today, trends, the apps you choose, and one-tap Focus Sessions. SEE YOUR DAY CLEARLY • Three rings for productivity, screen time and a daily health score. • An hour by hour chart, pickups, a 30-day heatmap and a closer look at any app. • If you like, a timeline of the places where you use your phone most. YOUR DATA Your screen time, places and location history stay on your iPhone. What goes online: your optional Sign in with Apple account, referrals and feedback (Supabase), Pro status (RevenueCat), and product analytics with a device ID and your account ID (Statsig), never your screen time or location. Turn on iCloud backup and your settings, check-in notes, places and recent location history go to your own iCloud. We never sell your data. SHELLS AND PRO Each app you pause, each limit or block, each NFC Lock group and each Calm browsing site uses a Shell. Everyone starts with 1, and inviting friends earns up to 2 more. A free account adds basic Insights. Shells Pro gives you unlimited Shells, so every control runs at once, plus every Insights card. Widgets and Holiday Mode are free, and every control works on the free plan using your Shells. Pro comes as Monthly, Annual or Lifetime (one-time purchase). Annual and Lifetime have launch pricing, and new Monthly and Annual subscribers get a 1-month free trial (eligibility applies), until 31 December 2026 unless changed or extended. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage them in your App Store account settings. WHAT YOU NEED iOS 18 or later, Screen Time access and notifications (the Screen Time pause opens from a notification). Mindful Pauses via Shortcuts need iOS 26 or later. Location, Motion, Camera and NFC are optional. Privacy Policy: https://consciousscreentime.netlify.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Tempo

This app encourages intentional screen time by prompting mindful pauses before opening distracting applications. It helps users notice their digital habits, build better routines, and track progress through clear daily and weekly patterns.

Highlights
  • Mindful pause prompts
  • Habit tracking
  • Progress visualization
  • Routine building
  • Shame-free approach
Features
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PausePass helps you turn screen time into something more intentional. Start with a simple mindful pause before opening distracting apps, notice your habits over time, and build better routines without shame or pressure. PausePass gives you a calm way to check in, choose what comes next, and see your progress through clear daily and weekly patterns.

Screenshots

shells screen time controls4 screens
Tempo3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tempo at none against shells screen time controls's 3. Tempo also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). shells screen time controls's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price 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. shells screen time controls sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Tempo asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

shells screen time controls ships an update every 3 weeks, Tempo every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
shells screen time controls versus Tempo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametershells screen time controlsTempo
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Ad-supported
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size99 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndi YaoHarry Yuan

In-app purchases

3 purchases

shells screen time controls

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Pro Annual1 Month trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$49.99
None

Tempo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is shells screen time controls free?
shells screen time controls is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tempo free?
Tempo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do shells screen time controls or Tempo have ads?
Tempo shows ads; shells screen time controls does not.
Which is updated more often, shells screen time controls or Tempo?
shells screen time controls ships an update every 3 weeks, and Tempo every 4 days. Most recently, shells screen time controls was updated on October 25, 2026 and Tempo on October 7, 2026.

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