Comparison

Cascade vs Fried

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

Head to head
About

Cascade

This app helps you regain focus by blocking distracting applications and offering mindfulness exercises. It provides different session modes to suit your needs, from strict blocking to intentional unlock windows, and helps you understand app design to reduce their hold on your attention.

Highlights
  • App blocking for set durations
  • Multiple session modes (Zen, Monk, Vault)
  • Mindfulness and breathing exercises
  • Rewire course on app design
  • Pattern recognition for habits
  • Routine building for sessions
Read full description

Cascade blocks the apps you pick, for as long as you pick. The rest of the app is about the moment you want to open them anyway. THE MODES - Zen: block your apps for a time you choose. You can stop anytime. - Monk: locked until the timer ends. Longer sessions earn a few short unlock windows for real needs. If you want to stop early, Cascade first asks what you are feeling. - Vault: no stopping early. You get 3 passes a week, each opens your apps for 15 minutes. WHEN THE URGE COMES The feeling you name decides what you get: a short breathing exercise, a small thing to do away from the screen, or a question to think about. Each takes a minute or two. None of them lead back to the feed. ROUTINES Set the days and hours once. Sessions start and end on their own, even when the app is closed. ASK CASCADE Ask anything about the app, or just say what you want: it sets up your routine, starts a session or switches modes for you. Pro. ALWAYS ON Always locked keeps the apps you choose closed until you remove them. Check-ins add a short pause before an impulsive open. FRIENDS Add friends with a code. In the Progress tab you see each other's focus time, longest session and streak. You can invite friends into a focus session, or into a shared routine so everyone focuses at the same hours with their own apps. Every finished session also counts as a vote for the person you are becoming, and your friends can see your votes too. THE WEEKLY LETTER At the end of every week Cascade writes you a short letter: which days you focused, why you stopped, what you finished. Past letters stay in an archive. ALSO INSIDE Short meditations for focus, calm and sleep. Rewire, a course on why feeds are so hard to put down. A lock screen widget and Live Activities for your sessions. PRIVACY The list of apps you block stays on your phone. Blocking runs on Apple's Screen Time framework, on your device. We never see your apps. What you type in Ask Cascade goes to our server to be answered. PRICE Free: unlimited Zen sessions, one meditation, one Rewire lesson. Pro unlocks everything else, as a subscription or a one time purchase. The yearly plan starts with a 7 day free trial. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Fried

This app helps you reduce phone usage by blocking distracting applications and setting daily limits. It offers focus sessions, smart scheduling, and insights into your screen time habits, all while keeping a playful companion happy.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps
  • Set daily limits
  • Focus sessions
  • Smart schedules
  • Screen time insights
  • Focus companion
Features
Read full description

Stop losing hours to your phone. Fried is a playful screen time control app that helps you spend less time scrolling and more time living. Block distracting apps, set limits that actually stick, and keep Pebble happy while you stay focused. Less scrolling. More life. What you get: • Block distracting apps before they steal your attention • Daily limits that help you spend less time on your phone • Focus sessions for work, school, studying, and deep work • Smart schedules for bedtime, mornings, and daily routines • Gentle reminders before you go over your limits • Screen time insights to track your progress • Pebble, your tiny focus companion, who reacts to your habits PRIVATE & SECURE Fried uses Apple's Screen Time API to block apps and manage screen time directly on your device. Your data stays on your device and is never sold or shared. Some features require a subscription. Terms of Service: https://app.notion.com/p/Terms-of-Service-382e65a7343180e9a443da1aeb2abf9b?source=copy_link Privacy Policy: https://app.notion.com/p/Fried-Privacy-Policy-382e65a7343180a48fd7d604ca50fe82?source=copy_link

Screenshots

Cascade4 screens
Fried4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Fried at every 3 days against Cascade's every 3 weeks. Fried also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1). Cascade's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, 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. Cascade sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Fried sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Cascade against 5.0 for Fried. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cascade ships an update every 3 weeks, Fried every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 4, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Cascade versus Fried: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCascadeFried
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size303 MB111 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperIDIL CIVEZCarter Clark

Customer experience

Cascade

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Fried

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Cascade

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$11.991 Month
  • Yearly Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$199.99
2 purchases

Fried

Subscriptions2
  • Fried Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Fried Premium Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Cascade free?
Cascade is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Fried free?
Fried is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cascade or Fried?
Cascade and Fried are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Cascade or Fried have ads?
Neither Cascade nor Fried shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cascade or Fried?
Cascade ships an update every 3 weeks, and Fried every 3 days. Most recently, Cascade was updated on October 4, 2026 and Fried on October 4, 2026.

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