JonGrow vs AppCage
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
JonGrow
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Witnessing is the best gift you can give your child. Children grow up so quickly, and the joy of seeing them grow taller shouldn't just remain in our memories. JonGrow is dedicated to recording every key milestone in a child's growth in the simplest way possible.
AppCage
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AppCage — you're not short on willpower. Your phone is just within arm's reach. Ten minutes, you told yourself. Two hours later you look up. Every attempt to cut back on your own ends the same way: the moment you reach for your phone, it's already in your hand. AppCage doesn't ask you to resist — it makes the apps you named unavailable, and iOS enforces it. 【HOW IT WORKS】 · Grant Screen Time access once, then pick the apps or categories to limit with the system picker · Lock them: the app stays on the Home Screen and asks for verification when you open it · The blocking is done by iOS. AppCage never touches the app's process, and it can't be bypassed from inside the app you're trying to avoid 【FOUR WAYS TO DECIDE WHEN IT'S ON】 · Always on — limited all day; verify, then use it for a while · Scheduled — shielding switches itself on for the window you set (study hours, bedtime, work) · Free time — usable during the window, shielded the rest of the day (lunch breaks and other exceptions) · By date — only on the days you pick: exam week, a trip, any stretch that needs it 【NEED IT RIGHT NOW? TAKE TEMPORARY ACCESS】 · Verify and it opens for 15 minutes, then shielding returns on its own · As often as you like, every time — you verify each time · Rather stop early? Tap one button and it's shielded again 【SEE WHAT ONE DAY ACTUALLY COSTS】 · Screen time, pickups and notifications for any day, plus a per-app breakdown · About the last month, day by day — the numbers stay on your phone 【AND WHEN IT OPENS?】 · Open a limited app and iOS shows the block screen. That's it — no second chance, no "just this once" unless you ask for it yourself 【BOUNDARIES FOR A SHARED OR A CHILD'S DEVICE】 · Block app installs and deletions, App Store payments and in-app purchases · Lock account changes, date & time, Game Center friends and multiplayer · Restrict apps by age rating, and block explicit content 【PRIVACY FIRST】 · No servers, no sign-up, nothing uploaded · No ads, no third-party analytics SDKs, no cross-app tracking · Your passcode and recovery code live only in this device's Keychain · Usage figures come from iOS and never leave your device 【WHAT'S FREE】 Scheduled plans, free time, by-date rules, temporary access, insights, the App Library-level system limits (block installs, purchases, account changes, multiplayer games, explicit content) and the stealth calculator entry — all available to everyone. The free version limits how many apps, categories and websites you can limit in total (1). Pro removes that limit. Important: limits are enforced by iOS through Screen Time authorization. Turning that authorization off in Settings → Screen Time lifts every limit at once, and anyone who knows your passcode — or your Face ID — can grant temporary access. AppCage helps you keep your own rules; it is not tamper-proof control over another person's device. The developer is not liable for limits that fail because of device failure, system settings or permission changes. Download AppCage and hand the rules over to something that never gets tired. Terms of Use: https://lancewin.github.io/appcage/terms_en.html Privacy Policy: https://lancewin.github.io/appcage/privacy_en.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: JonGrow at none against AppCage's 4. AppCage's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. AppCage sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. JonGrow asks for nothing beyond the download.
JonGrow ships an update fortnightly, AppCage weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | JonGrow | AppCage |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PuffinStudio | liang zhenying |
In-app purchases
JonGrow
No in-app purchases
AppCage
- Weekly Pro$3.997 Days
- Yearly Pro$29.991 Year
- LeftTime Pro$29.99
- LifeTime Pro$49.99









