# Ember vs pause now

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Ember at 3 against pause now's 1. pause now's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ember sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and pause now sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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

Ember ships an update every 10 days, pause now every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ember | pause now |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ember-markdown-notes/id6761983097/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pause-now-screen-time-control/id6781065557/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 70 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rene DeAnda](https://appshunter.io/developer/1414957609) | [Eagle Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781065559) |

## What reviewers say

### Ember

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ember-markdown-notes/id6761983097)

A fast and organized workspace for writing Markdown notes, storing PDFs, diagrams, and voice memos. It offers a vault for reusable prompts and syncs across Apple devices. Start for free with full editor access.

**Highlights:** Rich Markdown editor, Inline PDF and image support, Reusable prompt vault, Daily notes, folders, and tags, Instant search functionality, Private iCloud sync, Share Extension

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ember Pro Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Ember Pro Annual | $34.99 | per year |
| Ember Pro Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


### pause now

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pause-now-screen-time-control/id6781065557)

Regain control of your digital life by blocking distracting applications. Schedule automatic blocking for work or study, or initiate manual sessions. Earn rewards for focused time and watch your productivity improve.

**Highlights:** Block distracting apps, Customizable schedules, Manual blocking sessions, Earn stars for focus, Flexible controls, Simple setup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pause now Premium Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| pause now Pro — Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| pause now Premium — Lifetime | $90.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ember free?

Ember is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is pause now free?

pause now is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ember or pause now?

Ember and pause now are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Ember or pause now have ads?

Neither Ember nor pause now shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ember or pause now?

Ember ships an update every 10 days, and pause now every 6 days. Most recently, Ember was updated on September 23, 2026 and pause now on September 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*