Comparison

Cairn vs CTRL

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

Head to head
About

Cairn

Features
Read full description

Stack before you scroll. Cairn helps you stop scrolling by adding one small pause before distracting apps open. Choose the apps you want to protect. When you reach for one, iOS shows a Screen Time shield. Open Cairn, build the requested stone structure, and earn a short window to continue. It is enough to break the reflex. Often, that is all you needed. What's in Cairn - Stack: balance stones into target structures before the app opens. - Short unlock windows: earn a few intentional minutes, then the shield returns. - Multiple rituals: Stack, Breath, Trace, Walk, and Untie. - Stone styles: granite, basalt, riverstone, obsidian, marble, moss, and moonstone. - Sunday reflection: save a private weekly reflection about the pauses you kept. - Lock Screen widget: see minutes reclaimed today at a glance. Built for focus - Uses Apple's Screen Time controls for app blocking. - No account. - No cloud. - No ads. - Your watched-app list stays on your device. - Haptics, sound, and calm visual design built around one idea: interrupt the reach before it becomes a scroll. Free Cairn includes core blocking and daily stack rituals. Cairn Pro unlocks deeper rituals, stone styles, custom unlock windows, weekly reflection, and more ways to hold the trail. Cairn is not a dashboard for judging your phone use. It is a small threshold between impulse and action. Privacy Policy: https://cairnfocus.github.io/privacy/ Terms of Service: https://cairnfocus.github.io/terms/

About

CTRL

Features
Read full description

CTRL is a focus timer, app blocker, and habit builder in one. The rule is simple: you earn credits by focusing, and you spend them to open the apps that steal your hours. Run out, and the scroll stops until you put in the work. It turns willpower into an economy so you don't have to rely on willpower at all. WHY CTRL WORKS WHEN OTHER FOCUS APPS DON'T Most productivity and screen time apps just block apps and hope you don't switch them off. CTRL doesn't fight your dopamine it puts a price on it. Every distraction costs credits you can only earn through real focused work. That's what makes the habit stick. FOCUS TO EARN • Run focus sessions (25, 50, or 90 minutes) and bank credits • Keep your phone face-down during a session for a +50% bonus • Longer, distraction-free deep work pays the most • Build a daily focus habit and track your time like a pro BLOCK THE APPS THAT EAT YOUR TIME • Shield TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, X and more using Apple Screen Time • Block distracting websites too, so Safari can't reopen the same feeds (Pro) • The most addictive apps cost the most credits to open PAY TO OPEN — EVERY TIME • Before a blocked app opens, CTRL asks why and charges you credits • Every "I'm bored" tap is logged, so you get a real distraction tracker for your worst habits • See your triggers and take back control of your attention RECOVERY MODE FOR THE HARD DAYS • Binge patterns automatically trigger a fairer economy: earn more, spend less • Miss a day and a freeze covers your streak — built to catch the spiral, not punish it HONEST BY DESIGN • Credits are earned by focusing never bought with money • Your Screen Time data never leaves your device. CTRL can't see which apps you use. • No ads. No tracking. No account or login required. MADE FOR Anyone fighting phone addiction, doomscrolling, and procrastination students, founders, writers, remote workers, and anyone who wants focus, productivity, and self-control on their own terms. A focus app, app blocker, screen time limiter, distraction blocker, and habit tracker rolled into one. CTRL PRO Upgrade to block unlimited apps and websites, schedule unlimited unlock windows, and more. Monthly or annual, with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan. Use it, but pay for it.

Screenshots

Cairn4 screens
CTRL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cairn at every 2 days against CTRL's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Cairn sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and CTRL sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cairn ships an update every 2 days, CTRL every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Cairn versus CTRL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCairnCTRL
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerabiodun oyetomiJibran Ahmed

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Cairn

Subscriptions2
  • Cairn Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Cairn Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Cairn Lifetime$99.99
2 purchases

CTRL

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Cairn free?
Cairn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CTRL free?
CTRL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cairn or CTRL have ads?
Neither Cairn nor CTRL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cairn or CTRL?
Cairn ships an update every 2 days, and CTRL every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cairn was updated on October 8, 2026 and CTRL on October 5, 2026.

Other comparisons