Comparison

Promise vs OpenAd

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

Head to head
About

Promise

This app helps you reduce screen time and digital distractions with playful app blocking and focus routines. It features a cute companion that keeps you accountable, offering gentle warnings before blocking access to distracting applications.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps
  • Reduce screen time
  • Set app limits
  • Focus routines
  • Soft warnings before blocks
  • Track screen time and usage
  • Build healthier phone habits
Read full description

Social media apps are designed to keep you scrolling. Promise helps you reduce screen time with playful app blocking, focus routines, and a cute companion who keeps you accountable. Set limits for distracting apps like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, games, or any app you want to use less. When you try to open a blocked app, Promise gives you a gentle pause before you continue. You can take a short break — or break your promise and watch your companion’s happiness drop. Promise is more than a screen time tracker or app blocker. It makes screen time control feel personal, visual, and motivating. Features: • Block distracting apps • Reduce screen time and doomscrolling • Set app limits and focus routines • Get soft warnings before hard blocks • Break the heart to unlock apps intentionally • Track screen time, phone pickups, and app usage • Build streaks and healthier phone habits • Choose cute companions like Whiskers, Mochi, or Capy Perfect for: • Reducing phone addiction • Spending less time on social media • Staying focused while studying or working • Building better digital wellbeing habits • Turning app blocking into something you actually care about Make a promise. Protect your companion. Take back your screen time.

About

OpenAd

This app helps you limit screen time by making distractions inconvenient. Gate specific apps or categories, and watch a short ad to unlock them temporarily. It's designed to create friction, encouraging deliberate choices and helping you regain focus.

Highlights
  • Gate apps, categories, or websites
  • Watch ads to unlock apps
  • Temporary unlocks (5 or 15 minutes)
  • Automatic re-locking
  • Tracks user resistance
  • Private by design, no account needed
Features
Read full description

Before you scroll, pay the toll. OpenAd is a free app blocker and screen time tool. Pick the apps that eat your day, and every time you open one, you watch an ad first. It's annoying. That's the point. 100% FREE. NO SUBSCRIPTION. EVER. The ads pay for OpenAd, so you never do. No paywall, no premium tier. HOW IT WORKS • Block any app, category or website • Open a blocked app and you hit OpenAd's block screen • Watch 1 ad for 5 minutes. You also get 2 free passes a day • When time's up, the block comes back on its own • Change your mind? Tap "Not now", and it counts as a win STOP DOOMSCROLLING, AND SEE THE PROOF • Your screen time receipt: tolls paid, ads watched and urges resisted, for this week or all time. Share it in one tap • A Lock Screen countdown while your apps are unlocked • A Sunday recap of your week • A Home Screen widget with today's resisted urges MADE FOR • Cutting back on social media and doomscrolling • Staying focused while you study or work • A digital detox that doesn't depend on willpower GOOD TO KNOW • If an ad can't load, OpenAd offers a short timed wait instead. • You never have to tap an ad, install anything or buy anything. • Screen Time permission is required to block apps. Notifications and tracking are optional. • You can report an inappropriate ad in Settings. YOUR PRIVACY • The apps you block and your Screen Time activity stay on your iPhone. They're never sent to us or to advertisers. • Ads come from third-party ad partners. "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" is in Settings and on by default. • OpenAd collects basic usage analytics to improve the app. See the Privacy Policy for details. The world's most annoying app blocker. You're welcome.

Screenshots

Promise4 screens
OpenAd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Promise at none against OpenAd's shown. Promise also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Promise against 5.0 for OpenAd. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Promise ships an update every 3 days, OpenAd weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Promise versus OpenAd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPromiseOpenAd
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings44
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB19 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJAKUB ELIASSeven Agent Studios LLC

Customer experience

Promise

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

OpenAd

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Promise

No in-app purchases

None

OpenAd

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Promise free?
Promise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OpenAd free?
OpenAd is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Promise or OpenAd?
Promise and OpenAd are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Promise or OpenAd have ads?
OpenAd shows ads; Promise does not.
Which is updated more often, Promise or OpenAd?
Promise ships an update every 3 days, and OpenAd weekly. Most recently, Promise was updated on October 24, 2026 and OpenAd on October 24, 2026.

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