Comparison

Lerf vs Pause

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

Head to head
About

Lerf

This app helps you regain control of your screen time by blocking distracting applications during specific periods. It offers flexible blocking modes and ambient sounds to support relaxation, study, or sleep. The focus is on protecting your time and peace without intrusive tracking.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps
  • Set custom session timers
  • Easy and Strict blocking modes
  • Ambient soundscapes
  • Designed for minimal interaction
  • Protect personal time
Read full description

10 minutes on your phone turned into 2 hours. Again. Do Not Disturb stops notifications. Lerf turns your phone back into a tool that supports your goals. HOW IT WORKS Choose apps, set a schedule (optional) or tap start and distracting apps lock down. No streaks. No account. Nothing to check. Flexible Mode lets you end blocking early. Strict Mode keeps your apps blocked until the timer (or schedule) ends. FOR Focus: work or study without negotiating with your phone. Sleep: less scrolling before bed. Family time: set boundaries around distracting apps so family time means actually being together. PRICING Lerf is free to download. Full access is $12.99 a month or $39.99 a year after a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime in Settings. WHY LERF Our smartphones are our greatest tools and our worst distractions. Lerf's mission is to turn smartphones back into tools, helping people take back control of their time, attention, and technology. PRIVACY Lerf uses Apple's Screen Time framework. Your app choices and usage stay on your phone. Lerf never sees them, and there's no account to create. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lerfapp.com/privacy

About

Pause

This app helps you reduce screen time by creating intentional interruptions before you open distracting applications. It uses personalized messages from your past self and guided mindfulness activities to encourage mindful usage and build healthier phone habits.

Highlights
  • Personalized video accountability messages
  • AI-assisted guided breathing exercises
  • Rotating short interventions
  • Reason prompts before app opening
  • Block selected distracting apps
  • Focus timers and task management
Features
Read full description

Pause helps you reduce screen time, stop mindless scrolling, and take back control of distracting apps. Most app blockers only add limits or lock apps completely. Pause creates a meaningful interruption before you open social media, games, or other distracting apps. Instead of opening them automatically, you get a moment to breathe, remember your goals, and decide whether you actually want to continue. Pause is not designed to make you stop using your phone completely. It helps you use it with intention. YOUR PAST SELF KEEPS YOU ACCOUNTABLE Record a short video when you feel focused and motivated. The next time you try to open a distracting app, Pause can show you that message before you continue. Your Past Self can remind you what you were working toward, why you wanted to reduce your screen time, and what you would rather be doing. It is personal accountability from the person who understands your goals best: you. BREATHE—FOR REAL Pause includes an AI-assisted, camera-guided breathing activity. With your permission, the camera analyzes visible movement while you follow the inhale and exhale instructions. This helps make sure you are participating in the activity instead of simply waiting for a timer to finish. The breathing activity is designed for focus and mindfulness. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or health monitoring. INTERVENTIONS THAT STAY FRESH Repeating the same breathing exercise every time can become easy to ignore. Pause rotates between different short interventions so each app opening feels less predictable and harder to complete automatically. Activities may include: • Guided breathing • Quick reflection questions • Short movement exercises • Focus resets • Mindfulness activities • Goal reminders • Messages from your Past Self Each activity is designed to create a small break between the urge to open an app and the decision to continue. REMEMBER WHY YOU OPENED THE APP Before entering a distracting app, Pause can ask why you are opening it. Maybe you need to reply to a message, post something, look up information, or complete a specific task. Maybe you opened it because you were bored or acting out of habit. Choosing a reason helps turn an automatic app opening into an intentional decision. BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS Choose the social media apps, games, and other distractions that take your attention away from what matters. Pause can help you: • Block selected apps • Add friction before apps open • Create screen-time limits • Set focus schedules • Choose temporary access periods • Reduce impulsive app openings • Build healthier phone habits You remain in control, but Pause makes it harder to enter distracting apps without thinking. FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS Pause also includes productivity tools to help you move on from scrolling and start doing something meaningful. Use focus timers, tasks, routines, and other tools to plan what you want to accomplish next. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See how your phone habits change over time. Pause can help you understand your intentional app openings, avoided distractions, focus activity, and screen-time progress. Small pauses can lead to better habits. Pause before you scroll.

Screenshots

Lerf3 screens
Pause4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pause at none against Lerf's 5. Lerf's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 2) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.5). On price, rating, ads and monetization model 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. Lerf sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Pause asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Lerf against 5.0 for Pause. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lerf has 15 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lerf versus Pause: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLerfPause
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (15 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings15 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGrant HergenroederMADHURI ANNABHEEMOJU

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Lerf

Subscriptions5
  • Lerf Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Lerf Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Lerf Monthly7 Days trial$14.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Lerf Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Lerf Yearly14 Days trial$79.991 Year
None

Pause

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lerf free?
Lerf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pause free?
Pause is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lerf or Pause?
Lerf and Pause are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 15 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Lerf or Pause have ads?
Neither Lerf nor Pause shows ads.

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