Comparison

Tempo vs Pause

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

Head to head
About

Tempo

This app encourages intentional screen time by prompting mindful pauses before opening distracting applications. It helps users notice their digital habits, build better routines, and track progress through clear daily and weekly patterns.

Highlights
  • Mindful pause prompts
  • Habit tracking
  • Progress visualization
  • Routine building
  • Shame-free approach
Features
Read full description

PausePass helps you turn screen time into something more intentional. Start with a simple mindful pause before opening distracting apps, notice your habits over time, and build better routines without shame or pressure. PausePass gives you a calm way to check in, choose what comes next, and see your progress through clear daily and weekly patterns.

About

Pause

This app inserts a brief puzzle before you open selected apps, creating a moment of intentionality to reduce mindless scrolling. It offers various puzzles and a premium version for ad removal and full puzzle access.

Highlights
  • Puzzle before app access
  • Reduces mindless scrolling
  • Nine calming puzzle types
  • Customizable app blocking
  • Intentional use timer
  • Premium ad-free option
Features
Read full description

Pause helps you scroll on purpose. Lowers your screen time. We all reach for the same apps on autopilot. Pause puts a short, calming puzzle between you and those apps, so opening one becomes a choice, not a reflex. HOW IT WORKS • Choose the apps you want to pause. • When you try to open one, Pause asks you to solve a quick puzzle first. • Solve it, then pick how long to unlock it: 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes. • When time's up, the pause comes back automatically. That tiny moment of friction is enough to break the autopilot and remind you why you picked up your phone in the first place. TEN CALMING PUZZLES • Word Jumble • Five Letters • Word Search • Memory Match • Ball Sort • Sliding Tile • Maze • Connect the Dots • Connect the Color • Sixdoku. Every unlock is a small mental reset instead of a mindless tap. Seasonal themes keep things fresh, and this November brings a new Gratitude puzzle. DESIGNED FOR INTENTION, NOT RESTRICTION Pause never locks you out. It adds just enough space to choose. No guilt, no lectures. Just a gentle pause. SEE YOUR PROGRESS Your Week shows how many times you walked away from scrolling and roughly how much time you got back. START WITH 7 DAYS OF PREMIUM, FREE • All ten puzzles, with Easy, Medium and Hard difficulty per app • Pause as many apps as you like • Schedules for work, bedtime or family time • No ads We'll remind you 2 days before your trial ends. Cancel anytime and keep a free version of Pause: 1 paused app, 3 puzzles, with ads. Your privacy comes first. Pause uses Apple's Screen Time technology, and the apps you choose never leave your device, nor do we see the apps that you choose. Scroll less by accident. Scroll more on purpose. — SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Pause Premium is an auto-renewing subscription with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. • Annual — $49.99/year • Monthly — $4.99/month Payment is charged to your Apple Account when the free trial ends, or at confirmation of purchase if no trial applies. Your subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you start a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://try-pause.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Tempo3 screens
Pause4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tempo at none against Pause's 2. Tempo also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). Pause's advantage is ratings volume (9 vs 1). On price, rating, ads 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. Pause sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Tempo 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 Tempo against 5.0 for Pause. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pause has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tempo ships an update every 4 days, Pause every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Tempo versus Pause: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTempoPause
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings19 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHarry YuanCarlos Velasquez

Customer experience

Tempo

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

Pause

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tempo

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Pause

Subscriptions2
  • Pause Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Pause Premium (Annual)7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Tempo free?
Tempo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pause free?
Pause is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tempo or Pause?
Tempo and Pause are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 9 ratings respectively.
Do Tempo or Pause have ads?
Both Tempo and Pause show ads.
Which is updated more often, Tempo or Pause?
Tempo ships an update every 4 days, and Pause every 3 weeks. Most recently, Tempo was updated on October 31, 2026 and Pause on November 5, 2026.

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