Comparison

Takeback vs Stop That

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

Head to head
About

Takeback

This app uses a drill sergeant persona to help you break free from excessive phone use. It negotiates your access to distracting apps and implements a progressive 60-day bootcamp to retrain your habits.

Highlights
  • Drill sergeant accountability
  • Negotiated app access
  • Progressive 60-day bootcamp
  • Customizable difficulty (Chill/Savage)
  • Habit retraining
  • Time and attention recovery
Features
Read full description

Takeback is Sarge, an AI coach who lets you into your social apps when you have a real reason and cuts off the doomscrolling. Not another app blocker. Other blockers lock everything, so you delete them by Friday. Or they're easy to skip. Sarge is tougher, but fair. A REAL REASON GETS YOU IN DMing a friend? Work? You get in. Doomscrolling? He cuts you off. He knows how long you've already scrolled today. 5 MODES. FIND YOURS. Some days your apps stay open, and the second you start doomscrolling, they lock. Some days every open costs a short wait while he tries to talk you out of it. On Blackout days, only a strong reason or a real emergency gets you in. Sarge picks your first modes, then you choose the one that works. HARDCORE WHEN YOU NEED IT On Hardcore days you say it out loud. Hold to talk, tell him why you need your apps, and he talks back. HE LEARNS YOU How you scroll. When you slip up. Then he adjusts your plan, and your daily limit steps down to your goal. YOUR ANTI-ALGORITHM Thousands of engineers. Billions of dollars. One job: keep you scrolling. Willpower can't beat that. It was never your fault. Sarge is an AI on your side against a billion-dollar feed. WANT MORE TIME? EARN IT. Go for a walk, work out, touch real grass, or hold a focus block. He checks the proof: your steps, a fresh photo, or 45 minutes with no unlocks. Pictures of pictures don't work on him. WHAT CHANGES Evenings that end in sleep, not a 2am feed. An attention span you can feel coming back. Hours that used to vanish with nothing to show for them. A phone you finally trust yourself with. WHO'S BEHIND IT Takeback is run by Stan Tatarnykov. He built games played by 80M+ people, so he knows how apps keep you hooked. Now he's on your side. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://trytakeback.com/privacy

About

Stop That

Features
Read full description

Stop That is the app that won't let you doomscroll. A smug little eye lives on your phone. The moment you open the apps that eat your day, it heckles you out loud. Keep crawling back and it shields them shut. No willpower required. That's the point. You already tried willpower. HOW IT WORKS • Pick your worst apps. TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit, YouTube. Whatever your thumb opens on autopilot. • Get heckled. Open one and the eye starts talking. Funny the first time. Less funny the third. • Get shielded. Keep pushing and the app closes. You wanted to stop. It's helping. • See what you clawed back. Time saved, blocks landed, the trend bending down. BUILT SO YOU DON'T WEASEL OUT • Daily Patience. Set how much scrolling you get before the shield drops. Or go Instant. • Locked Hours. Freeze your settings on a schedule. During work or bedtime you tighten the rules, never loosen them. • Confession to Stop. Switching enforcement off takes a short typed confession first. Deliberate, never impossible. • Stop Everything. One tap lifts every shield. Nothing ever traps you. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your apps, usage, and settings never leave your iPhone. No account. No tracking. No data sold. Ever. Stop That uses Apple's Screen Time (Family Controls) to guard the apps you choose. On your own device, for yourself. It is not parental controls and never watches anyone else. Requires a subscription. The eye is judging you either way. Terms of Use (EULA): https://app.stopthat.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://app.stopthat.app/privacy

Screenshots

Takeback4 screens
Stop That4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Stop That at none against Takeback's shown. Stop That also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Takeback sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Stop That sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Takeback ships an update every 9 days, Stop That every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Takeback versus Stop That: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTakebackStop That
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size83 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGatarn Games Ltd.Daniel Keen

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Takeback

Subscriptions3
  • Takeback Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Takeback Annual$24.991 Year
  • Takeback Annual$29.991 Year
2 purchases

Stop That

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly$7.997 Days
  • Yearly$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Takeback free?
Takeback is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stop That free?
Stop That is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Takeback or Stop That have ads?
Takeback shows ads; Stop That does not.
Which is updated more often, Takeback or Stop That?
Takeback ships an update every 9 days, and Stop That every 4 days. Most recently, Takeback was updated on October 20, 2026 and Stop That on October 4, 2026.

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