Comparison

Takeback vs Earned

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

Every screen time app has an ignore button. That is why they stop working. Takeback does not. Open the app you swore you were done with and Sarge is there first. He is a drill sergeant, and he wants to hear your reasoning. Make your case. He decides. He is not easy. SARGE, YOUR DRILL SERGEANT He knows how long you have already scrolled today and answers accordingly. Ask for twenty minutes at midnight and see how that goes. Ask for five to reply to a message and he will probably wave you through. He negotiates. He counts. He remembers. YOU CANT FOOL HIM Try to talk your way past him and he will ask you to prove it. Say you are at the gym and he wants a photo from the gym. Pictures of pictures do not work on him. THE 60-DAY BOOTCAMP Your daily limit tightens every week. Every clean day pulls your baseline back down. By day 30 most people stop reaching for the phone on reflex. CHILL OR SAVAGE You pick how hard he goes. Chill hears you out. Savage makes you earn every minute. Switch whenever you want. WHAT YOU GET BACK Evenings that end in sleep, not a 2am feed. An attention span you can feel coming back. Hours a week that used to vanish with nothing to show for them. A phone you finally trust yourself with. HOW IT GOES Day 1, Sarge learns your habits and starts easing your limits down. Day 7, the feed starts feeling boring. Day 30, you have hours back and you are spending them on something. Day 60, you are not fighting your phone anymore. Start free for 3 days. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://trytakeback.com/privacy

About

Earned

Features
Read full description

Every unlock begins with a commitment. Earned helps you break the scroll-first habit. Before you open the apps you love, you do something that matters — wash the dishes, read, work out, study — and only then earn a limited window of screen time. HOW IT WORKS 1. DECLARE A TASK Choose from dozens of built-in tasks across chores, wellness, learning, creativity, and more — or create your own with Earned Pro. 2. SET A TIMER Pick how long you'll focus. The timer cannot be paused or skipped. Your selected apps stay locked until time is up. 3. EARN YOUR APPS When the timer ends, you unlock a scroll window — screen time you've actually earned. When it's over, apps lock again until your next task. WHY EARNED IS DIFFERENT • Commitment-first — scrolling is the reward, not the default • No pause, no override — the timer runs until it's done • Real tasks, real streaks — build momentum day after day • Uses Apple's Screen Time APIs — locking happens on your device • Widgets & Live Activities — see your timer and progress at a glance FREE INCLUDES • Lock up to 3 apps • 1 app folder • Full task library • Streak tracking • Scroll window after each completed task EARNED PRO • Unlimited app locking • Unlimited app folders • Custom tasks & durations • Schedule tasks ahead of time • Full insights & streak history • Custom scroll window length PRIVACY Earned uses Apple's Screen Time and Family Controls frameworks to lock and unlock apps on your device. We do not sell your data. Screen Time usage data stays on your device. SUBSCRIPTIONS Earned Pro is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://malachipatrick718.github.io/earned/privacy/

Screenshots

Takeback4 screens
Earned4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Earned at every 2 days against Takeback's every 10 days. 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. Takeback sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Earned 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

Takeback ships an update every 10 days, Earned every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Takeback versus Earned: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTakebackEarned
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGatarn Games Ltd.Malachi Patrick

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Takeback

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

Earned

Subscriptions2
  • Earned Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Earned Pro Yearly$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Takeback free?
Takeback is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Earned free?
Earned is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Takeback or Earned have ads?
Neither Takeback nor Earned shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Takeback or Earned?
Takeback ships an update every 10 days, and Earned every 2 days. Most recently, Takeback was updated on September 25, 2026 and Earned on September 13, 2026.

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