Comparison

CTRL vs Block&Read

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

Head to head
About

CTRL

Features
Read full description

CTRL is a focus timer, app blocker, and habit builder in one. The rule is simple: you earn credits by focusing, and you spend them to open the apps that steal your hours. Run out, and the scroll stops until you put in the work. It turns willpower into an economy so you don't have to rely on willpower at all. WHY CTRL WORKS WHEN OTHER FOCUS APPS DON'T Most productivity and screen time apps just block apps and hope you don't switch them off. CTRL doesn't fight your dopamine it puts a price on it. Every distraction costs credits you can only earn through real focused work. That's what makes the habit stick. FOCUS TO EARN • Run focus sessions (25, 50, or 90 minutes) and bank credits • Keep your phone face-down during a session for a +50% bonus • Longer, distraction-free deep work pays the most • Build a daily focus habit and track your time like a pro BLOCK THE APPS THAT EAT YOUR TIME • Shield TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, X and more using Apple Screen Time • Block distracting websites too, so Safari can't reopen the same feeds (Pro) • The most addictive apps cost the most credits to open PAY TO OPEN — EVERY TIME • Before a blocked app opens, CTRL asks why and charges you credits • Every "I'm bored" tap is logged, so you get a real distraction tracker for your worst habits • See your triggers and take back control of your attention RECOVERY MODE FOR THE HARD DAYS • Binge patterns automatically trigger a fairer economy: earn more, spend less • Miss a day and a freeze covers your streak — built to catch the spiral, not punish it HONEST BY DESIGN • Credits are earned by focusing never bought with money • Your Screen Time data never leaves your device. CTRL can't see which apps you use. • No ads. No tracking. No account or login required. MADE FOR Anyone fighting phone addiction, doomscrolling, and procrastination students, founders, writers, remote workers, and anyone who wants focus, productivity, and self-control on their own terms. A focus app, app blocker, screen time limiter, distraction blocker, and habit tracker rolled into one. CTRL PRO Upgrade to block unlimited apps and websites, schedule unlimited unlock windows, and more. Monthly or annual, with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan. Use it, but pay for it.

About

Block&Read

This app replaces distracting apps with reading material to help you achieve your daily page goals. It offers a built-in e-reader and blocks selected applications until you meet your reading targets, promoting focus and time management.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps
  • Read to meet page goals
  • Built-in e-reader
  • Public domain classics library
  • Import your own EPUBs
  • Reading insights
  • Strict mode for focus
Features
Read full description

Trade the scroll for a chapter. Block&Read locks the apps that eat your evenings and opens a book in their place. Reach your page count, and the lock lifts. A real e-reader and a real app blocker, in one app. No willpower required, just a page or two. HOW IT WORKS • Set your blocklist: social, video, news, whatever burns your day • Reach for one of them and a book opens instead • Read to your daily goal, and the lock lifts • Keep the streak alive and win your time back FREE • Block one app, forever free • Bring one of your own books • A shelf of public-domain classics in English and Spanish • Streaks, stats and daily reminders • Strict mode, no easy way out PREMIUM • Block unlimited apps • Import your own EPUBs and search 75,000+ classics • Blocking schedules and extra reader themes • Reading insights, see how you read • Private iCloud backup of your library • Monthly or yearly, or pay once with Lifetime Privacy is total. There is no account to create, nothing is measured, and nothing is sent anywhere. Your library and your reading stay on your device, or in your own private iCloud. Earn the scroll. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://dezeo.lat/blockandread/privacypolicy/

Screenshots

CTRL4 screens
Block&Read4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: CTRL at 17.0 against Block&Read's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads 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. CTRL sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Block&Read sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CTRL ships an update every 3 weeks, Block&Read every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
CTRL versus Block&Read: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCTRLBlock&Read
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB37 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJibran AhmedNicolas Gula

In-app purchases

2 purchases

CTRL

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
2 purchases

Block&Read

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Premium Yearly$17.991 Year

Questions

Is CTRL free?
CTRL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Block&Read free?
Block&Read is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CTRL or Block&Read have ads?
Neither CTRL nor Block&Read shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CTRL or Block&Read?
CTRL ships an update every 3 weeks, and Block&Read every 2 weeks. Most recently, CTRL was updated on October 5, 2026 and Block&Read on October 11, 2026.

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