Scrollmate vs Median
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Scrollmate
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Parental controls that need a parent's approval, not a tap. ScrollMate is a parental control app for families with teens. A parent or legal guardian sets up limits on their child's phone, and when the child hits a limit, the app gets blocked. If the child wants more time, they send a request. The parent decides. Free 3-Day Trial • Then Subscription Required Built for one relationship and one relationship only: a parent or legal guardian and the child whose device they manage. There is no social network here, no feed of strangers, and no way to be found by anyone you did not hand a code to. HOW IT WORKS 1. Set up ScrollMate on the child's phone and pick the apps to limit 2. Set the daily limits 3. A parent or guardian installs ScrollMate on their own phone and connects with an invite code 4. When the child hits a limit, ScrollMate blocks the app 5. The child can send a request for extra time, with a photo and a reason 6. The parent approves or denies it from their own phone WHY SCROLLMATE WORKS Most screen time apps leave the final decision to the child. That sounds fine until they are bored, tired, or already twenty minutes deep into a feed. A four-digit passcode gets watched over a shoulder and shared within a week. ScrollMate adds one step that cannot be tapped past: a parent has to say yes. Nothing unlocks until they do. FEATURES Parent Approval Extra time only happens when a parent or guardian approves it from their own device. App Blocking Set limits for distracting apps on the child's phone and make them harder to reopen. No Easy Snooze ScrollMate creates real friction, not another button to dismiss. Request With Context The child explains why they need more time before the parent decides. Daily Overview Parents see how the day is going on the phone they manage. Invite Codes Only Accounts connect by sharing a code in person. No username search, no contact uploads, no strangers. USE SCROLLMATE FOR Managing a teen's social media use Blocking distracting apps on a child's phone Keeping homework time free of interruptions Cutting back on doomscrolling Building healthier phone habits as a family Giving a parent a real say in screen time instead of relying on a passcode PRIVACY ScrollMate uses Apple's Screen Time tools so a parent or guardian can manage app access on their child's device, which is exactly what those tools are built for. Screen time details stay protected by Apple's system and are only ever shared with the parent or guardian connected to that device. Accounts connect by invite code, so nobody can find a child's account by searching. We do not upload contacts and we do not sell data. GET STARTED Install ScrollMate on the child's phone. Set the limits. Connect a parent or guardian with an invite code. From then on, extra time is a decision, not a tap. Privacy Policy: https://smallstack.dk/scrollmate/privacy By subscribing to Scrollmate, you agree to Apple's standard Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Median
This app helps you break free from mindless scrolling when you wake up. It allows you to select apps that distract you and delays their access until your morning routine is complete. Track your progress and build healthier habits with personalized insights.
- Delay access to distracting apps
- Customizable morning routine duration
- Track Morning Score and history
- Receive motivational morning notes
- Privacy-focused design
- Integrates with Apple Screen Time
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Not everything deserves immediate access to you. HOW IT WORKS Choose the apps that tend to pull you in when you wake up. Choose when your morning can begin and how long it lasts. From then on, Median starts on its own the first time you pick up your phone, and those apps wait until your morning is done. Nothing to remember, nothing to switch on. EVERYTHING ELSE STILL WORKS Alarms, calls, messages, maps and music stay on. Only the scrolling has to wait. WHEN YOU REACH ANYWAY Median doesn't just put up a wall. It asks one honest question: was there a reason, or did your hand just go? Then it offers something better to do with the moment. If you still want in, you can open the app. Median shows what that costs your streak or your Morning Score first, and the choice is yours. WATCH THE HABIT CHANGE Every morning is recorded, started on your terms or not. Your Morning Score and history show the pattern over weeks, so you can see the habit break for good. A GOOD THOUGHT INSTEAD If you like, Median sends one note the first time you pick up your phone: motivation, grounding, or a line from your faith tradition. One a morning, never more. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Median works through Apple's Screen Time. It never learns which apps you chose, never sees what you do in them, and never records your screen. SUBSCRIPTION Median is a subscription with two plans. Yearly: a 7-day free trial, then billed once a year. Monthly: billed each month, cancel whenever you want. Prices for your region are shown in the app before you subscribe. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase, or when the free trial ends. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for the renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel any time in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Median Terms: https://usemedian.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://usemedian.app/privacy Independently made.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Median at none against Scrollmate's shown. Median also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 10 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
Both are free to download. Scrollmate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Median sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Scrollmate ships an update every 10 days, Median every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Scrollmate | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 78 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | smallstack ApS | JOHN JOSEPH GRECO |
In-app purchases
Scrollmate
- Premium$9.997 Days
- Premium (Yearly)3 Days trial$39.991 Year
Median
- Monthly$6.991 Month
- Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year









