Comparison

Pause vs Drip Screen Time

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

Head to head
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/

About

Drip Screen Time

This app provides a renewable screen time budget, allowing you to set limits on specific apps, websites, and categories. Once your budget is depleted, access is blocked until minutes drip back over a set interval.

Highlights
  • Renewable screen time budget
  • App and website limiting
  • Category-based restrictions
  • Customizable drip intervals
  • Blocks access when budget is zero
Read full description

Stop doom-scrolling. Drip lets you set a screen time budget. Your balance goes down as you use distracting apps and it refills over time. When it hits zero, those apps are blocked. Choose the apps, websites, and categories you want to limit. Set your max balance and how often minutes refill. Use your time. Your balance drains as you scroll. If you get blocked, take a moment away from your apps. Minutes come back on their own. DRIP PRO Upgrade to Pro for: Unlimited blocklists. Always-block schedules: fully block apps during set times, regardless of balance. Multiple warning notifications per blocklist. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Pause4 screens
Drip Screen Time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Drip Screen Time at none against Pause's shown. Drip Screen Time also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Pause's advantage is ratings volume (9 vs 3). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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 and Drip Screen Time sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Pause against 5.0 for Drip Screen Time. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pause ships an update every 3 weeks, Drip Screen Time every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pause versus Drip Screen Time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPauseDrip Screen Time
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (9 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCarlos VelasquezRoman Pisani

Customer experience

Pause

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

Drip Screen Time

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
1 purchases

Drip Screen Time

Subscriptions1
  • Drip Pro$5.991 Month

Questions

Is Pause free?
Pause is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Drip Screen Time free?
Drip Screen Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pause or Drip Screen Time?
Pause and Drip Screen Time are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Pause or Drip Screen Time have ads?
Pause shows ads; Drip Screen Time does not.
Which is updated more often, Pause or Drip Screen Time?
Pause ships an update every 3 weeks, and Drip Screen Time every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pause was updated on November 5, 2026 and Drip Screen Time on October 31, 2026.

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