Comparison

Earned vs Return

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

Head to head
About

Earned

Features
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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/

About

Return

Features
Read full description

Return is a quiet, private way for Jehovah's Witnesses to remember a ministry conversation and return prepared. Capture a conversation in seconds — typed or spoken, in your own words. Return saves those words on your device first. On supported iPhone, on-device intelligence can then notice useful details such as a person, Scripture, topic, follow-up, or return visit time. Return shows you what it kept on the receipt, and you can change or remove any of it. A saved conversation is complete even with no details at all. When it is time to return, Return brings the right confirmed memory back into view before you knock, call, write, or meet: what you discussed, what you promised, and what comes next. Plan a return visit by phone or message with no address: keep a number, email or account with the app they use, and copy what Return can't open. WHAT RETURN DOES • Capture while it is fresh. Write or speak naturally; no person, place, form, or connection is required before Save. • See what Return noticed. Details appear on the receipt as soon as you save, marked Suggested until you change them. • Return prepared. Before you knock puts the door, the name, what you promised and what they asked first, each with how long ago it was. • Find the door again. Save an address or Apple Maps place, a precise pin, doorway photo, or landmark path. Essential distance and bearing still work without map tiles or a connection. • Keep relationship memory. Conversation history stays reachable even when a conversation is not attached to a person. • Designed for iPad. Browse your notes in a multi-column Living Fieldbook. • Use it from Apple Watch. Capture, your next return visit, and the ministry timer stay close on your wrist. • Ask Siri. Say "Search Return" or use the Lock Screen widget, and Search opens with your words already in it. Nothing from your notes is indexed by the system or read aloud. • Your month, day by day. A calendar shows conversations, hours and return visits by day. Set an hour goal, with days away left out. Review hours, credit hours and Bible studies before sharing a monthly report or a service-year card. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Core records live on your device. Return has no account, developer notes server, analytics, ads, or third-party trackers. • Return uses Apple's Speech Recognition and requests on-device recognition to turn speech into text. iOS may disclose that speech data can be sent to Apple for speech recognition. Return has no server that receives your recording, and the recording is deleted after you review the note. • Return never creates a hidden profile about a person. Structured details come only from your words, are always shown to you, and stay editable. • You can record whether a person knows you keep a note, and review, export, or erase records when you choose. THE ESSENTIAL WORK STAYS FREE Capture, conversations, return visits, Bible studies, reporting, hours, timers, Apple Watch, widgets, essential maps and offline wayfinding, privacy controls, export and erase, and accessibility remain complete on device without a subscription. Return Supporter is an optional monthly or annual subscription. Today it adds seven more themes, each with its own app icon, a richer map at the door, richer widget and Watch layouts, and Your rhythm: Return learns the days you usually go out and plans your hour goal around them. The Supporter page in the app shows what is included today and what is still coming. Fieldbook Light, Fieldbook Dark, Match System, and assisted reference lookup stay free. Supporter never locks your own records or the only path to a core action. Return is an independent app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced by any religious organization. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://returnnotes.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://returnnotes.app/privacy

Screenshots

Earned4 screens
Return4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Return at daily against Earned's every 2 days. Return also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Earned's advantage is iOS requirement (16.1 vs 26.2). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Earned sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Return sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Earned ships an update every 2 days, Return daily. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Earned versus Return: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEarnedReturn
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.1 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB95 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMalachi PatrickMARK DAVID CABUCO GAN

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Earned

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

Return

Subscriptions2
  • Return Supporter$1.991 Month
  • Return Supporter7 Days trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Earned free?
Earned is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Return free?
Return is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Earned or Return have ads?
Neither Earned nor Return shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Earned or Return?
Earned ships an update every 2 days, and Return daily. Most recently, Earned was updated on November 5, 2026 and Return on October 29, 2026.

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