Pirates vs MELT
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pirates
Take back control of your time by blocking distracting apps and websites. Utilize a focus timer with custom soundscapes to enhance productivity. Enjoy a fun, engaging experience with unique characters and ships while gaining clear insights into your progress.
- App and website blocking
- Focus timer with Pomodoro
- Customizable soundscapes
- Engaging character and ship designs
- On-device blocking via Screen Time API
- Progress insights
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A cozy Pomodoro timer with a crew of cat pirates. Start a focus round, sail with your cats, and earn gold when the timer ends. Your distracting apps stay locked until you're done. No accounts, no ads, no tracking. A TIMER THAT FEELS LIKE A GAME • Pick your focus and break lengths, or use the classic 25/5 • Earn gold every time a round ends, not at the end of the week • Recruit 7 cats, dress them in 170+ outfits, and decorate your ship and camp • Come home to a cozy camp with a hammock, a campfire, and cats wandering around while you work BUILT FOR DISTRACTED BRAINS • One big button to start. No setup, no to-do list first • Short rounds with a visible timer, so time stops feeling invisible • Streaks start at 1 day, so a bad week never wipes you out • Mix your own ambient sound: waves, rain, fireplace, lo-fi, and a purring cat KEEPS YOUR PHONE QUIET • Optional app and website blocking with iOS Screen Time. No VPN, no servers • You pick which apps lock during a round. Calls and texts always work • Quit a round early and you lose the reward. Hard mode locks the timer so you can't end it early MORE ON DECK • Live Activity keeps the timer on your lock screen and Dynamic Island • Three daily missions arrive in your mailbox and pay extra gold • Climb 11 pirate ranks from Deckhand to Legend of the Seven Seas • The Captain's log charts every focus minute PERFECT FOR • Students who want study sessions to feel less lonely and more finished • ADHD brains that do better with short rounds and instant rewards • Writers, developers, and anyone whose work needs long stretches of focus PRICING A monthly subscription, an annual subscription with 14 days free, or a one-time lifetime purchase. All unlock the full app. No ads, ever. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your progress stays on your phone. No account, no ads, no tracking. The lock runs on your device through Apple's Screen Time, and your app choices never leave it. The only things the app sends out are anonymous usage statistics and crash reports. Terms of Use: https://cachepapi.github.io/pirates-legal/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://cachepapi.github.io/pirates-legal/privacy/ Study with cat pirates. Your first voyage awaits, Captain!
MELT
This minimalist app visualizes focus time as a flow of color, not numbers. Select your focus duration and choose distracting apps to block. A candy-themed screen melts away to show your progress, with automatic re-blocking after temporary access.
- Focus timer with customizable durations
- Block distracting apps, categories, and websites
- Temporary access with auto-reblocking
- Local session history and focus time tracking
- Minimalist visual progress indicator
- Multi-language support
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MELT is a minimalist focus app that turns time into a visual flow instead of another number to watch. Choose a focus duration and the apps you want to block. A candy-colored screen slowly melts as the session moves forward, while Apple's Screen Time technology shields the apps and categories you selected. Key features • 15, 25, 45, or 60-minute presets, plus custom durations up to 12 hours • Choose apps, categories, and websites to block • One temporary 3-minute unlock per focus session • Automatic re-blocking after 3 minutes, even in the background • On-device history for completed and ended sessions • Five candy colors • Korean, English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese • No ads, accounts, analytics, or tracking All history and settings stay on your device. Screen Time permission is required to use app blocking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Pirates at Free against MELT's $2.99. MELT's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (daily vs every 4 days). On review sentiment, ads, 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
Pirates is free to download; MELT costs $2.99 up front. Pirates sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. MELT asks for nothing beyond the download.
Pirates ships an update every 4 days, MELT daily. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pirates | MELT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (12 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 160 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | John Jang | MINSUK SONG |
Customer experience
Pirates
MELT
In-app purchases
Pirates
- Monthly$3.991 Month
- Annual14 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Lifetime$29.99
MELT
No in-app purchases









