# Precursor vs inkhour

The clearest difference is monetization model: Precursor at freemium against inkhour's subscription. Precursor also leads on ratings volume (17 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Precursor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and inkhour sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Precursor against 5.0 for inkhour. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Precursor has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Precursor ships an update weekly, inkhour every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Precursor | inkhour |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/precursor-screen-time-limit/id6791403654/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkhour-screen-time-and-focus/id6795171977/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Size | 17 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Precursor Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791403656) | [Nima Yahyaabady](https://appshunter.io/developer/6795171979) |

## What reviewers say

### Precursor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/precursor-screen-time-limit/id6791403654)

This app helps you manage your screen time by setting hourly limits for specific applications. It resets your allowance each hour, preventing you from exceeding daily limits and promoting sustainable usage habits without guilt.

**Highlights:** Set hourly app limits, Automatic hourly reset, Customizable daily limits, Friction to prevent impulsive overrides, Privacy-focused design, Optional premium features

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


### inkhour

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkhour-screen-time-and-focus/id6795171977)

This app helps you reclaim time from your phone by scheduling protected reading sessions. During these times, distracting apps are blocked, allowing you to focus on reading and build a habit of consuming content from books instead of endless scrolling.

**Highlights:** Schedule protected reading times, Block distracting apps, Keep up to two essential apps available, Track reading time and streaks, Record books read, Integrate with Apple Health sleep data

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $79.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Precursor free?

Precursor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is inkhour free?

inkhour is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Precursor or inkhour?

inkhour is rated higher. Precursor averages 4.9 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while inkhour averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Precursor or inkhour have ads?

Neither Precursor nor inkhour shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Precursor or inkhour?

Precursor ships an update weekly, and inkhour every 9 days. Most recently, Precursor was updated on November 5, 2026 and inkhour on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*