Pause vs Earn Screen Time
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Pause
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Pause: Break the Doomscrolling Loop Break free from the doomscrolling loop and reclaim your time with Pause. Pause isn't another screen time blocker. Instead of locking you out of your phone or making you feel guilty, Pause interrupts your autopilot habits at the exact moment they happen. Whenever you instinctively open a distracting app, Pause steps in first with a mandatory 60-second mindful breathing exercise. It takes just one minute to break the cycle of mindless scrolling. Take a breath, identify what you're actually looking for, and decide intentionally whether you still want to open the app. HOW IT WORKS Create Intervention Plans: Select the apps that trigger your distracting or compulsive usage, such as Instagram, TikTok, or X. The 60-Second Intercept: When you open a targeted app, Pause appears first. Complete a 60-second mindful breathing exercise before continuing. Identify Your Triggers: Log how you're feeling in the moment โ Bored, Anxious, Procrastinating, or another trigger โ to better understand what drives your scrolling habits. Make a Choice: After 60 seconds, you're in control. Choose to continue to the app or step away and reclaim your time. BUILD HEALTHIER HABITS Evening Reflections: gentle reminder at the end of the day to check in with your mood and reflect on your screen time. Weekly Insights: Track your progress over time. Discover your most common trigger apps, peak urge times, and your Pause Success Rate the percentage of times you chose to step away. Privacy First: Your intervention plans and check-ins are private and securely tied to your account. TAKE BACK YOUR ATTENTION Stop letting algorithms control your attention. Add a little friction to distracting habits, build awareness around your screen time, and get your focus back. Take a breath. Take a Pause.
Earn Screen Time
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Move first. Scroll later. Earnit helps you interrupt automatic scrolling by earning your screen time. Choose distracting apps, earn minutes through effort, then decide when to use them. YOUR MINUTES, YOUR CHOICE 1. Choose the apps you want to block. 2. Earn minutes with walking steps from Apple Health. 3. Start a 5, 10 or 15 minute access session when you're ready. Earning minutes builds your balance. You choose when to unlock. A session is a window of clock time, even if you switch apps or lock your phone. Restrictions are reapplied when the session ends, subject to iOS timing. MORE WAYS TO EARN WITH PRO Do push-ups, squats, jumping jacks or lunges counted by your iPhone camera, or scan study material and answer a comprehension question. Study needs an internet connection; it rewards understanding rather than time on a study timer. Push-up video is not recorded or uploaded. START WITH ONE EARNED UNLOCK A DAY Try the daily earned unlock without a subscription. Pro adds more access sessions, custom earning rates, study and advanced progress views. Build a balance before opening your usual distractions. Start with a walk, then choose your next session. KEEP GOING WITH FRIENDS Add friends by invite code, create or join a squad and compare weekly goal progress. Send nudges and cheers to support each other. Choose whether to share missed goals. Friends shares steps, earned minutes and streaks; your selected apps and app usage stay private. โโโ Unlock Earnit Pro with a monthly subscription or a one-time Lifetime purchase. The monthly plan includes a 3-day free trial for eligible new subscribers. Lifetime has no free trial or automatic renewal. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.earnitscreen.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pause at none against Earn Screen Time's 3. Pause also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Earn Screen Time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Pause asks for nothing beyond the download.
Pause ships an update every 4 days, Earn Screen Time every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pause | Earn Screen Time |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days โ better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 โ better | 18.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 57 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | UPSTART INNOVATION, LLC | Joaquin Balthasar De Weert |
In-app purchases
Pause
No in-app purchases
Earn Screen Time
- Earnit Pro Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Earnit Pro Yearly3 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Earnit Pro Lifetime$30.00









