Comparison

Pause vs Nomato

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

Head to head
About

Pause

Features
Read full description

Most blockers let you turn them off the second you want to. Pause doesn't have to. Pick the apps. Pick how hard they are to reach. Get on with your life. DESIGNED FOR REAL LIFE Studying — A Time Limit on social apps, so a five-minute check can't turn into fifty. Deep work — Start a Session before you sit down and the apps that break your focus are gone until you end it. Evenings — A Schedule that blocks the doomscroll apps every night after dinner, automatically. The one app you reach for without thinking — A Friction Lock. Never blocked outright, just never one tap away again. When you know you'll cave — Strict Mode. Once it's running, it can't be switched off, edited, or quietly emptied out until it ends. FIVE WAYS TO BLOCK Session — Block now, for 30 minutes or until you say stop. Schedule — Block on a repeating timetable. Nine to five on weekdays, or every evening after eight. Time Limit — Give an app a daily budget. Forty-five minutes, then it's gone for the day. Open Limit — Cap how many times you can open it. Five opens a day, not fifty. Friction Lock — Solve a challenge first, every single time. Mix them. A Time Limit on Instagram, a Schedule across your work hours, a Friction Lock on the one you reach for without thinking. APP LISTS Build a list once — individual apps, whole categories, and websites — then point any rule at it. Change the list and every rule using it updates. WEBSITES TOO Add domains by hand. Safari and other browsers get the same shield your apps do. UNLOCKS, IF YOU WANT THEM Allow yourself a set number of unlocks per day, each lasting as long as you choose. Or allow none at all. YOUR OWN WORDS ON THE BLOCK SCREEN The shield shows a line you picked. Choose from the built-in set or write your own. INSIGHTS See where the hours actually went, and how often you stayed out. RULE HEALTH One screen listing every rule and whether it is genuinely armed. No silent failures. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT No account. No email. No sign-up. Your app lists, rules and history stay on your device. Pause uses Apple's Screen Time framework, so your app selections are handled by iOS and never sent to us. REQUIRES iOS 17 or later, and Screen Time permission — Pause cannot block anything without it.

About

Nomato

This app helps you reclaim your time by blocking distracting applications. It uses a focus timer and strict unlock methods to prevent mindless scrolling, encouraging better digital habits. Monitor your progress and set custom rules for different times of the day.

Highlights
  • App blocking
  • Focus timer with countdown
  • Customizable lock rules
  • Strict unlock mechanism
  • Uninstall guard
  • Progress tracking
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Your phone is built to keep you scrolling. Nomato is built to get you your time back. Pick the apps you can't stop opening, like TikTok, Instagram or YouTube. Nomato locks them with Apple's Screen Time, and makes it genuinely hard to sneak back in. HOW IT WORKS • Pick your apps. Only the ones you choose get locked. Calls, maps and everything else keep working. • Focus in rounds. Start a session and your apps lock until it ends. A tomato timer counts down on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. • Set rules. Lock apps at bedtime, during work hours, or after a daily time budget runs out. • Watch your time come back. See your focus time each week and how close you are to your goal. WHY IT ACTUALLY WORKS • No one-tap "ignore". To open a locked app early you say why, then type a fresh random code by hand. Copy and paste don't work. The code gets longer every time you unlock in a day. • You can't delete it on a bad day. Turn on the uninstall guard and your iPhone won't let apps be deleted until you switch it off inside Nomato. • Pick how strict it is. Soft gives short codes, Serious makes them grow, and No mercy means no unlocks at all until the lock ends. MEET NOMATO A small, slightly judgmental tomato who's on your side. He'll cheer when you resist and sulk a little when you cave. ALSO • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets with your week at a glance • Notifications when a round ends, when your break is over and when a session is complete • Sign in with Apple or Google so your setup and progress follow you to a new phone • Available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Italian PRIVATE BY DESIGN Apple's Screen Time keeps your app list private, even from us. We never see your messages, photos or browsing, and there are no ads. PRICING Try it free for 3 days on the weekly plan ($6.99/week after the trial), or pay $10.99 once for Lifetime access. Prices may vary by country. The weekly subscription renews automatically unless you turn it off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your Apple ID is charged within 24 hours before each renewal. Manage or cancel any time in Settings > your name > Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://nomato-app.vercel.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://nomato-app.vercel.app/privacy/

Screenshots

Pause4 screens
Nomato4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pause at none against Nomato's 2. On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Nomato sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Pause asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Pause versus Nomato: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPauseNomato
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB56 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperEric FactorAmarendra Mishra

In-app purchases

None

Pause

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Nomato

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$24.99

Questions

Is Pause free?
Pause is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nomato free?
Nomato is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pause or Nomato have ads?
Neither Pause nor Nomato shows ads.

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