AppBlock vs Pausa
AppBlock
appblock.appPausa
pausa-app.comSide by side
| Figure | AppBlock | Pausa |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Distraction Blocking Software | 8.2 (#6) | 7.2 (#26) |
| Intended users | The maker presents use cases for work, students, parents, ADHD, mental health, and well-being. | The maker describes Pausa as for people who know roughly how much app time they want and want help sticking to that choice. |
| Purpose | AppBlock helps manage screen time and block distracting apps, websites, URLs, and keywords. | Pausa lets users set daily time budgets for apps and helps enforce them throughout the day. |
| Strict Mode | Strict Mode makes blocks harder to bypass, with Cooldown and third-party approval options. | Strict Mode makes loosening a budget or easing the blocking wall wait 60 seconds, while tightening takes effect immediately. |
| Support | The site links to Android, iOS, and extension help pages, contact support, and feature requests, and invites users to join its Discord community. | The Google Play listing provides support at [email protected]. |
Plans
In their own words
AppBlock
AppBlock helps manage screen time by blocking distracting apps, websites, URLs, and keywords. Users can create profiles that start automatically by time, day, location, or connected Wi-Fi. Strict Mode makes blocks harder to bypass and includes Cooldown and third-party approval options. Usage limits, app and website tracking, and reports show screen-time habits over time. Allowlist Mode blocks everything except selected essential apps. The iOS feature list includes schedules, Strict Mode, Quick Block, Allowlist, approval access, and Pomodoro sessions. Extensions for Chrome, Edge, and Brave offer Quick Block and scheduled website blocking. The maker presents uses for work, students, parents, ADHD, mental health, and well-being. Its privacy policy says core blocking rules, screen content read for blocking, and detailed usage statistics are processed locally, subject to stated exceptions. Installed-app package names are sent to servers for category-based blocking, and backups upload blocking configuration when that feature is used. The Free plan costs nothing and has platform-specific limits; a 7-day trial is listed.