ActionDash vs StayFree (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, StayFree grades higher than ActionDash: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ActionDash grades higher on ease of use. StayFree grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ActionDash
Android screen-time tracker with app limits and a focus mode
Free
StayFree
Free cross-device screen time tracker and app and site blocker
Free
Which one is for you
Pick ActionDash if
- Fits if you want to see and cap your phone use on Android
- Works for people who want a focus mode without paying up front
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use iPhone or a computer, because it is Android only
- Watch out: website blocking depends on Android's Accessibility Service
- Watch out: the cost of any paid tier is unconfirmed, as no pricing page exists
- Watch out: the email manager sends Gmail data to the vendor's servers, which the site says are encrypted
Pick StayFree if
- Fits if you want screen time stats for your phone, desktop and browser in one place
- Works for people who want an app and website blocker with no paid tier at all
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if selling usage data bothers you, as Sensor Tower's privacy policy says it does that in anonymized, aggregated form
- Not for you if you want feeds hidden on your iPhone, since that's described for the browser extension
- Tight if your Mac is behind on updates, because the Safari extension requires macOS 26.5 or later
- Not for you if you'd rather not grant the Accessibility permission on Android, which website blocking relies on
- Watch out: linking your devices to each other takes setting up, and no API or integrations are listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAActionDashGood | 3.2GPAStayFreeVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to install from Google Play, which counts as free and substantial, but the site gives no pricing page and in-app prices are unconfirmed. | AFree on every platform, no paid plan or in-app purchases listed, and the Google Play listing calls it totally ad-free. The category's middle price is about $4 a month, and this costs nothing. The trade is your data, which Sensor Tower's policy says it sells anonymized and aggregated. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe app is free to install and use, though the listing does not say what paid in-app upgrades hold. | AFree outright with no paid tier to run into. Usage stats, app and website blocking, schedules, daily and session limits and cross-device sync are all in it. |
| Features | CScreen time breakdown, app limits, focus mode, sleep mode and inbox cleanup. It covers Android only and no website blocking without Accessibility Service. | BIt covers the blocker's job: four ways to block (now, on a schedule, a daily cap, a cap per session), whole categories as well as single apps, keyword blocking, a PIN over your own limits, and stats that combine across devices. Nothing here its rivals can't do, though, and feed-trimming is extension-only. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but it is an app you install and open with nothing to set up. | CNo store rating on record, and the thing it's sold on takes setting up: devices have to be connected to each other, and on Android website blocking only works once you grant the Accessibility Service permission. |
| Platforms and integrations | DAndroid only, with no iPhone or desktop version. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, synced. The listing shows no API and no integrations, which is what an A needs. |
| Best for | screen time limits on Android | free screen time tracking and blocking on every device |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ActionDash and StayFree. How we grade
Price against what you get
ActionDash has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. StayFree has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
StayFree scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other focus apps on the chart, none scores higher than ActionDash for less, and none scores higher than StayFree for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- ActionDash also covers habit tracking and reports.
- StayFree also covers time tracking.
In commonFree planAndroidSite & app blocker
At a glance
| ActionDash | StayFree | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to install from Google Play; the site's own listing data states a price of $0. Whether the app has paid in-app upgrades could not be confirmed. | Free on every platform, with no paid plan or in-app purchases listed. The Google Play listing describes the app as totally ad-free. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Sensor Tower | ST Pulse, a Sensor Tower company |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | stayfreeapps.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ActionDash
- Android only; the vendor lists no iPhone or desktop version.
- No pricing page exists, and the Play listing does not show a price for the in-app items, so the cost of any paid tier is unconfirmed.
- Website blocking relies on Android's Accessibility Service, as the Play listing explains.
- The email manager sends Gmail data to the vendor's servers, which the site says are encrypted.
StayFree
- StayFree is owned by Sensor Tower; its privacy policy says app and website usage data is collected and sold in anonymized, aggregated form.
- Hiding Shorts, reels and other feed sections is described for the browser extension; the iOS listing mentions only usage history, block mode and schedules.
- On Android, website blocking relies on the Accessibility Service permission.
- The Safari extension on the Mac App Store requires macOS 26.5 or later.
Key features
ActionDash
- Screen time breakdown
- Shows usage per app, notification counts and unlock frequency, with trends over days, weeks and months.
- Focus mode
- Pauses distracting apps in one tap, and can switch on by schedule for work, study or bedtime.
- App usage limits
- Sets a daily time limit for any app and notifies you as you approach it.
- Sleep mode
- Schedules a sleep window that disables apps, according to the Play listing.
- Inbox cleanup
- Connects to Gmail to show top senders, unsubscribe from newsletters and bulk-delete old mail.
StayFree
- Four ways to block
- Block an app or site immediately, restrict it at set times, cap its daily use, or set a time limit for each session. Daily limits can cover whole categories as well as single apps and sites.
- Cross-device usage stats
- Charts of app and website use combined across your devices. The Google Play listing says devices can be connected without creating an account, and usage can be exported as CSV.
- In-app blocking for social media
- The browser extension hides parts of YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and Snapchat, such as Shorts, reels, comments and recommendations, without blocking the whole site.
- Keyword blocking and over-use reminders
- The extension can block any website that displays chosen keywords, and StayFree notifies you when you have spent too long on a site or in an app.
- PIN and challenge protection
- Require a PIN code, password or text challenge before limits and settings can be changed, to stop impulsive edits.
- Focus mode and sleep mode
- On Android, focus mode blocks distracting apps at scheduled times and sleep mode disables all apps at the end of the day.
Plans
ActionDash
Pricing could not be confirmed. See actiondash.com.
StayFree
StayFree$0
The complete app on every platform: usage stats, app and website blocking, schedules, daily and session limits, and cross-device sync.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ActionDash or StayFree?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ActionDash and StayFree are free to use.
Which has a free plan, ActionDash or StayFree?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ActionDash and StayFree have a free plan.
Which platforms do ActionDash and StayFree run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only StayFree lists macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS apps and a browser extension. Both list an Android app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.