ScreenZen vs Stay Focused
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Stay Focused
App and website blocker with schedules, limits and Strict Mode
Where they differ
- ScreenZen is free. Stay Focused starts at $3.99 / month, or $24.99 / year (US App Store).
- Only ScreenZen lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Stay Focused lists a browser extension.
- Stay Focused also covers Pomodoro timer and focus music.
At a glance
| ScreenZen | Stay Focused | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $3.99 / month, or $24.99 / year (US App Store) |
| Free plan | The app is free with no subscription. ScreenZen describes itself as donation-supported, and the in-app purchases are optional tips. | Free to download on Android and iOS. The vendor does not publish which features need Premium; the Google Play listing says the Android app contains ads. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | ScreenZen LLC | Innox Apps |
| Price read from | screenzen.co | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
ScreenZen
- People who want a screen time blocker without paying a subscription
- Adding a pause before social apps instead of removing them
- Keeping phones out of use in the bedroom with the optional halo device
Stay Focused
- People who want blocks they cannot switch off on impulse
- Android users who want to block short videos but keep the app
- Students running timed study sessions with distracting apps locked
Worth knowing
ScreenZen
- The app is funded by donations; its in-app purchases are optional tips, listed from $5 to $40 on the US App Store.
- The halo companion device costs $49, ships to the US only and works with iOS 16.4 or later and Android 12.0 or later.
- The Windows version is a direct download from ScreenZen's site, while the Mac version shares the App Store listing with the iPhone and iPad app.
- On Android, website blocking relies on the Accessibility permission.
Stay Focused
- Prices and the list of Premium features are not on the vendor's site; the dollar figures come from the US App Store, and Google Play shows $0.49 to $99.99 per item.
- Purchases are tied to one platform and one device: an Android purchase cannot be used on iOS.
- On iPhone and iPad, iOS caps blocking at 50 apps or websites at a time, and blocking Reels and Shorts is offered on Android only.
- There is no Mac or Windows app; on a computer it is limited to a Chrome extension that blocks websites and keywords.
Key features
ScreenZen
- Delay before an app opens
- A wait is added before a distracting app opens, and it can lengthen with each open. A message of your choice, such as a question to yourself, is shown meanwhile.
- Interrupted sessions
- Apps can be opened for short periods only, so each session ends with a prompt to decide whether to keep going.
- Limits and strict blocks
- Set a daily goal per app and optionally block it at the limit. Strict blocks can apply to time ranges, after a number of opens or after a set screen time.
- Schedules by day and time
- Settings can differ by day of the week and time of day for each app, for example stricter rules during work hours or at bedtime.
- Lock mode
- Settings can be locked so they cannot be changed on impulse, and the site says lock mode can prevent uninstalling the app.
- halo companion device
- An optional Bluetooth device, sold separately, that blocks chosen apps while the phone is inside its radius of up to 50 ft, such as a bedroom.
Stay Focused
- App and website blocking with profiles
- Pick the apps, sites and keywords to block and group them into profiles for sleep, work or study. Each profile can work as a blocklist or as a whitelist of what stays allowed.
- Schedules, daily limits and goals
- Block during set days and hours, after a daily usage limit is used up, or until you have spent a set amount of time in apps you class as productive.
- Location-based blocking
- Block apps automatically while you are at a place you choose, such as a school, office or library, or while you are away from it.
- Strict Mode
- Locks your blocks until a timer runs out. Turning it off can require a PIN, an expiry date, a QR code scan or typing a randomly generated text.
- Pomodoro sessions and Focus Sounds
- Timed focus sessions with planned breaks keep all but a few chosen apps blocked. Rain, ocean waves, brown noise and other sounds can be mixed into a background track.
- Reels and Shorts blocking
- On Android, hide YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and Stories or Snapchat Spotlight while keeping the rest of each app usable.
Plans
ScreenZen
ScreenZen$0
The complete app: delays, limits, strict blocks, schedules and lock mode. Optional tips of $5 to $40 are listed on the US App Store.
Stay Focused
Free$0
The app is a free download. What the free version leaves out is not published.
Monthly$3.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
Premium features paid month to month. The listing does not itemize what the subscription unlocks.
Quarterly$9.99
per 3 months, US App Store in-app purchase
The same subscription billed every three months.
Yearly$24.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
The same subscription billed once a year. A purchase named Yearly Discounted is listed at the same $24.99.
Ways to pay less
ScreenZen
No public discounts listed.
Stay Focused
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs about 48% less than monthly
The US App Store lists the Monthly purchase at $3.99 and the Yearly purchase at $24.99, so a year paid at once costs about 48% less than twelve monthly payments.
