Honest comparison · Reviewed June 26, 2026 # ScreenFine vs SelfControl SelfControl and ScreenFine both enforce a commitment, but on different devices with different philosophies. SelfControl is a free, open-source Mac app that blocks websites at the firewall level for a timer you set, and the block cannot be undone (not by restarting or deleting the app) until the timer ends. It has no iOS version. ScreenFine is iOS-only: it caps daily app usage through Apple's Screen Time API and is redeemable via verified exercise. If you rely on SelfControl on your Mac and want the same idea on your iPhone, ScreenFine is the closest fit, though it is redeemable rather than absolute. [See the table](#table) [Get ScreenFine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screenfine/id6760267071) ## Is ScreenFine a good SelfControl alternative? Shopping for a SelfControl alternative? Here is the honest, no-spin head-to-head. SelfControl: A free, open-source macOS app that blocks websites at the system firewall level for a timer you set. Once started it cannot be undone, not by the app, a restart, or deleting it, until the timer runs out. Mac only, no iOS version. ScreenFine takes a different approach to the same problem. The comparison table below, and the where-each-wins breakdown after it, show exactly where each tool pulls ahead and who should switch. Side by side ## ScreenFine vs SelfControl Feature ScreenFine SelfControl Platform iOS only macOS only (no iOS) Pricing $1/week (~$52/yr) Free, open-source Blocks iPhone apps FamilyControls + shield Mac only, no mobile Blocks websites on desktop iOS apps, not Mac web System firewall level Enforcement strength Redeemable via exercise No undo until timer ends Earn-back / redemption window 1 week per fine No escape until timer Always-on daily cap Screen Time API monitors Per-session timer you start AI personalised consequence Six villain personas Open source Auditable on GitHub Best for iPhone overuse with earn-back Mac deep-work blocks you cannot quit Last fact-checked June 26, 2026. [See SelfControl for yourself](https://selfcontrolapp.com/). Where ScreenFine wins - ### It runs on your iPhone This is the whole reason most people comparing the two are here. SelfControl is Mac-only and there is no iOS version, by design: iOS is too restricted and the App Store will not ship its GPL code, and the team says as much. So if your problem is your phone rather than your laptop, SelfControl cannot help and ScreenFine can. ScreenFine enforces a daily limit on the apps themselves through Apple's FamilyControls API. - ### Always-on, not a timer you remember to start SelfControl only blocks while a session you manually started is running. Forget to start it and there is no protection. ScreenFine monitors your usage continuously against a daily cap, so the consequence fires whether or not you remembered to arm anything. The cap is always on. - ### It shields apps, not just websites SelfControl blocks domains at the network level, which is excellent for browser-based distraction on a Mac. But native apps are the problem on a phone, and a domain blocklist does not touch the TikTok or Instagram app. ScreenFine shields the actual apps on iOS when you go over your limit. - ### A humane way back SelfControl is deliberately all-or-nothing: once the timer runs you are locked out, full stop. That is its appeal for some. ScreenFine instead opens a redemption window: an overage lock clears within a week when you do 25 pushups or another redemption action. If you want a consequence with an earn-back path rather than a hard wall, that is the difference. Where SelfControl wins - ### Free and open-source SelfControl costs nothing, has no subscription or premium tier, and its source is on GitHub for anyone to audit. ScreenFine is $1/week. If you want a zero-cost, fully auditable blocker for your Mac, SelfControl is hard to beat on price and transparency. - ### Genuinely unbreakable enforcement Once a SelfControl timer is running there is no escape: not by closing the app, restarting the Mac, or deleting the app. It writes firewall rules that outlast all of that. ScreenFine's lock is redeemable, which is gentler but also less absolute. For people who want zero off-ramp during a focus block, SelfControl is the stronger commitment device. - ### Best-in-class for desktop deep work For blocking distracting websites on a Mac during writing, coding, or study, SelfControl is a long-standing favourite (it has been around since 2009). ScreenFine does nothing on desktop. If your distraction happens on a laptop, SelfControl is the right tool and ScreenFine is not. - ### No account, no data, fully local SelfControl runs entirely on your machine with no account and no data collection. ScreenFine requires an account and a subscription. If you want a tool that never phones home, SelfControl's local-only model is a real advantage. ## Pick ScreenFine if - + Your distraction is your iPhone, not your Mac, and you want a hard daily limit on apps. - + You want an always-on cap rather than a session you have to remember to start. - + You want a redemption window so an overage clears with exercise instead of a hard lockout. - + You want the apps themselves shielded, not just websites in a browser. ## Pick SelfControl if - + Your distraction is on a Mac (browser-based) and you want a free, auditable blocker. - + You want genuinely unbreakable enforcement with no off-ramp during a focus block. - + You prefer a local-only, no-account, open-source tool. - + You are happy starting a timed block manually for each deep-work session. via schemas[]) --> Common questions ## About ScreenFine vs SelfControl ### Is there a SelfControl app for iPhone? No. SelfControl is macOS-only. iOS restrictions and the App Store's stance on GPL-licensed code mean there is no official iOS version, and the team has confirmed it is not coming. ScreenFine is the closest iOS equivalent in spirit, a hard daily limit you cannot just swipe past, though it is redeemable via verified exercise rather than an absolute timer. ### Can I use SelfControl and ScreenFine together? Yes, and it is a sensible combination. Use SelfControl on your Mac to block distracting websites during deep work, and ScreenFine on your iPhone to cap app usage. They cover different devices and do not overlap. ### Is ScreenFine as strict as SelfControl? Not by design. Once SelfControl's timer is running it cannot be undone at all, which is the strictest enforcement available. ScreenFine's overage lock is redeemable within a week through exercise. SelfControl is more absolute; ScreenFine trades a little of that for a humane earn-back path and continuous, always-on monitoring. ## Compare ScreenFine with other tools - [See the full Brick comparison](/compare/vs/brick/) - [See the full Freedom comparison](/compare/vs/freedom/) - [See the full Cold Turkey comparison](/compare/vs/cold-turkey/) - [See the full Opal comparison](/compare/vs/opal/) - [See the full Apple Screen Time comparison](/compare/vs/apple-screen-time/) - [See the full One Sec comparison](/compare/vs/one-sec/) - [See the full ScreenZen comparison](/compare/vs/screenzen/) ## Related reading - [Commitment devices: the mechanism behind verified-exercise locks](/guides/commitment-devices/) - [How to reduce screen time: a 5-step plan](/guides/how-to-reduce-screen-time/) - [How the fine jar works](/features/fine-jar/) - [AI villain: the consequence delivery layer](/features/ai-villain/) - [Screen Time Cost Index 2026 (data report)](/data/screen-time-cost-index-2026/) ## Ready to put real exercise on the line? $1 per week via Apple IAP. 25 pushups per 15-minute overage block. No variable charges. [Get ScreenFine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screenfine/id6760267071) [See all comparisons](/compare/)