Honest comparison · Reviewed May 16, 2026 # ScreenFine vs StayFocusd StayFocusd is a free Chrome extension that limits time on distracting websites and supports a whitelist-based "nuclear option." It is desktop-Chrome-only and does not touch your phone at all. ScreenFine is iOS-only with a daily total cap and verified-exercise redemption on overage. They do not compete: StayFocusd handles browser-based distraction on a laptop, ScreenFine handles iPhone overuse. [See the table](#table) [Get ScreenFine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screenfine-screen-time-limit/id6760267071) ## Is ScreenFine a good StayFocusd alternative? Shopping for a StayFocusd alternative? Here is the honest, no-spin head-to-head. StayFocusd: A free Chrome extension that limits time on distracting websites and supports a whitelist-based "nuclear option" for total focus. 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 StayFocusd Feature ScreenFine StayFocusd Platform iOS only Chrome extension (desktop only) Pricing $1/week (~$52/yr) Free Mobile coverage iOS only No mobile at all App blocking (not just web) FamilyControls + shield Websites only Website blocking The whole product Whitelist mode (Nuclear Option) Strongest mode Daily total cap with consequence Verified-exercise lock Time budget per site Bypass difficulty Cost on overage Other browsers bypass it Behavioural redemption window 1 week per fine AI personalised consequence Six villain personas Public accountability Wall of Shame, partner mode Best for iPhone overuse with real consequence Browser-only distraction on Chrome Last fact-checked May 16, 2026. [See StayFocusd for yourself](https://www.stayfocusd.com/). Where ScreenFine wins - ### Mobile coverage StayFocusd is a Chrome extension. It has no mobile app, no iOS coverage, and no Android coverage. If your problem is your iPhone, StayFocusd does literally nothing. ScreenFine is built directly on Apple's FamilyControls and ManagedSettings APIs and shields target apps at the OS level on iOS. - ### A real consequence on overage StayFocusd is a soft limit on websites: once you hit the time budget, the site shows a "Shouldn't you be working?" message and blocks further access in Chrome until tomorrow. You can switch browsers in three seconds and bypass it. ScreenFine's overage triggers an OS-level shield on selected apps and an accruing fine. The bypass cost is higher because the block is OS-native and the consequence is verified exercise. - ### Behavioural redemption window StayFocusd has no recovery path: either you stay under your time budget on that site that day or you do not. ScreenFine's 1-week redemption window means a slip-up has a healthy-behaviour clearing path (1,000 steps, a workout, 10 mindful minutes, 25 pushups). The lock becomes a prompt for exercise rather than a static daily block. - ### Personalised, in-the-moment consequence StayFocusd shows the same fixed message to everyone. ScreenFine fires a personalised AI villain notification at the moment of overage, written in one of six character voices (The Banker, the Reaper, the Coach, the Ex, the Algorithm, New Year You). Roasts are remembered; generic banners are tuned out. Where StayFocusd wins - ### Completely free StayFocusd is free with no paid tier. ScreenFine is $1/week. For a user whose distraction problem is genuinely just specific websites in Chrome on a laptop, StayFocusd is free and adequate. No reason to pay anything. - ### Mature, simple, and battle-tested StayFocusd has been a beloved Chrome extension for over a decade with millions of users. The settings UI is straightforward, the whitelist (Nuclear Option) mode genuinely works, and you can be set up in under five minutes. ScreenFine is much newer and more complex by design. - ### Nuclear Option whitelist is genuinely strict StayFocusd's Nuclear Option lets you whitelist only a small set of allowed sites and block everything else, with no bypass via the extension settings during the active block. For users whose problem is browser-based distraction on a single Chrome profile, this is one of the strongest blocking modes available. - ### Right tool for browser-only problems If your distraction problem is genuinely "I keep opening 10 news tabs at work in Chrome on my laptop," StayFocusd handles that directly and ScreenFine handles none of it. The right tool depends on the surface where your distraction lives. Choose by surface, not by feature count. ## Pick ScreenFine if - + Your problem is your iPhone, not Chrome on your laptop - + You need OS-level app blocking, not just website blocking - + You want a real consequence (verified exercise or financial accrual) on overage - + You want a 1-week behavioural redemption window for slip-ups - + You want public accountability via Wall of Shame or partner mode ## Pick StayFocusd if - + Your distraction problem lives entirely in Chrome on a laptop - + You want a free tool with no subscription - + You want a whitelist-only (Nuclear Option) mode to allow a small set of sites and block everything else - + You are not ready for a financial or exercise consequence - + You do not have an iPhone or your phone is not the problem via schemas[]) --> Common questions ## About ScreenFine vs StayFocusd ### Is ScreenFine a StayFocusd alternative? Only if you have decided the real distraction surface is your phone, not your browser. StayFocusd handles Chrome-based website distraction well and ScreenFine does not touch the browser at all. If both surfaces are distractions for you, the right answer is to run both, not pick one. ### Can I use StayFocusd and ScreenFine together? Yes. They cover different platforms entirely. StayFocusd blocks websites in Chrome on your laptop. ScreenFine puts a daily total cap on your iPhone with verified-exercise redemption on overage. The two do not conflict in any way. ### Does StayFocusd work on mobile? No. StayFocusd is a Chrome desktop extension. It has no mobile app, no iOS support, and no Android support. Mobile Chrome on iOS and Android does not support StayFocusd extensions either. For mobile-side enforcement on iPhone you need a separate tool like Apple Screen Time or ScreenFine. ### What is StayFocusd's Nuclear Option? A whitelist mode that allows only a small set of explicitly chosen sites and blocks everything else for a defined period (often the rest of the work day). It is one of the stricter modes available in a free browser extension because the bypass during an active Nuclear Option period is genuinely difficult. The trade-off is that you have to commit to the whitelist before starting. ## 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/) - [StayFocusd alternatives roundup](/alternatives/stayfocusd/) ## 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-screen-time-limit/id6760267071) [See all comparisons](/compare/)