Warden
What free already covers
Apple Screen Time is free on every iPhone. In iOS 27 it offers Time Allowances, Screen Time Schedules and an Always Allowed list; in iOS 26, App Limits and Downtime. For many people, a schedule for two apps is all they need.
Free options beyond Screen Time
ScreenZen describes itself as free with optional donations. It offers daily limits, scheduled blocks for apps and websites, and a lock mode intended to make limits harder to bypass.
Warden has a free plan, and its pricing page lists what the paid plan adds. Other blockers offer free tiers or trials; check each provider's current plans, because what is free changes.
Warden pricing: Free and Pro plans
Reference: ScreenZen
What to test before you rely on it
- Does the block cover the website as well as the app?
- What happens when you try to end it early?
- Can you still make calls and reach the tools you need?
- Does it keep working after you restart the phone?
When a free blocker is not enough
If the free tools work but you keep overriding them, the missing piece is usually not a feature but who controls the override. A locked mode or another person's approval changes that moment.
Warden's Lockdown keeps ordinary early unlocks off until a block ends, and a trusted person can approve early access for the rules you choose. Check which features each plan includes before you decide.
Example: a free week before paying for anything
Start with Screen Time: one schedule for your two most-used feeds from 10 PM to 7 AM, and a note each evening on whether it held. If it held most nights, you may need nothing else. If you tapped past it most nights, try a free plan with a stricter mode, then decide whether a paid feature solves a problem you actually had.
