moss vs Ascent
Adds a pause before distracting apps open. iPhone and Android, with a low lifetime price.
Checked 11 November 2026 against Ascent Apps TOO's own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What Ascent is
Ascent: Screen Time Control puts a pause exercise in front of a distracting app, then lets you choose to close it or continue. It also has focus sessions, daily app limits that block an app for the rest of the day, schedules and "intentions". On Android it can block Reels and Shorts sections. The App Store lists 1 Month at $2.99, 1 Year at $9.99 and Lifetime at $17.99. It runs on iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and Android.
What moss is
moss is an iPhone app that comes with a small physical stone. You choose the apps that distract you, tap your phone on the stone, and those apps stay locked until you tap the stone again. People who live together can link their phones to share schedules and put their phones down at the same time, while each person keeps control of their own phone. Locking is free in the app, the stone is a one-time purchase, and the household features are a paid add-on.
Side by side
| Feature | moss | Ascent |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | App Store lists 1 Month $2.99, 1 Year $9.99, Lifetime $17.99 |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | Yes, with a lifetime option |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | iPhone (iOS 17+) and Android |
| How you lock | Tap the stone, or start from the app, a Shortcut, the lock screen or the Action Button. Schedules by day of week | A pause before apps open. Focus sessions, daily limits and schedules |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | After the pause, choose to continue. Limits reset daily |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | The continue button on the pause screen |
| Locking together as a household | Yes, as a paid add-on. Shared schedules, sessions others join in one tap, a view of whose phone is down, a streak. Nobody controls anyone else | None |
| Whose key opens your phone | Only your household's own stone, card and sprigs unlock your phones | No key |
Where Ascent is better
- It works on Android as well as iPhone.
- A pause suits people who want a nudge and not a lock.
- There is no hardware to buy, and the listed prices are low.
Where moss is better
- A lock, not a pause. There is no continue button.
- Unlocking always needs the stone.
- Households can lock together and see whose phone is down.
Who should pick which
Pick Ascent if
You open apps on autopilot and a moment to think usually stops you.
Pick moss if
You tap straight through pauses and want the apps gone until you walk to the stone.
Sources
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
moss is a stone that locks the apps you choose.
Tap to lock, tap to unlock. One price, and locking needs no subscription.
