ScreenCoach vs Earnimals: Two Ways to Let Kids Earn Screen Time
ScreenCoach is the app most similar to Earnimals: both let kids earn screen time by doing chores, homework and routines instead of just having it taken away. The big difference is where the app lives and how limits are enforced.
Full disclosure: we make Earnimals. ScreenCoach prices are from its website and App Store listing as of October 2026 (they don't quite match each other, so we show both).
Side by side
| Earnimals | ScreenCoach | |
|---|---|---|
| How kids earn | Minutes for reading, play, chores, routines; per-page earning | Screen-time tokens for chores, homework, exercise |
| Where it runs | One shared family iPad + parents' phones + web | Each child's devices (works best with Apple Family) |
| Enforcement | Honor system; you set the TV/console limit | Blocks apps when time's up or a task is overdue |
| Money | Screen time only | Pocket-money gems + virtual bank |
| Shared screens | Several kids' sessions count down at once on one iPad | Built around per-child limits |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, web | iOS, iPadOS; Android and more per their site |
| Price | $29.99/yr or $3.99/mo per family | $49.99–59/yr or $5.99–7.99/mo |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 30 days |
Where ScreenCoach is stronger
If your kids each have their own tablet or phone and you want limits enforced on them, ScreenCoach does that — it blocks apps when time runs out, during restricted hours, or when a task is overdue. Its allowance features (gems, a virtual bank, recurring deposits) go further than Earnimals, which deliberately sticks to screen time. And its 30-day trial is longer than our 14 days.
Where Earnimals is different
- Built for shared screens. Kids share one iPad as a family kiosk: tap your face, check off your routine, start your screen time. Several kids can each have a live countdown going at once — for the TV, a movie, or the Switch.
- Values-first earning. You choose what pays more — reading can earn double, "every page of math earns 10 minutes" — so kids learn what's worth their time.
- No device setup on each kid's gadget and no monitoring. Reviewers of per-device apps often mention setup effort; Earnimals is one sign-in on the family iPad.
- Lower price for the whole family: $29.99 a year, unlimited kids.
Which should you pick?
If enforcement on each kid's own device matters most, pick ScreenCoach. If your screens are shared — one iPad, the family TV, a console — and you'd rather build a habit than police a device, Earnimals is built for exactly that.
Try Earnimals free for 14 days
Earnimals turns all of this into a system your kids run themselves. They earn screen minutes by reading (reading pays double), doing chores, and finishing their morning routine — then the family TV or console unlocks. No monitoring, no nagging, one plan for the whole family. Brain food first, screens after.
Want to start on paper? Grab the free printable earn-screen-time chart.
Frequently asked
- How much does ScreenCoach cost compared to Earnimals?
- As of October 2026, ScreenCoach's website lists $7.99/month, $39 for 6 months or $59/year, and its App Store listing shows $5.99/month, $29.99 for 6 months or $49.99/year, with a 30-day trial. Earnimals is $3.99/month or $29.99/year for the whole family after a 14-day free trial.
- Does Earnimals do pocket money like ScreenCoach?
- Not in the same way. ScreenCoach pairs screen-time tokens with pocket-money 'gems' and a virtual bank. Earnimals focuses on screen time only: kids earn minutes (shown as critters in a jar), and grown-ups can cap the jar, add bonuses, or lock it as a consequence.
- Does ScreenCoach work on a shared iPad?
- ScreenCoach's App Store listing says it supports shared devices, but it's designed around each child's own devices and Apple Family setup. Earnimals is designed the other way round: one shared family iPad that every kid taps into, with grown-ups checking in from their phones.