moss vs Common Sense Family Tech Planners
Printable planners from a nonprofit for agreeing tech rules as a family. Nothing is blocked.
Checked 11 November 2026 against Common Sense Media's own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What Common Sense Family Tech Planners is
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit, publishes Family Tech Planners as PDF downloads. There are versions for ages 2 to 8, 9 to 12 and 13 and up, in English and Spanish, and they are meant to "inspire conversations about tech use as a family". It is paper: an agreement, with nothing to install and nothing enforced. It pairs well with any tool on this site, moss included.
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 | Common Sense Family Tech Planners |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | PDF downloads. No price is shown on the page |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | None |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | Paper. It applies to any device |
| 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 | Nothing is locked. The family agrees rules |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | Nothing to unlock |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | Not needed |
| 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 | Yes, by conversation. Nobody controls anyone |
| Whose key opens your phone | Only your household's own stone, card and sprigs unlock your phones | No key |
Where Common Sense Family Tech Planners is better
- It involves children in setting the rules.
- It works for any device, with versions for young children.
- Nothing to install, set up or charge.
Where moss is better
- moss makes the agreement hold: the chosen apps are locked until someone walks to the stone.
- Schedules by day of week, so the agreed hours start without a reminder.
- Everyone can see whose phone is down.
Who should pick which
Pick Common Sense Family Tech Planners if
You want to start with a conversation and a written agreement.
Pick moss if
You have an agreement and want something that keeps everyone to it, adults included.
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.
