# Grayscale App vs Roots

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Grayscale App at none against Roots's 17. Grayscale App also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Roots's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 4) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Roots sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Grayscale App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Grayscale App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roots has 2.6K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Grayscale App's written reviews are positive against 75% of Roots's.

Grayscale App ships an update every 2 months, Roots every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Grayscale App | Roots |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grayscale-app/id1489347728/reviews)** | [4.8 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roots-screen-time-control/id6446800962/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 75.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 56 MB | 379 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Grayscale Labs, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1489347727) | [MWM](https://appshunter.io/developer/452269707) |

## What reviewers say

### Grayscale App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grayscale-app/id1489347728)

Manage hiring and employee engagement on the go. Seamlessly message candidates and employees, schedule events, and collect feedback via SMS or WhatsApp. Stay productive and organized from your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Candidate messaging, Employee engagement, Event scheduling, Feedback collection, SMS and WhatsApp integration, Onboarding management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Roots

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roots-screen-time-control/id6446800962)

This app helps you regain control of your phone usage by setting app limits, scheduling downtime, and participating in detox challenges. It provides insights into your screen time habits and offers features like 'Monk Mode' for focused periods. Aimed at improving well-being and reducing phone addiction.

**Highlights:** App and website blocking, Scheduled downtime, Phone detox challenges, Monk Mode for strict blocking, Digital dopamine monitoring, Daily goals and progress tracking, Personal balance score

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Roots Plus - Monthly Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Roots Plus - Weekly Plan | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Roots - Monthly Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Roots Plus - Monthly Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Roots - Monthly Plan | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Pass | $19.99 | per month |
| Roots Plus - Annual Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Roots Plus - Annual Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Pass | $59.99 | per year |
| Roots Plus - Annual Plan | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Roots Plus - Annual Plan | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium Pass | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium Pass | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for reducing screen time
- 🚀 Effective in cutting down app usage
- 💡 Customizable app blocking and downtime settings
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 👍 Responsive customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional performance issues and bugs
- 🐛 Inconsistent app blocking and unblocking
- 🐛 Inaccurate screen time tracking
- 🐛 Difficulty deleting account or changing subscription
- 🐛 Frustrating when apps are locked unexpectedly

**Reported bugs**

- Apps getting blocked when they shouldn't be
- Screen time data not syncing correctly
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Subscription issues and inability to cancel
- Trouble with the initial setup and syncing

**Requested features**

- Home screen and lock screen widgets
- Customizable challenges and ability to share with friends
- More options for the 'Do Not Disturb' mode
- Improved analytics and progress tracking
- Ability to easily adjust app limits without resetting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grayscale App free?

Grayscale App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Roots free?

Roots is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Grayscale App or Roots?

Grayscale App is rated higher. Grayscale App averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Roots averages 4.8 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Grayscale App or Roots have ads?

Neither Grayscale App nor Roots shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Grayscale App or Roots?

Grayscale App ships an update every 2 months, and Roots every 3 weeks. Most recently, Grayscale App was updated on September 16, 2026 and Roots on September 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*