# one sec | screen time + focus vs Via Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Via Journal at none against one sec | screen time + focus's 6. one sec | screen time + focus's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (24K vs 2). On price, rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. one sec | screen time + focus sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Via Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Via Journal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: one sec | screen time + focus has 24K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

one sec | screen time + focus ships an update fortnightly, Via Journal every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | one sec | screen time + focus | Via Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/one-sec-screen-time-plus-focus/id1532875441/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/via-journal/id6778611386/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 75.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 413 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [riedel.wtf apps S.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/517545753) | [Peter Chang](https://appshunter.io/developer/6776431107) |

## What reviewers say

### one sec | screen time + focus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/one-sec-screen-time-plus-focus/id1532875441)

This app introduces a brief pause before opening distracting applications, encouraging mindful choices about attention. It scientifically helps reduce screen time by an average of 57% by adding friction to habitual app usage.

**Highlights:** Delayed app access instead of blocking, Reduces screen time by 57% on average, Doom Scroll Emergency Brake (Re-Intervention), Works with any app, including social media and games, Safari extension for website interruptions, Integrates with Structured and LENGO, Mindful moments via HealthKit

**Features:** Safari Extension, Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| one sec pro (1 Month) | $6.99 | per month |
| one sec pro \| Family Plan (1 Month) | $9.99 | per month |
| one sec pro (1 Year) | $19.99 | per year |
| one sec pro \| Family Plan (1 Year) | $29.99 | per year |
| one sec pro \| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |
| one sec pro \| Family Lifetime | $149.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Saves time
- 👍 Helps reduce screen time
- 💡 Customizable interventions
- 👍 Effective at curbing habits
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy at times
- 💰 Premium features behind paywall
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy/data collection
- 🔒 Inability to fully disable the app
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior across apps

**Reported bugs**

- App switching issues
- Interventions not triggering properly
- Inconsistent behavior with shortcuts
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to block more apps for free
- Customizable intervention timers
- Scheduled app blocking/access
- Passcode protection for settings
- Sync settings across devices


### Via Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/via-journal/id6778611386)

This app helps you understand yourself better through simple, private daily reflections. It uses AI locally on your device to generate weekly, monthly, and yearly insights based on your entries, which can include text and photos.

**Highlights:** Private local data storage, AI-powered insights, Daily reflection prompts, Rich text and photo entries, Weekly, monthly, and yearly reviews, Bilingual support (Chinese/English)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is one sec | screen time + focus free?

one sec | screen time + focus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Via Journal free?

Via Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, one sec | screen time + focus or Via Journal?

Via Journal is rated higher. one sec | screen time + focus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Via Journal averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do one sec | screen time + focus or Via Journal have ads?

Neither one sec | screen time + focus nor Via Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, one sec | screen time + focus or Via Journal?

one sec | screen time + focus ships an update fortnightly, and Via Journal every 3 months. Most recently, one sec | screen time + focus was updated on November 4, 2026 and Via Journal on October 31, 2026.

---

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