Comparison

Refocus vs Shelly

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Refocus

This app helps you regain control of your digital life by blocking distracting apps and websites. It offers various methods to limit screen time, set schedules, and track your usage, promoting better focus and productivity.

Highlights
  • Block any app or website
  • Strict Mode with multiple unblocking challenges
  • Set app timers and time limits
  • Schedule blocking for specific times
  • Location-based blocking
  • Screen time analytics
  • macOS app available
Features
Read full description

Refocus is an app blocker & website blocker that helps you limit screen time on apps! Refocus is easy to use, yet has powerful screen time control features: ▶ Various ways to restrict or lock apps and block websites. Choose what helps you focus! Block any app or site — from social media and games to messaging and news. ▶ "Strict Mode" feature prevents you from unblocking. Set a passcode, or use an NFC tag, or wait a duration (ex. 30 seconds), or do a copy text challenge, or utilize Pomodoro (limit unblocking to 5 times per day, for 25 minutes each, with a 5-minute cooldown between each unblock). ▶ Block for a specific duration (ex. app timer for 30 minutes). ▶ Block at specific times (ex. every weekday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM). ▶ Set app limits (ex. after 10 minutes of using Instagram, block it). Set an app time limit! ▶ Hide Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts in Safari. ▶ Block at the location you pick — whether it be home, work or school. ▶ View your daily, weekly and monthly Screen Time analytics. Use Refocus as a screen time tracker! ▶ Mac app that also lets you block apps and websites on macOS. ▶ And more! --- Visit www.refocusapp.co for more information. Terms of Use: - https://refocusapp.co/terms-of-use

About

Shelly

This app helps you build healthier phone habits with a visual motivator. It blocks distracting apps, offers focus schedules, and provides gentle breathing reminders to prevent mindless scrolling. Track your progress and improve your digital well-being.

Highlights
  • Visual motivation with a growing snail
  • App blocking and smart schedules
  • Breathing interventions
  • Shell Mode for total focus
  • Daily time allowances
  • Streak tracking
  • History and insights
Features
Read full description

Take back your day with Shelly — your friendly screen time coach to help you build healthy phone habits. Shelly is a cute snail who lives on your phone. The less you doom-scroll, the healthier Shelly gets. The more you mindlessly scroll, the more Shelly retreats into her shell. It's a simple visual nudge that works — no guilt trips, no lectures, just a little friend keeping you honest. Most of us spend 5+ hours glued to our screens without realizing it. Shelly flips the script: block the apps that drain your time, set focus schedules, and get gentle breathing reminders when you're about to spiral into another scroll session. WHY SHELLY WORKS - Visual motivation: Watch Shelly's health improve as your screen time drops - Gentle nudges, not guilt: Breathing exercises instead of harsh lockouts - Smart schedules: Auto-block apps during bedtime, work hours, or study sessions - Shell Mode: Total focus mode that blocks everything except what you whitelist - Real insights: See exactly which apps eat your time and track your progress FEATURES - Instant App Blocking: Pick the apps and sites to block. Done in seconds. - Shell Mode: Block everything except what you whitelist. Total focus. - Breathing Interventions: A 10-second breathing pause before any tracked app opens. - Smart Schedules: Auto-block apps at bedtime, work hours, or custom windows. - Daily Time Allowances: Cap usage on any app. Hit the limit, Shelly blocks it. - Escape Hatch: Need a blocked app? Simple unblock. - Streak Tracking: Stay under your goal. Watch the streak grow. - Home Screen Widget: Today's health score, always visible. - History & Insights: Weekly charts to spot patterns and celebrate wins. DESIGNED FOR - Students who lose hours to scrolling before exams - Creators who need to focus on making, not consuming - Professionals who want deep work without distractions - Parents building healthier phone habits for the family - Anyone who's tired of picking up their phone 150+ times a day PRIVATE & SECURE Shelly uses Apple's Screen Time API. All monitoring and blocking happen entirely on your device. Your usage data never leaves your phone — ever. No tracking. No ads. Just you and Shelly. FOUNDERS NOTE: I built Shelly because I was scrolling for 6 hours a day on my phone and couldn't stop. None of the screen time apps felt right — they were either too strict, too preachy, too complicated, or too easy to bypass. Shelly is the app I wished existed: simple, kind, and effective. All features described above require a subscription. Terms of Service: https://getshelly.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://getshelly.app/privacy

Screenshots

Refocus4 screens
Shelly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Refocus at free with in-app purchases against Shelly's subscription. Refocus also leads on ratings volume (12K vs 3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Shelly's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Refocus sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Shelly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shelly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Refocus has 12K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Refocus's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shelly's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Refocus ships an update weekly, Shelly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Refocus versus Shelly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefocusShelly
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (12K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews93.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12K — better3
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.1
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLabi, LLCSpindle Hyperlocal Solutions Private Limited

Customer experience

Refocus

All ratings11,757 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews2,246 reviews
Positive93.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.1%

Shelly

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Refocus

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Blocking issues after phone restart
  • Inconsistent behavior when pausing/unpausing sessions
  • Crashing when trying to block apps in certain categories

Requested features

5 requests
  • Passcode or biometric lock to prevent bypassing
  • More advanced blocking options (e.g., math problems to unblock)
  • Ability to purchase a one-time license instead of subscription
  • Notification warnings before blocking sessions end
  • Search function to find apps to block more easily

Shelly

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Refocus

Subscriptions9
  • Refocus Pro3 Days trial2 variants$7.991 Month
  • Refocus Pro3 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Refocus Pro3 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Refocus Pro (Family)7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Refocus Pro$49.991 Year
  • Refocus Pro1 Month trial2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Refocus Pro7 Days trial2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Refocus Pro1 Year trial$49.991 Year
  • Refocus Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time4
  • Reset Strict Mode$1.00
  • Reset Strict Mode$5.00
  • Reset Strict Mode$10.00
Show 1 more
  • Reset Strict Mode$50.00
3 purchases

Shelly

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Plan$5.991 Month
  • One time offer$24.991 Year
  • Premium Plan$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Refocus free?
Refocus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shelly free?
Shelly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Refocus or Shelly?
Shelly is rated higher. Refocus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Shelly averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Refocus or Shelly have ads?
Refocus shows ads; Shelly does not.
Which is updated more often, Refocus or Shelly?
Refocus ships an update weekly, and Shelly every 3 weeks. Most recently, Refocus was updated on November 1, 2026 and Shelly on October 18, 2026.

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