# Roots vs touch grass

Roots and touch grass are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Roots sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and touch grass sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Roots against 4.7 for touch grass. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.6K and 3K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 75% and 76% positive.

Roots ships an update every 3 weeks, touch grass every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Roots | touch grass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roots-screen-time-control/id6446800962/reviews)** | [4.7 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-grass-screen-time-limit/id6739589530/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2.6K | **3K** |
| Positive reviews | 75.4% of reviews | **76.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 379 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MWM](https://appshunter.io/developer/452269707) | [Rhys Kentish](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732733441) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### touch grass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-grass-screen-time-limit/id6739589530)

This app helps you break free from mindless scrolling by blocking distracting applications. It requires you to verify that you've touched real grass before allowing access, encouraging you to connect with nature and reduce screen time.

**Highlights:** Block apps until grass is touched, Computer vision for grass detection, Track screen time progress, Flexible unblock durations, Block unlimited apps (premium), View screen time history (premium)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| touch grass pro monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| tg pro weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| touch grass pro monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| tg pro monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| tg pro black friday 2025 | $19.99 | per year |
| touch grass yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| touch grass yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| touch grass skip credit | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2 touch grass skip credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3 touch grass skip credits | $2.99 | one-time |
| 4 touch grass skip credits | $3.99 | one-time |
| 5 touch grass skip credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| 6 touch grass skip credits | $5.99 | one-time |
| 7 touch grass skip credits | $6.99 | one-time |
| 8 touch grass skip credit | $7.99 | one-time |
| 9 touch grass skip credits | $8.99 | one-time |
| 10 touch grass skip credits | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great concept
- 👍 Motivates users to go outside
- 💡 Unique approach to reducing screen time
- 🚀 Works well for most users
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model limits free features
- 🐛 Issues with grass detection in certain conditions
- 🔒 Ability to bypass restrictions with minimal effort
- 🕰️ Time frame settings can be confusing
- 🌱 Challenges for users in areas with limited greenery

**Reported bugs**

- Camera menu going black
- Inconsistent app behavior after touching grass
- Issues with app recognizing grass in certain conditions

**Requested features**

- More flexible scheduling options
- Ability to block more than 2 apps in free version
- Flashlight or low-light detection for night use
- Expanded detection for different outdoor surfaces
- Social features to share outdoor experiences


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Roots free?

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

### Is touch grass free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Roots or touch grass?

Roots is rated higher. Roots averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while touch grass averages 4.7 from 3K ratings.

### Do Roots or touch grass have ads?

Neither Roots nor touch grass shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Roots or touch grass?

Roots ships an update every 3 weeks, and touch grass every 2 weeks. Most recently, Roots was updated on September 25, 2026 and touch grass on September 24, 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.*