# Roots vs Offscroll

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Roots at 3.1K against Offscroll's 1. Offscroll's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Roots sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Offscroll sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Offscroll holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roots has 3.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Roots ships an update every 3 weeks, Offscroll weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Roots | Offscroll |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roots-screen-time-control/id6446800962/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/offscroll-screen-time-budget/id6761293951/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 75.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 361 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MWM](https://appshunter.io/developer/452269707) | [Noah Escobedo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888718427) |

## What reviewers say

### Roots

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

This app helps you manage your phone usage by setting app limits, scheduling downtime, and offering challenges to reduce screen time. It aims to improve focus, be more present, and cure phone addiction by monitoring digital dopamine and providing a personal balance score.

**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 (18)**

| 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 Pass | $99.99 | 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


### Offscroll

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/offscroll-screen-time-budget/id6761293951)

This app helps you reduce excessive screen time by setting time budgets for apps instead of strict locks. It prompts you to pause and reflect when your budget is reached, empowering you to make conscious choices about your usage.

**Highlights:** Set app time budgets, Calm pause prompts, Conscious choice over lockout, Usage dashboard, Personalized reflection messages, Anonymous community signals

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Community Tier | $2.99 | per month |
| Community Tier | $23.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Roots free?

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

### Is Offscroll free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Roots or Offscroll?

Offscroll is rated higher. Roots averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while Offscroll averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Roots or Offscroll have ads?

Neither Roots nor Offscroll shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Roots or Offscroll?

Roots ships an update every 3 weeks, and Offscroll weekly. Most recently, Roots was updated on October 30, 2026 and Offscroll on October 9, 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.*