# Roots vs grounded | mindful screen time

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Roots at 2.6K against grounded | mindful screen time's 10. grounded | mindful screen time's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (89% vs 75%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Roots sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and grounded | mindful screen time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 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 4.8 for grounded | mindful screen time. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roots has 2.6K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Roots's written reviews are positive against 89% of grounded | mindful screen time's.

Roots ships an update every 3 weeks, grounded | mindful screen time weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Roots | grounded | mindful screen time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roots-screen-time-control/id6446800962/reviews) | [4.8 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grounded-mindful-screen-time/id6761880149/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 75.4% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 379 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MWM](https://appshunter.io/developer/452269707) | [Datrie Allman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891920620) |

## 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


### grounded | mindful screen time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grounded-mindful-screen-time/id6761880149)

This app offers a mindful approach to screen time by introducing brief awareness checks before you open distracting applications. It helps you regain control over your phone usage by prompting reflection rather than outright blocking.

**Highlights:** Pre-app awareness checks, Customizable app selection, Variety of reflection prompts, Time-limited app access, Gentle relationship with phone, Focus on awareness, not control

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grounded Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Grounded Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Grounded Lifetime | $129.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Roots free?

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

### Is grounded | mindful screen time free?

grounded | mindful screen time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Roots or grounded | mindful screen time?

Roots and grounded | mindful screen time are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.6K and 10 ratings respectively.

### Do Roots or grounded | mindful screen time have ads?

Neither Roots nor grounded | mindful screen time shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Roots or grounded | mindful screen time?

Roots ships an update every 3 weeks, and grounded | mindful screen time weekly. Most recently, Roots was updated on September 25, 2026 and grounded | mindful screen time 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.*