Roots vs Twilock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Roots
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.
- 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
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Roots is the #1 screen time app. Set boundaries with your phone, and unlock more time. Screen time has a major impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. We're here to help — with better app limits, digital downtime, daily goals, balance score, and more. Join thousands of people using Roots to build a better relationship with their phone. WHAT TO EXPECT - Better screen time management - Unlock 2 hours per day - Stop scrolling mindlessly - Cure your phone addiction - Detox from phone dopamine - Find better balance - Be more present - Stay focused BLOCK NOW - Start blocking apps at any time with one tap BETTER APP LIMITS - Block any app or website based on time limits or number of opens SCHEDULE DOWNTIME - Be intentional with "mindful mornings", "evening wind down", and more PHONE DETOX CHALLENGES - Personalized challenges to compete with yourself and friends - Challenges with neuroscientist and Roots Chief Science Officer, Tj Power BLOCK WITH "MONK MODE" - App blocking that doesn't let you unblock until tomorrow MONITOR DIGITAL DOPAMINE - Not all screen time is equal, so we help you understand the impact of each app DAILY GOALS - Set goals for screen time and phone pickups, and track your daily progress PERSONAL BALANCE SCORE - Daily score helps keep you accountable with beautiful illustrations and visuals SCREEN TIME TRENDS - View the progress and trends of your screen time journey BUILD A STREAK - Build a streak as you stay under limits, earn cheat days and custom app icons BLOCK ADULT WEBSITES - Keep yourself off adult websites once and for all DON’T JUST TAKE IT FROM US "We’re all guilty of being obsessed with our phones. Roots helps you break free." -- Tj Power, Neuroscientist and Author “It's beautiful, and it works” -- Jameston78 “This app does what it says” -- Casper-F “Worth every penny” -- Thehikingfool PRIVACY GUARANTEED We use Apple’s Screen Time API so all of your phone usage data stays on your phone. TERMS & CONDITIONS - Auto-Renewing Subscription Options: Roots Plus (Monthly or Annual) - Terms: https://www.getroots.app/terms - Privacy Policy: https://www.getroots.app/privacy-policy
Twilock
This app helps you reclaim your nights and mornings by blocking distracting apps during specific, customizable windows. Build streaks, earn badges, and track your reclaimed time privately. Connect with friends for accountability.
- Customizable app blocking windows
- Streak building and rewards
- Reclaimed time tracking
- Friend accountability leaderboard
- Private data handling
- Optional Pro features
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You do not decide to scroll until 1am. It just happens. Twilock shields the apps that pull you in during the two windows that cost you most: the hours right before sleep, and the ones right after waking. Pick the apps. Pick your window. Twilock handles the rest, so there is no willpower contest and no bargaining with yourself at 11pm. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose the apps that pull you in most. 2. Set your Night window, up to two hours, over the stretch where your nights actually go sideways. 3. When the window opens, those apps are shielded. Nothing to decide, nothing to resist. WHY IT FEELS DIFFERENT Most blockers go all or nothing and you end up disabling them by lunchtime. Twilock never takes your whole day. It covers up to two hours at night, plus up to two in the morning on Pro, because those are the hours that decide how you sleep and how you start. BUILD A STREAK YOU ACTUALLY WANT Every protected night grows your streak on a calendar that is satisfying to keep green, and earns you badges along the way. An attempt the shield caught still counts as a win, not a slip. Reach a 7 day streak and you earn a free Streak Freeze to cover a slip later, with two more waiting at 30 and 90 days. You also get one Snooze Token every week for the nights you genuinely need your phone. All free, no purchase, ever. SEE THE PAYOFF Watch the hours you have reclaimed add up, glance back at your streak history, and check in on how your sleep and energy are trending. All private, all on your device. STAY ACCOUNTABLE WITH FRIENDS Share your invite code, connect with friends, and keep each other honest on a shared streak leaderboard. Free for everyone. A little gentle competition helps more than it should. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your Screen Time and app usage data never leave your device. We cannot see which apps you picked or how long you use them. No ads, no data selling, ever. FREE TO START, PRO WHEN YOU'RE READY Free, always: your Night window, streaks, badges, Streak Freeze, the weekly Snooze Token, friends and the leaderboard, and your reclaimed hours count. Every new install also includes three Strict Night windows, so you can experience the strongest lock before deciding whether to upgrade. Pro adds: a Morning window, continued Strict Mode after those three included nights, Streak Repair, and deeper insights. Take back your nights and mornings, one calm streak at a time. Twilock Pro is offered as a monthly or annual auto renewing subscription, or as a one time Lifetime purchase. Prices are shown in the app before you buy. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://twilock.com/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Roots at 2.9K against Twilock's 11. Twilock's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Roots sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Twilock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Twilock holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roots has 2.9K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Roots's written reviews are positive against 100% of Twilock's.
Roots ships an update every 2 weeks, Twilock every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Roots | Twilock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.9K ratings) | 5.0 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.9K — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 355 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | MWM | Prism Studios |
Customer experience
Roots
Twilock
Bugs and requests
Roots
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
Twilock
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Roots
- Roots Plus - Monthly Plan$6.991 Month
- Premium$7.997 Days
- Roots Plus - Weekly Plan3 Days trial$7.997 Days
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- Roots - Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
- Roots Plus - Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
- Roots - Monthly Plan$19.991 Month
- Premium Pass7 Days trial$19.991 Month
- Roots Plus - Annual Plan$29.991 Year
- Premium$39.991 Year
- Roots Plus - Annual Plan7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Premium Pass$59.991 Year
- Roots Plus - Annual Plan7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Premium1 Month trial$69.991 Year
- Roots Plus - Annual Plan$79.991 Year
- Premium Pass1 Year trial$99.991 Year
- Premium3 Days trial$99.991 Year
- Premium Pass1 Month trial$99.991 Year
- Premium Pass7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Twilock
- Twilock Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- Twilock Pro Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Twilock Lifetime$79.99









