Roots vs Lucciola
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Roots
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.
- 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
Lucciola
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Your phone can wait. This moment can't. Lucciola turns the time you spend away from your screen into something you can watch grow: a living tree, lit by a tiny firefly. Put your phone down and the light comes on. Stay present, and your tree blossoms. No guilt. No harsh lockouts. Just a small, glowing reason to be here now. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose how long you want to stay off your phone - five minutes or a whole evening. 2. Set it aside. Lock the screen or turn it off - that's fine. Your tree keeps growing. 3. Finish the session and collect seeds, vitality and a longer daily streak. Switch to another app mid-session and your tree quietly wilts. Nothing more. Lucciola never shames you - it just gives you a gentle reason to come back to the moment. WHY IT WORKS WHEN OTHER APPS DON'T • Kindness over pressure. No red warnings, no failure screens - a firefly, a tree and honest feedback. • A tree that remembers you. Care for it every day and it thrives. Neglect it and it slowly fades - a living reason to return. • Real stakes, zero stress. Seeds you earn buy water, fertilizer and small surprises for your tree. • Your progress at a glance. Daily streaks, total focused time, longest session and more. MADE FOR REAL LIFE • Deep work and study without the pull of notifications • Meals where phones stay face down • Evenings that end with a book instead of a feed • Time with the people you don't want to miss LUCCIOLA PLUS When you're ready for more: • No ads • Ambient focus sounds - ocean waves, birdsong, a quiet forest and more • 100 bonus seeds every month • Direct support for a small independent studio MADE WITH CARE Lucciola doesn't compete for your attention - it gives it back. It was built by a small studio with one goal: to help you put your phone down and feel good about it. Grow your focus. Grow your tree. Let your firefly shine. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Roots at none against Lucciola's shown. Roots also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Lucciola's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Roots sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Lucciola sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Roots ships an update every 3 weeks, Lucciola every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Roots | Lucciola |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (3.3K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3.3K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 361 MB | 137 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MWM | Lidmila Marsalkova |
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
Lucciola
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Roots
- Premium$7.997 Days
- Roots Plus - Weekly Plan3 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Roots - Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
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- Roots Plus - Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
- Roots Plus - Annual Plan$29.991 Year
- Premium Pass$59.991 Year
- Roots Plus - Annual Plan7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Premium Pass1 Year trial$99.991 Year
- Premium3 Days trial$99.991 Year
- Premium Pass7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Lucciola
- Lucciola Plus$2.991 Month
- 120 Seeds$3.99
- 300 Seeds$8.99
- 700 Seeds – Welcome Offer$14.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- 700 Seeds$17.99
- 1500 Seeds – Welcome Offer$29.99
- 1500 Seeds$34.99









