Roots vs Brain Rescue
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
Brain Rescue
This app helps you reduce excessive phone use by blocking distracting apps and websites. It offers customizable limits and focus sessions, with a visual 'Brain Meter' to track your progress towards healthier digital habits. Designed with a focus on mindful choices rather than punishment.
- Block selected apps and websites
- Set daily screen time budgets or schedules
- Initiate focus sessions
- Use mindful passes for necessary access
- Track screen time and focus minutes
- Visualize habit improvement with Nori's habitat
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Your attention deserves a place to recover. Brain Rescue is a kinder screen time app that helps you interrupt doomscrolling, protect your focus, and build phone habits that last. Choose the apps and websites that pull you in, set a daily budget or schedule, and let Nori—your tiny brain companion—reflect how your day is going. No shame. No all-or-nothing rules. Just enough friction to turn an automatic tap into an intentional choice. RESCUE YOUR ATTENTION * Block selected apps and websites with Apple’s Screen Time controls * Create a daily limit or schedule for work, study, mornings, and bedtime * Start 15-, 25-, or 45-minute focus sessions whenever you need a clear head * Use mindful passes when you genuinely need a few minutes * See your Brain Meter and understand what changed it MAKE PROGRESS VISIBLE * Watch Nori’s habitat become brighter as your habits improve * Track screen time, focus minutes, streaks, and mindful passes * Review 7-day trends to spot the times and routines that trip you up * See how much time you may be reclaiming as your baseline develops DESIGNED TO FEEL HUMAN Brain Rescue doesn’t punish you for using your phone. It helps you pause, choose, and get back to what matters. The goal isn’t zero screen time—it’s screen time you meant to use. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your selected apps, websites, and Screen Time activity are processed on your device. No account is required for the core experience, and your detailed usage data stays on your phone. START FREE Use one protection profile, one schedule, a daily budget, Brain Meter, focus sessions, mindful passes, and 7-day progress for free. Upgrade to Brain Rescue Plus for unlimited profiles and schedules, deeper trends, stricter options, and more Nori habitats. Ready to rescue your attention? Set your first screen time plan and give your brain a little room to breathe. 1. This service is a subscription based paid service, which means you will prepay for future subscription usage. You can currently choose to use this service on a quarterly basis. At the end of each subscription period, your subscription will automatically renew by default, unless you cancel the automatic renewal yourself or we cancel the service. 2. Unsubscribe: To cancel the renewal, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance. You can unsubscribe by opening System Settings, clicking on Apple ID, clicking on Subscription, selecting Premium, and then unsubscribing. 3. Restore purchase: If you receive a prompt saying "You have already subscribed to this project" during the payment process and confirm that you have completed the purchase before, you can click "Restore Purchase" in the upper right corner to restore the purchase. Membership Service Agreement and Automatic Renewal Agreement: https://gcn1s2rmayw3.feishu.cn/wiki/YgqKwPdJmiH0ulkF92kco1CznCg?from=from_copylink Privacy Policy: https://gcn1s2rmayw3.feishu.cn/wiki/SGBIwmUWCiPWoWktE5sclLRgnol?from=from_copylink
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Roots at 2.9K against Brain Rescue's 1. Brain Rescue's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). 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 Brain Rescue sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Brain Rescue 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
| Parameter | Roots | Brain Rescue |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.9K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.9K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 355 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MWM | 春城 贾 |
Customer experience
Roots
Brain Rescue
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
Brain Rescue
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
Brain Rescue
- Monthly$4.991 Month
- Annual$19.991 Year
- Lifetime$49.99









