Barrier vs Scrolly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Barrier
This app helps you break free from social media distractions by blocking access to social apps. It encourages healthier digital habits by requiring users to watch an ad or wait before accessing them, promoting mindful usage and digital wellness.
- Block social media apps
- Limit app access
- Promote healthier digital habits
- Incentivize reduced scrolling
- Digital wellness assistant
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Are you tired of wasting precious hours scrolling through social media apps? Do you want to break free from the cycle of constant distractions? Barrier is here to help. Our app acts as a blocker for social media apps, limiting your access and promoting healthier digital habits. With Barrier, you can only open your social media apps if you watch an ad or wait our 30 second load times, creating an incentive to reduce the amount of time you spend scrolling mindlessly. But Barrier is more than just a blocker. It's a digital wellness assistant, helping you take control of your digital life Don't let social media control your life. Take back control with Barrier!
Scrolly
This app helps you regain control of your digital life by creating a physical barrier to addictive applications. It allows you to select distracting apps and block them with a simple tap, freeing up over 90 minutes daily for more meaningful activities.
- Block addictive apps
- Physical tap to block
- Save over 90 minutes daily
- Habit building
- Focus on passions
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Our brains weren’t built for bottomless feeds. But with Scrolly, you can finally take back control. Scrolly is your habit-building buddy that helps you save over 90 minutes a day by creating a physical barrier between you and your most addictive apps. With that time back, you can finally be present—with your friends, your family, and the passions that truly matter How Scrolly works • Choose apps to block: Pick the apps that steal your time (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) • Tap to block distractions: Physically tap your Scrolly to phone to block distracting apps • Until your tap your Scrolly again, there’s no way to access blocked apps Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://scrollyapp.io/pl/legal/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barrier at none against Scrolly's 8. Barrier also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 57%). Scrolly's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Scrolly sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Barrier asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Barrier against 4.7 for Scrolly. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 341 and 228 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Barrier's written reviews are positive against 57% of Scrolly's.
Barrier ships an update fortnightly, Scrolly every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.
| Parameter | Barrier | Scrolly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (341 ratings) | 4.7 (228 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews — better | 57.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 341 — better | 228 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.7 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 335 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Haplo, LLC | SCROLLY SP Z O O |
Customer experience
Barrier
Scrolly
Bugs and requests
Barrier
Reported bugs
14 issues- Blocking does not work at correct times or remains blocked at incorrect times
- Blocking stops working after a while
- Apps remain unlocked after unlocking
- Streak keeps breaking for no reason
- Custom schedule does not unlock when it's supposed to
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- Last iOS release caused issues with re-locking after unlocking
- Timer resets but apps remain unlocked after unlocking
- Instagram and TikTok not always blocked
- App stops working after a few days, requires re-download
- Editing screen for blocked apps crashes sometimes
- Custom schedule setting does not work for overnight blocking (end time before start time)
- Does not unlock apps half the time after watching an ad
- Cannot make edits to timer or unlock time
- Cannot unlock apps without reinstalling after deleting the app before unlocking
Requested features
7 requests- Ability to set different apps to lock during different times
- More flexibility in setting multiple check-in times
- Option to customize the duration after watching an ad
- Fix for custom schedule not working for overnight blocking
- Option to have a daily time limit per app
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- Ability to set a certain amount of time per day and then block apps
- Update to end the 10-minute screentime after the ad finishes
Scrolly
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Barrier
No in-app purchases
Scrolly
- Scrolly Mac & iPad$2.991 Month
- Scrolly App Access Without Device$9.991 Month
- Scrolly Mac & iPad1 Month trial$29.991 Year
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- Scrolly Alarm1 Month trial$59.901 Year
- Scrolly App Access Without Device1 Month trial$59.901 Year
- Scrolly App Access Without Device3 Months trial$79.001 Year
- Scrolly App Access Without Device1 Month trial$79.001 Year
- Commitment Mode$1.00
