Brainrot vs Shelly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Brainrot
This app helps you regain control of your digital life by blocking distracting apps and websites. Utilize a focus timer and smart schedules to improve productivity, sleep, and reduce screen time. A visual indicator provides a playful nudge to encourage mindful usage.
- App and website blocking
- Focus timer
- Smart scheduling
- Mindful breaks
- Usage insights
Read full descriptionHide full description
Reclaim your day with Brainrot, a playful screen time control, app blocker, and focus coach. Pick the apps and sites to block, set schedules, and watch your cute brain avatar decay as you doom scroll. The visual nudge helps you put the phone down. Save about 2 hours per day, feel less distracted, sleep better, and get more done. What you get: - Instant blocking for apps and websites - Focus timer for deep work and Pomodoro - Smart schedules for bedtime, mornings, and meetings - Mindful breaks so you reset without the guilt - Clear insights to spot Brainrot apps fast ### PRIVATE & SECURE Brainrot uses Apple’s Screen Time API; all monitoring and blocking run *entirely* on your device. Your browsing data never leaves your phone. *All features described above require a subscription.* Terms of Service: https://thebrainrotapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://thebrainrotapp.com/privacy
Shelly
This app helps you build healthier phone habits with a visual motivator. It blocks distracting apps, offers focus schedules, and provides gentle breathing reminders to prevent mindless scrolling. Track your progress and improve your digital well-being.
- Visual motivation with a growing snail
- App blocking and smart schedules
- Breathing interventions
- Shell Mode for total focus
- Daily time allowances
- Streak tracking
- History and insights
Read full descriptionHide full description
Take back your day with Shelly — your friendly screen time coach to help you build healthy phone habits. Shelly is a cute snail who lives on your phone. The less you doom-scroll, the healthier Shelly gets. The more you mindlessly scroll, the more Shelly retreats into her shell. It's a simple visual nudge that works — no guilt trips, no lectures, just a little friend keeping you honest. Most of us spend 5+ hours glued to our screens without realizing it. Shelly flips the script: block the apps that drain your time, set focus schedules, and get gentle breathing reminders when you're about to spiral into another scroll session. WHY SHELLY WORKS - Visual motivation: Watch Shelly's health improve as your screen time drops - Gentle nudges, not guilt: Breathing exercises instead of harsh lockouts - Smart schedules: Auto-block apps during bedtime, work hours, or study sessions - Shell Mode: Total focus mode that blocks everything except what you whitelist - Real insights: See exactly which apps eat your time and track your progress FEATURES - Instant App Blocking: Pick the apps and sites to block. Done in seconds. - Shell Mode: Block everything except what you whitelist. Total focus. - Breathing Interventions: A 10-second breathing pause before any tracked app opens. - Smart Schedules: Auto-block apps at bedtime, work hours, or custom windows. - Daily Time Allowances: Cap usage on any app. Hit the limit, Shelly blocks it. - Escape Hatch: Need a blocked app? Simple unblock. - Streak Tracking: Stay under your goal. Watch the streak grow. - Home Screen Widget: Today's health score, always visible. - History & Insights: Weekly charts to spot patterns and celebrate wins. DESIGNED FOR - Students who lose hours to scrolling before exams - Creators who need to focus on making, not consuming - Professionals who want deep work without distractions - Parents building healthier phone habits for the family - Anyone who's tired of picking up their phone 150+ times a day PRIVATE & SECURE Shelly uses Apple's Screen Time API. All monitoring and blocking happen entirely on your device. Your usage data never leaves your phone — ever. No tracking. No ads. Just you and Shelly. FOUNDERS NOTE: I built Shelly because I was scrolling for 6 hours a day on my phone and couldn't stop. None of the screen time apps felt right — they were either too strict, too preachy, too complicated, or too easy to bypass. Shelly is the app I wished existed: simple, kind, and effective. All features described above require a subscription. Terms of Service: https://getshelly.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://getshelly.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shelly at 100% against Brainrot's 18%. Shelly also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Brainrot's advantage is ratings volume (22K vs 3) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 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. Brainrot sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Shelly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Shelly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brainrot has 22K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Brainrot's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shelly's.
Brainrot ships an update every 6 days, Shelly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Brainrot | Shelly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (22K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 22K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 18.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 126 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Smolworks Inc | Spindle Hyperlocal Solutions Private Limited |
Customer experience
Brainrot
Shelly
Bugs and requests
Brainrot
Reported bugs
2 issues- Stuck on payment screen with no way out
- Requires re-entering info every time
Requested features
2 requests- Free version with limited features
- Free trial period
Shelly
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Brainrot
- Unlimited (1 Month)$3.991 Month
- Unlimited (1 Week)$3.997 Days
- Unlimited (1 Week)$4.997 Days
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- monthly$8.991 Month
- Unlimited (1 Year)$9.991 Year
- Unlimited (1 Year)3 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Unlimited (1 Year)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Unlimited (1 Year)$19.991 Year
- Brainrot (Full Access)$24.991 Year
- Unlimited (1 Year)3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Unlimited (1 Year)$29.991 Year
- Brainrot (Full Access)$29.991 Year
- Unlimited (1 Year)3 Days trial$44.991 Year
- Brainrot Annual3 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Unlimited$49.991 Year
Shelly
- Premium Plan$5.991 Month
- One time offer$24.991 Year
- Premium Plan$49.991 Year









