# Spool vs useLess

The clearest difference is ads: useLess at none against Spool's shown. Spool's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 36%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spool sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and useLess sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Spool against 4.5 for useLess. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 174 and 292 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Spool's written reviews are positive against 36% of useLess's.

Spool ships an update every 10 days, useLess every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spool | useLess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (174 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spool-screen-time-control/id6749428484/reviews) | **[4.5 (292 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/useless-screen-time-blocker/id6755298184/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 174 | **292** |
| Positive reviews | **70.3% of reviews** | 36.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | Subscription |
| Size | 441 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Spooli Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1830399976) | [DaDaMa Ug (haftungsbeschränkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852993941) |

## What reviewers say

### Spool

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spool-screen-time-control/id6749428484)

This app helps you break free from excessive screen time by making you pause and justify your phone usage. It uses research-backed techniques to disrupt habit loops and offers instant blocking for apps and websites to help you reclaim focus and improve mental clarity.

**Highlights:** Justify phone usage before scrolling, AI-powered trigger insights, Identify peak phone usage times, Instant app and website blocking, Reclaim focus and mental clarity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spool Features Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Spool Weekly Subscription | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Full Access: Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Spool Premium Annual | $25.00 | per year |
| Full Access: Limited Time Offer | $34.99 | per year |
| Full Access: Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| Full Access: Yearly | $44.99 | per year |
| Full Access: Yearly | $44.99 | per year |


### useLess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/useless-screen-time-blocker/id6755298184)

This app leverages social accountability to help users reduce screen time. Instead of relying solely on personal willpower, friends control access to apps when daily limits are reached, fostering a collaborative approach to digital well-being.

**Highlights:** Friend accountability for app usage, Set daily app time limits, No snooze button on limits, Friends vote on time extension requests, Public 'Walk of Shame' for requests, Weekly leaderboards and progress tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Sub | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spool free?

Spool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is useLess free?

useLess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Spool or useLess?

useLess is rated higher. Spool averages 4.4 out of 5 from 174 ratings, while useLess averages 4.5 from 292 ratings.

### Do Spool or useLess have ads?

Spool shows ads; useLess does not.

### Which is updated more often, Spool or useLess?

Spool ships an update every 10 days, and useLess every 2 weeks. Most recently, Spool was updated on October 30, 2026 and useLess on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*