Comparison

Spool vs Useless

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Spool

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
Read full description

Less scrolling, more living. Spool blocks doomscrolling, brainrot, and screen addiction at the source — by making you justify yourself before you scroll. Most screen time blockers don't work because they treat phone addiction like a discipline problem. It's not. It's a habit loop your brain is stuck in — a dopamine cycle reinforced every time you reach for your phone without thinking. Spool interrupts the cycle. Before any blocked app opens, you have to state your case to our AI. Use the same excuse too many times and Spool locks you out automatically. Built on cognitive behavioral techniques and behavioral research on attention and habit formation. WHY YOU'LL LOVE SPOOL - Understand your hidden triggers with daily AI insights - Track your phone addiction patterns over time - Discover when you reach for apps most (and why) - Instant app and website blocking that actually works - Schedule blocking windows for your weak hours - Lock in during deep work with custom focus sessions - Reflect on every excuse you've made and spot the loops - CBT-inspired techniques to break the dopamine cycle - Detox from doomscrolling, brainrot, and mindless scroll WHO IT'S FOR Spool is for anyone struggling with phone addiction, doomscrolling, or losing hours to TikTok, Instagram, Reels, YouTube Shorts, or X. Built for people who've tried Screen Time, willpower, and other app blockers — and want something that actually changes the habit, not just the limit. WHAT MAKES SPOOL DIFFERENT Other apps just block. Spool teaches you about yourself. Every excuse you make becomes data. Every reflection makes you more aware. Every blocked attempt strengthens the new habit. Reclaim your focus. Build a more intentional relationship with your phone. ————————————— Spool Full Access — Weekly Length: 1 week, auto-renewing Price: $4.99 USD / week Spool Full Access — Yearly Length: 1 year, auto-renewing Price: $44.99 USD / year Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://thespoolapp.com/#/privacy

About

Useless

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
Read full description

Your friends are better than any app blocker. 4+ hours a day. That's what the average person hands their phone. useLess helps you take it back. Set rules for the apps that distract you, like a daily time limit or a focus schedule. When a rule kicks in, the app blocks. The catch that makes it work: other apps run on your willpower. useLess runs on your friends. Reclaim 2+ hours every day. You try harder when your friends are watching. Other apps give you a snooze button. useLess is different. Instead of white-knuckling it alone, your friends hold you accountable. When you get blocked and want more time, you'll have to ask them. HOW IT WORKS 1. Set rules for the apps you overuse: daily limits, focus schedules, whatever fits your life. 2. When a rule kicks in, the app blocks. 3. Need more time? Snap a photo explaining why, and send it to your friends. 4. Every request lands on the Walk of Shame, so your friends see exactly what you are begging for. FEATURES Ask a friend for time: When you are blocked, send a photo explaining why you need more time. Your friends keep you honest, and on stricter rules they decide if you get it. Walk of Shame: Every request is visible to the friends you choose. Watch them beg for "just 5 more minutes" of TikTok, and let them watch you. Weekly leaderboards: Compete on streaks, focus hours, and time spent on the apps that hook you. Daily limits: Give each app a daily time budget that resets every morning. Focus schedules: Block a set of apps on a schedule, like work hours or bedtime. Hardcore mode: Lock yourself out for real. Some rules only get stricter, and turning them off takes a friend's approval, or a 24-hour wait. WHY IT WORKS Other blockers fold the second you push back. useLess puts real people in the loop. Cutting back stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like a game. Real friends don't let friends doomscroll. WHAT PEOPLE SAY "Finally broke my 2-hour Instagram habit" - ThePampf "I've tried a bunch of screen time apps, but always found a way around them. This is the first app that actually works." - Marc "This was a life changer. My screen time has dropped by 5 hours." - N1coo PRICING useLess is free to start: set your rules, get blocked, and ask your friends to unlock you. The whole social loop is free. useLess Pro unlocks unlimited rules, Hardcore mode, the full leaderboard, and deeper stats. New users get a free 7-day trial. You can also earn free Pro: invite a friend and you both get a month free, and inviting 25 friends unlocks Pro for life. PRIVACY useLess uses Apple's Screen Time API. We never see which apps you use, what you view, or any personal content. Your screen time stays on your device. Only the requests you send are shared with the friends you choose. GET STARTED Download useLess. Add your friends. Set your rules. And finally get your time back. Stop scrolling. Start living. Questions or feedback? Reach us at https://dadama.app/ or email hello@dadama.app. Subscription: useLess Pro is an auto-renewing subscription with a free trial for new users. Cancel anytime in your Apple account settings. Privacy Policy: https://dadama.app/privacy Terms (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Spool4 screens
Useless4 screens

Verdict

The call

Spool and Useless both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 83% of Spool's written reviews are positive against 31% of Useless's. Useless'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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Spool sells 6 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Spool against 4.5 for Useless. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 167 and 269 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Spool's written reviews are positive against 31% of Useless's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spool ships an update every 9 days, Useless every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Spool versus Useless: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpoolUseless
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (167 ratings)4.5 (269 ratings)
Positive reviews83.0% of reviews — better31.3% of reviews
Number of ratings167269 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18
Further details — not scored
Size364 MB129 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperPrafull SharmaDaDaMa Ug (haftungsbeschränkt)

Customer experience

Spool

All ratings167 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive83.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.0%

Useless

All ratings269 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive31.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Spool

Subscriptions6
  • Spool Features Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days
  • Full Access: Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Full Access: Limited Time Offer7 Days trial$34.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Full Access: Yearly$34.991 Year
  • Full Access: Yearly7 Days trial$44.991 Year
  • Full Access: Yearly$44.991 Year
15 purchases

Useless

Subscriptions13
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Monthly1 Month trial$5.991 Month
Show 10 more
  • Monthly Sub7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Monthly1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly7 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Monthly1 Month trial$11.991 Month
  • Yearly1 Month trial$24.991 Year
  • Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Yearly1 Month trial$34.991 Year
  • Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Yearly1 Month trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime$69.99
  • Lifetime$99.99

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?
Spool and Useless are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 167 and 269 ratings respectively.
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 9 days, and Useless every 10 days. Most recently, Spool was updated on September 23, 2026 and Useless on September 22, 2026.

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