Comparison

Spool vs Regrind

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

Regrind

This app helps you regain control of your screen time by making you earn back access to blocked applications. Complete focus sessions to earn credits, which can then be used to unlock apps for a limited time. It's designed for those who struggle with digital distractions and want a system to improve their focus.

Highlights
  • Earn credits for focus sessions
  • Use credits to unlock apps
  • Apps locked by default
  • Tamper-resistant timer
  • Motion detection for focus sessions
  • Bonus rewards on session completion
  • Detailed transaction history
Features
Read full description

Your focus pays for your screen time. Regrind keeps the apps you choose locked until you've earned the time. Focus sessions pay Credits into your balance. Withdraw them to unlock your apps, and they lock again when the time runs out. It isn't a timer that only blocks apps while you work. When people set up Regrind, more than 6 in 10 say they spend 4+ hours a day on their phone, 8 in 10 say they scroll too much, and nearly 2 in 3 have already tried screen time limits. Limits are easy to dismiss. In Regrind, time on blocked apps must be paid for in Credits. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose which apps and websites Regrind locks. They stay locked, no schedule needed. 2. Start a focus session. Every minute you complete earns Credits for your balance. 3. Withdraw Credits from your balance to unlock your apps for a fixed time. AS OF SEPTEMBER 2026 - 100,000+ hours of focus sessions completed - Nearly 400,000 unlocks paid for in Credits FEATURES - Block List: choose which apps, websites and whole categories stay locked - Uninstall Protection: while your blocks are on, no app can be deleted from your device, Regrind included - Screen-Off Sessions: keep earning Credits while your phone is locked - Motion Detection: move your phone too much and you lose the session - AR Lock Box: lock your phone in an augmented reality vault while you focus - Scratch Coupons: finish a session to reveal bonus Credits, paid straight to your card - Focus Card: holds your Credits, labeled with what you're saving toward - Focus Score: a credit score for your focus, based on how many earned Credits you keep each day - Transaction History: every session and unlock, itemized like a bank statement - Exchange Rate: set how many Credits screen time costs - Daily Spending Limit: cap how much screen time you can unlock each day - Withdrawal Security: confirm each withdrawal with Face ID or Touch ID - Friends and Leaderboards: see friends' balances, compare focused hours and compete to be the week's top card holder - Widgets and Live Activities: check your balance, start sessions and track progress from your Home Screen and Lock Screen Some features require the Premium plan, available as an in-app purchase. BUILT FOR - Students protecting study time - Anyone who scrolls more than they mean to - Anyone who's turned off a blocker in a weak moment - People with ADHD who find their phone hard to put down PRIVATE BY DESIGN Regrind uses Apple's Screen Time API. Your Screen Time data stays on your device, protected by Apple, and Regrind can't see which apps you use or for how long. Friends and leaderboards need you to sign in; the Privacy Policy explains what that shares. Privacy Policy: https://www.plotpilot.ai/products/regrind/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Spool4 screens
Regrind4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Regrind at freemium against Spool's subscription. Regrind also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.9 vs 4.4). Spool's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Regrind sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Regrind holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 172 and 71 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Spool's written reviews are positive against 75% of Regrind's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spool ships an update weekly, Regrind fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Spool versus Regrind: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpoolRegrind
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (172 ratings)4.9 (71 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.0% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings172 — better71
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18
Further details — not scored
Size406 MB391 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpooli IncPlotPilot Ltd

Customer experience

Spool

All ratings172 ratings
Positive87.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative11.0%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive71.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative29.0%

Regrind

All ratings71 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Spool

Subscriptions8
  • Spool Features Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days
  • Spool Weekly Subscription$7.997 Days
  • Full Access: Monthly$7.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Spool Premium Annual$25.001 Year
  • Full Access: Limited Time Offer7 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • Full Access: Yearly$34.991 Year
  • Full Access: Yearly7 Days trial$44.991 Year
  • Full Access: Yearly$44.991 Year
13 purchases

Regrind

Subscriptions12
  • Premium7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Premium$7.991 Month
  • Premium7 Days trial$7.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • Premium3 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Premium$19.991 Year
  • Premium3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Premium7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Premium3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Premium1 Month trial$24.991 Year
  • Premium3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium$34.99

Questions

Is Spool free?
Spool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Regrind free?
Regrind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spool or Regrind?
Regrind is rated higher. Spool averages 4.4 out of 5 from 172 ratings, while Regrind averages 4.9 from 71 ratings.
Do Spool or Regrind have ads?
Spool shows ads; Regrind does not.
Which is updated more often, Spool or Regrind?
Spool ships an update weekly, and Regrind fortnightly. Most recently, Spool was updated on October 22, 2026 and Regrind on October 20, 2026.

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