Comparison

Spool vs RelockIn | Focus + Browser

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

RelockIn | Focus + Browser

Features
Read full description

Scroll less. Live more. RelockIn is a web browser AND screen time controller for people who are serious about conquering phone addiction and reclaiming their time. We're not just another app blocker - we offer you precision control over the exact features that hijack your attention. We've all been there. You open YouTube planning to watch just 1 video before you go to bed, or open Instagram to quickly check your messages. Then before you know it, hours have passed, and you're left feeling like crap. It's not an accident, and it's not your fault: tech companies have poured billions into designing the most addictive algorithms to steal as much of your time as possible. The good news? With RelockIn, you can finally fight back. We'll save you multiple hours, every day. **RelockIn works differently** Most screen time apps rely on your own willpower or hard blocks. They can be too easy to ignore or bypass, and then once you do start using a distracting app, your time gets sucked away anyways. RelockIn flips the script. Now, every time you want to use a distracting app, you need to manually unlock it by setting a goal for that session. Once your goal has elapsed, you're kicked out, and need to set a new goal if you really need to continue. That small friction completely disrupts the dopamine cycle, and makes every minute you spend on these apps based on YOUR choice, not the algorithm sucking you into a rabbit hole. **Browse the web, without distractions** RelockIn is the ONLY screen time app that is ALSO a full web browser. The RelockIn browser lets you optionally disable the web's most distracting and addictive features, like short form videos (YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, etc), endlessly scrolling recommendation feeds, and social media posts from people you don't know. We've designed our browser to be a fully viable alternative to downloading popular media apps. And if you have requests, let us know in our Discord and we'll consider adding it as a feature. The RelockIn browser defangs the web's worst time vampires, letting you enjoy social media sites in moderation. It's not about restriction - it's about control. You decide when. You decide how long. You decide what content you see. Not the algorithm, and not the big tech CEOs. RelockIn helps you lock out distractions, and lock in to your best future. TERMS, PRIVACY, & CONDITIONS Read at https://relockin.com/terms-of-service and https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

Spool4 screens
RelockIn | Focus + Browser4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: RelockIn | Focus + Browser at none against Spool's shown. RelockIn | Focus + Browser also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 days). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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 RelockIn | Focus + Browser sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spool ships an update every 10 days, RelockIn | Focus + Browser every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Spool versus RelockIn | Focus + Browser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpoolRelockIn | Focus + Browser
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (171 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings171 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size406 MB276 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperPrafull SharmaJoel Happ

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
2 purchases

RelockIn | Focus + Browser

Subscriptions2
  • RelockIn Pro - Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • RelockIn Yearly7 Days trial$44.991 Year

Questions

Is Spool free?
Spool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RelockIn | Focus + Browser free?
RelockIn | Focus + Browser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Spool or RelockIn | Focus + Browser have ads?
Spool shows ads; RelockIn | Focus + Browser does not.
Which is updated more often, Spool or RelockIn | Focus + Browser?
Spool ships an update every 10 days, and RelockIn | Focus + Browser every 5 days. Most recently, Spool was updated on October 17, 2026 and RelockIn | Focus + Browser on October 5, 2026.

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