Comparison

Spool vs one hour

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

one hour

This app helps you manage your screen time by setting a daily budget and blocking apps when your time is up. It offers customizable modes and tracks your usage history to promote intentionality.

Highlights
  • Set daily screen time budgets
  • Block apps when time expires
  • Live session countdown
  • Customizable modes and controls
  • Usage metrics and history
  • Intentional app usage system
Read full description

“Just 5 more minutes” turns into another 30. You already know the scroll is costing you. What you need isn’t more guilt, or some gamified way to “earn” your apps back - you need a system that’s simple to use and that works WITH your self-control. OneHour is built for that: 1) Set a daily screen time budget. 2) Start a session when you’re actually ready to use your apps. - This is where you become INTENTIONAL about how much time you want to scroll. 3) When time’s up, the apps are shielded again. No tricks, no workarounds - just a clear rule that makes you feel the weight of every minute. Plus - Live session countdown on Dynamic Island and the lock screen. - Modes and controls that let you match the rigidity to your life (tighter when you need it, a little room when you don’t). - Metrics and history so you can see whether you’re actually improving. OneHour doesn’t want your attention. It wants to give it back to you. Full access to all features requires an active subscription. Free to download and try. Privacy Policy: https://www.one-hour.app/privacy Terms of Service: https://www.one-hour.app/terms Contact: https://www.one-hour.app/contact

Screenshots

Spool4 screens
one hour4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: one hour at free with in-app purchases against Spool's subscription. one hour also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%). Spool's advantage is ratings volume (174 vs 13). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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 one hour sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

one hour holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spool has 174 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Spool's written reviews are positive against 100% of one hour's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Spool versus one hour: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpoolone hour
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (174 ratings)4.6 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings174 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 10 days
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size441 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpooli IncNicholas Procaccio

Customer experience

Spool

All ratings174 ratings
Positive87.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive70.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative29.7%

one hour

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
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
4 purchases

one hour

Subscriptions4
  • Unlimited (1 Month)$9.991 Month
  • Unlimited (1 Year)3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Unlimited (1 Year)3 Days trial$34.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Unlimited (1 Year)7 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Spool free?
Spool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is one hour free?
one hour is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spool or one hour?
one hour is rated higher. Spool averages 4.4 out of 5 from 174 ratings, while one hour averages 4.6 from 13 ratings.
Do Spool or one hour have ads?
Both Spool and one hour show ads.
Which is updated more often, Spool or one hour?
Spool ships an update every 10 days, and one hour every 10 days. Most recently, Spool was updated on October 30, 2026 and one hour on October 24, 2026.

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