# Spool vs one hour

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Spool | one hour |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (174 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spool-screen-time-control/id6749428484/reviews) | **[4.6 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/one-hour-screen-time-budget/id6762233928/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **174** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 70.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 441 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Spooli Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1830399976) | [Nicholas Procaccio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1797427798) |

## 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 |


### one hour

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/one-hour-screen-time-budget/id6762233928)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited (1 Month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited (1 Year) | $29.99 | per year |
| Unlimited (1 Year) | $34.99 | per year |
| Unlimited (1 Year) | $34.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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.

---

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