Comparison

Delay vs cantscroll

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

Head to head
About

Delay

This app helps users break phone addiction by interrupting mindless scrolling with challenges. It aims to stop the cycle of addictive app usage through strategic interventions.

Highlights
  • Challenge-based interventions
  • Dopamine delay
  • Stops mindless app opening
  • Breaks scrolling cycle
  • Fun and engaging
Features
Read full description

Turn your screen time into study time. Delay makes you answer practice questions on topics you want to learn before you can open distracting apps like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. Instead of setting aside more time to study, learning becomes a transparent layer integrated into something you already do every day. EARN YOUR SCREEN TIME Before opening a blocked app, Delay gives you a few quick practice questions. Answer them correctly to earn access. Every time you reach for a distracting app, you get another small repetition of something you actually want to learn. LEARN WHAT YOU WANT Choose exactly what you want to study. Whether you're learning a language, preparing for an exam, memorizing important concepts, or building knowledge in a new subject, Delay turns your material into questions you can practice throughout the day. LEARN THROUGH REPETITION Delay integrates learning into moments that would otherwise be spent scrolling. Instead of relying on long study sessions, you repeatedly encounter your material throughout the day. Over time, those small repetitions add up. END THE DOOMSCROLL Your apps automatically lock again after your earned screen time expires. If you want to keep scrolling, you study again. This creates a simple cycle: learn, unlock, scroll, repeat. IMPORT YOUR STUDY MATERIAL Bring the material you already want to learn into Delay and turn it into practice questions. Keep different subjects organized and choose what you want to practice when unlocking your apps. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See how much you've practiced, how consistently you're answering questions, and how your knowledge improves over time. The screen time you would have spent scrolling becomes measurable learning progress. SEAMLESS INTEGRATION Delay works directly with your apps so studying becomes part of your normal routine. Once it's set up, simply use your phone as usual. When you try to open a blocked app, Delay gives you your questions, you answer them, and you're right back in. MAKE SCREEN TIME USEFUL You’re already going to open your favorite apps throughout the day. Delay simply puts learning in between. Instead of finding more time to study, use the time and habits you already have. DOWNLOAD DELAY Delay requires a subscription to access certain features. Download Delay and start turning everyday screen time into learning time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

cantscroll

Features
Read full description

cantscroll is a focus tool built for developers and vibecoders who use ai coding agents. while your agent is coding, it is common to pick up your phone and doomscroll. cantscroll pairs your mac and iphone so the moment a coding agent starts working, distracting apps are blocked on your phone instantly, and the moment your session ends, blocking lifts on its own. — automatic detection for claude code, cursor, devin, codex, and antigravity etc. — instant mac↔iphone sync over your local network (or apple's push system when you're on different networks) — session analytics and a daily focus streak — pause anytime mid-session for a quick break — live activity on your lock screen or dynamic island shows the active session cantscroll runs in the background on both devices and uses no more battery than a standard messaging app. all detection happens locally on your mac. no account, no tracking, no ads. requires a paired mac running the cantscroll cli (one terminal command via homebrew). subscription: cantscroll offers an auto-renewing subscription: • annual — $59.99/year, includes a 3-day free trial ($4.99/month billed annually) • monthly — $7.99/month payment is charged to your Apple ID at purchase confirmation. subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. manage or cancel anytime in your device settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://cantscroll.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://cantscroll.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Delay4 screens
cantscroll4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: cantscroll at 16.0 against Delay's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads 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. Delay sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and cantscroll sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Delay ships an update every 5 days, cantscroll every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Delay versus cantscroll: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDelaycantscroll
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (102 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews87.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings102 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFocus Labs LLC (US)Ahamed Mohamed Unais

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Delay

Subscriptions4
  • Delay - Weekly$6.997 Days
  • Delay - Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Delay - Family Monthly$17.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Delay - Yearly3 Days trial$79.991 Year
2 purchases

cantscroll

Subscriptions2
  • cantscroll pro - Monthly$7.991 Month
  • cantscroll Pro Annual3 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Delay free?
Delay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is cantscroll free?
cantscroll is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Delay or cantscroll have ads?
Neither Delay nor cantscroll shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Delay or cantscroll?
Delay ships an update every 5 days, and cantscroll every 9 days. Most recently, Delay was updated on September 28, 2026 and cantscroll on September 17, 2026.

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