Comparison

App Blocker vs unscroll

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

Head to head
About

App Blocker

Reclaim your screen time and build better habits with this app. It helps you step away from distracting applications and create intentional breaks using native system features for a private and reliable experience.

Highlights
  • One-tap focus breaks
  • Smart scheduling for recurring breaks
  • App and category blocking
  • Gentle reminders for healthy breaks
  • Privacy-first insights and charts
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Focus Pal - Take Back Your Screen Time Reclaim focus. Build better habits. Feel in control. Focus helps you step away from distracting apps and create intentional screen breaks - on your terms - using native Screen Time capabilities for a seamless, private, and reliable experience. Why You’ll Love It - Calm the noise and be present in moments that matter. - Make focused work (or true rest) effortless with one‑tap breaks. - See your progress with clear, privacy‑first insights. - Works with iOS Screen Time for trustworthy app shielding. What Focus Does - One‑Tap Focus: Instantly shield distracting apps you choose for a set duration. - Smart Schedules: Plan recurring breaks that fit your day (morning focus, evening wind‑down, deep‑work blocks). - App & Category Control: Select specific apps or entire categories to reduce temptation and save your attention. - Gentle Reminders: Nudge yourself to take healthy breaks before fatigue or doom‑scrolling kicks in. - Clear Insights: Track time saved and trends with beautiful, native charts (iOS 16+). - Widgets: Start a break or check progress right from your Home or Lock Screen. How It Works 1. Choose apps you find distracting. 2. Start a Focus (now or on a schedule). 3. Your chosen apps are gently shielded during the break. 4. Review insights to fine‑tune your routine and stay consistent. Thoughtfully Designed - Privacy‑First: No accounts, no ads - your data stays on your device. - Native & Lightweight: Built for fast, reliable performance. - Mindful Defaults: Sensible presets to help you start strong without overthinking. Perfect For - Focused work and study sessions. - Tech‑lite mornings and restful evenings. - Reducing social media or news overload. - Parents and caregivers encouraging healthy device habits on shared devices. Privacy & Safety - Built on Apple’s Screen Time framework for secure, system‑level app shielding. - Data stays on your device. - You control what’s shielded and when. Requirements - iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 16 or later. - Screen Time authorization is required to enable app shielding. A Quick Note Focus shields the apps you select during your breaks. You can always adjust which apps are affected, tweak schedules, or pause/resume with a tap. Take a breath. Take a break. Take back your time with Focus. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

unscroll

This app helps you reclaim your time by blocking distracting applications and replacing them with curated articles, video essays, and podcasts. It allows you to set custom blocking schedules and provides an offline reader with no ads or popups. You can also listen to articles as audio and track your progress in taking back your scrolling time.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps
  • Focus sessions with timers
  • Custom blocking schedules
  • Curated articles, videos, podcasts
  • Offline reader with no ads
  • Article to audio playback
  • Track reclaimed time
Features
Read full description

unscroll blocks the apps that steal your time and replaces them with curated articles, video essays, and podcasts. Same impulse, better outcome. How it works 1. Pick the apps you want to block 2. Open a blocked app — a shield appears 3. Tap "Send me something to read" — get a curated article instantly What you get • Block distracting apps with iOS Screen Time • Focus sessions with timers and intentions • Custom blocking schedules (work hours, evenings, always-on) • Curated articles, videos, and podcasts • Clean offline reader — no ads, no popups • Listen to any article as audio • Read YouTube videos as text transcripts • Translate articles into 30+ languages • Create and share collections with a code • Track your progress and reclaimed time Why unscroll is different Other apps just block your phone and leave you staring at a wall. unscroll gives you something better to do. You still pick up your phone — but now you read, learn, and grow instead of scrolling. The numbers don't lie The average person scrolls 3+ hours a day. That's over 1,000 hours a year. Enough to read 170 books. Learn a new skill. Finish 25 online courses. unscroll helps you take that time back. Subscription unscroll requires an active subscription. Plans start with a free trial so you can explore everything risk-free. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store settings. Terms of Use: https://unscrollread.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://unscrollread.com/privacy Support: support@unscrollread.com

Screenshots

App Blocker4 screens
unscroll4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: App Blocker at every 4 days against unscroll's every 10 days. unscroll's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (133 vs 37). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. App Blocker sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and unscroll sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

unscroll holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37 and 133 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

App Blocker ships an update every 4 days, unscroll every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
App Blocker versus unscroll: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterApp Blockerunscroll
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (37 ratings)4.8 (133 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings37133 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size268 MB96 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperManuel FessenTitun LLC

Customer experience

App Blocker

All ratings37 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral5.4%
Negative5.4%

unscroll

All ratings133 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

9 purchases

App Blocker

Subscriptions7
  • Pro7 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Pro$3.991 Month
  • Pro7 Days trial$4.997 Days
Show 4 more
  • Pro$4.991 Month
  • Pro$12.991 Year
  • Pro$29.991 Year
  • Pro$39.991 Year
One-time2
  • 60 Credit Pack$0.99
  • Pro$34.99
4 purchases

unscroll

Subscriptions4
  • unscroll+ (weekly)$4.997 Days
  • unscroll+ (monthly)$9.991 Month
  • unscroll+ (yearly)$34.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • unscroll+ (yearly)3 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is App Blocker free?
App Blocker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is unscroll free?
unscroll is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, App Blocker or unscroll?
unscroll is rated higher. App Blocker averages 4.6 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while unscroll averages 4.8 from 133 ratings.
Do App Blocker or unscroll have ads?
Neither App Blocker nor unscroll shows ads.
Which is updated more often, App Blocker or unscroll?
App Blocker ships an update every 4 days, and unscroll every 10 days. Most recently, App Blocker was updated on October 14, 2026 and unscroll on October 14, 2026.

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