Para vs Rotcut
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Para
This app uses a social contract to help you break bad app habits. Your friends act as gatekeepers, controlling access to apps you want to block. You must request permission from them to regain access, fostering genuine accountability.
- Friend-gated app blocking
- Accountability through friends
- Screen time stats and trends
- Streaks and time-saved tracking
- QR code and SMS friend invites
Read full descriptionHide full description
The free app blocker where a friend holds the key. Para locks the apps you scroll too much, and only a friend you pick can let you back in early. No passcode to guess, no setting to flip off at midnight. You've set screen time limits before. You've also tapped "Ignore Limit" fifteen seconds later. That's not a willpower problem, it's a design problem: when you're the only one who can undo the block, undoing it is always one tap away. Para hands that tap to someone else. HOW IT WORKS • Pick the apps that eat your day: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, games, anything. • Choose a friend to hold the key. They get Para free, too. • Want back in early? Ask for the time you need and say why, for the whole block or just one app. Your friend gets a notification and says yes or no. • They can end an unlock early, and they approve it if you want a block turned off. BLOCK YOUR WAY • Block now: lock apps for 30 minutes, an hour, or until tonight. • Schedules: weeknights, work hours, bedtime, or a custom schedule with your own days and times. • Daily limits: pick a cap, and the apps lock when you hit it. • Places: apps lock when you arrive at home, the office, the gym or bed, and unlock when you leave. • Mindful mode: no hard block, just a pause that asks how long you need before the app opens. HARD TO CHEAT • Strict mode: no ending a block early yourself. • Lock app deletion: deleting Para to get around a block needs your friend's OK. • Every early unlock goes through a real person, so the easy way out isn't easy anymore. BETTER TOGETHER • Hold the key for your friends, too, and keep each other honest. • Add friends by username, from your contacts, or with a QR code. • Build a streak of days you didn't need to ask. • See your real screen time, your most-used apps, and your daily average. • Prefer to go it alone? Solo mode lets you hold your own key. WHO IT'S FOR • Anyone who wants to stop doomscrolling and spend less time on their phone. • People who have tried Screen Time or other app blockers and kept turning them off. • Students during exams, and anyone who needs focus at work. • Couples, roommates and friends who want an accountability partner for screen time. • Night scrollers who want their phone out of bed. FREE, WITH NO ADS Every feature is free. There's no paywall and nothing locked. If you'd like to help keep it that way, you can back Para with an optional monthly Supporter plan or a one-time gift. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Para uses Apple's Screen Time framework, so your usage data stays on your iPhone. Your friend sees your requests, never what you do on your phone. Get your evenings back. Hand a friend the key. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ https://www.parascroll.com/privacy https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/
Rotcut
This app helps you break free from mindless scrolling by introducing friction and a reward system before you can access distracting apps. Complete focus tasks to earn unlock currency and spend it to access your chosen apps for a limited time, building healthier digital habits.
- App blocker using Apple Screen Time
- Earn energy points for focus tasks
- Push-up and step counter for energy
- Focus timer and meditation timer
- Daily streaks and progress tracking
- Home screen widget for energy and streak
Read full descriptionHide full description
Rotcut - Block Apps, Earn Your Screen Time Go From Mindless Scrolling to Intentional Use Your phone is designed to keep you hooked. Every spare second pulls you back into the feed, and before you know it an hour is gone. Rotcut breaks that loop. Instead of opening a distracting app on autopilot, you pause, complete a quick focus task, and earn the right to unlock it. Distraction stops being free, and your attention becomes something you choose to spend. This is not another screen time tracker that just shows you numbers and hopes you feel bad. Rotcut puts real friction and a real reward system between you and the apps that drain your day. How It Works 1) Choose the apps that steal your time, like social media, video, or games 2) Complete focus tasks to earn energy, your unlock currency 3) Spend energy to unlock blocked apps for a limited time 4) Build daily streaks, watch your stats climb, and shrink your scroll loops over time When your unlock time runs out, the block comes back on automatically. You stay in control, not the algorithm. What's Inside - App blocker: shield any apps you choose using Apple Screen Time. Your selection stays private and never leaves your device - Energy points: earn unlock currency by doing something real instead of scrolling - Push-up counter: drop and earn, with on-device motion tracking that counts your reps - Step counter: get up and move to bank energy - Lock in and focus timer: deep work sessions that reward you for staying off your phone - Meditation timer: calm down and reset - Touch grass: a nudge to step outside and reconnect with real life - Panic button: an instant reset for the moments you feel the pull hardest - Daily streaks: keep your momentum alive day after day - Personalized plan: a quick setup tailors your tasks and goals to your habits - Progress and stats: see your streak, energy earned, tasks completed, and history you can be proud of - Daily reminders: gentle nudges to keep your focus on track - Home screen widget: your energy and streak at a glance Good For 1) Reducing compulsive social media use 2) Breaking doomscrolling and short video habits 3) Building more intentional, mindful screen time 4) Staying focused on work, study, or the people in front of you 5) Creating friction before distraction takes over Why Rotcut Is Different Most apps try to block you and hope willpower does the rest. Rotcut gives you a system. You earn your access, you feel the trade, and over time the habit loop weakens. You still have to do the work, but Rotcut gives you the structure, the friction, and the motivation to actually follow through. No account or login is required to get started. Just open the app and begin. Start small. Stay consistent. Take your attention back. If you have ideas or questions, email us at hello@kopontech.com Full access requires a subscription. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Rotcut at 5.0 against Para's 3.9. Rotcut also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Para's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (7 vs 2). 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
Both are free to download. Para sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.00 per month and Rotcut sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Rotcut holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively.
Para ships an update fortnightly, Rotcut every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Para | Rotcut |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 75 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pilas Studios LLC | Justine Ladlad |
Customer experience
Para
Rotcut
In-app purchases
Para
- Para Supporter $1$1.001 Month
- Pantalla Premium14 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Para Supporter $5$5.001 Month
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Para Supporter $10$10.001 Month
- Para Supporter $15$15.001 Month
- Para Supporter $20$20.001 Month
- Pantalla Premium (Annual)14 Days trial$29.991 Year
Rotcut
- RotCut Pro - Monthly$9.991 Month
- RotCut Pro - Annual$19.991 Year
- RotCut Pro - Annual3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- RotCut Pro - Lifetime$49.99









