Comparison

Friction Frog vs Moai

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

Head to head
About

Friction Frog

This app introduces intentional friction to your phone usage by incorporating breathing exercises before opening distracting apps. It also offers customizable grayscale options to reduce stimulation from addictive applications, helping you reclaim your time.

Highlights
  • Breathing exercises before app launch
  • App blocking with time limits
  • Whole phone grayscale option
  • Selective app grayscale
  • Customizable time windows per app
  • Reliable and easy to use
Features
Read full description

Your phone, but boring on purpose. Friction Frog puts one slow breath between you and the apps that waste your day, then turns the addicting ones black & white so they're less stimulating. The blocking and grayscale are free forever. -How it works- Breathe before you scroll: - Pick the apps you want to slow down (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc.). Try to open one and Friction Frog asks you to pause for a short breathing exercise first. You get a few minutes, then it locks again. Just enough friction to break the autopilot. Grayscale, your way: Color is what makes the scroll so hard to put down. Friction Frog walks you through two setups: - Whole phone in grayscale, with color exceptions for the apps you need (Photos, Camera, Maps). - Or keep your phone in color and gray out only the addicting apps. No more triple-tapping the side button and forgetting to switch it back. Limits that fit you: - Set your own time window per app, one app's "quick check" might be 1 minute, another's 30. You decide. Why Friction Frog: - Truly free. Multi-app blocking and every grayscale feature are free forever. - Reliable. Built to just work, every time. No mystery failures, no easy bypasses. - On your side. No ads, no exploitation. The business isn't built on keeping you hooked. Built for: - People trying to get better Made by one person who had the same problem and used this system to fix it for himself (Hi. That's me, Will.). Download the app, take a breath, and get a little of your day back.

About

Moai

Read full description

Most people spend 4+ hours a day staring at their phone. That's 60 days a year. Gone. Moai turns screen time into a game you actually want to win. Reduce your hours, rank up your Moai. How it works: The less you scroll, the higher you rank. The more you waste, the further you fall. Your Moai shows the truth — from Wood to Diamond, 9 ranks total. Block your enemies. Instagram. TikTok. X. Whatever's stealing your time — block it. Schedule focus sessions. Set daily limits. Lock in when you need to. Features: - Real-time screen time tracking - App blocking with schedules and daily limits - Focus presets (Deep Work, Morning Focus, Evening Detox) - 9 material ranks based on daily usage - Top Enemies — see what's costing you Stop scrolling. Start ranking up. Terms: https://www.trymoai.app/terms Privacy: https://www.trymoai.app/privacy Access to the app requires a paid subscription.

Screenshots

Friction Frog4 screens
Moai4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Friction Frog at none against Moai's 2. On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Moai sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Friction Frog asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Friction Frog ships an update every 3 days, Moai every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Friction Frog versus Moai: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFriction FrogMoai
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.417.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size83 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWilliam HuntBrunology

In-app purchases

None

Friction Frog

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Moai

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited$3.997 Days
  • Unlimited3 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Friction Frog free?
Friction Frog is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Moai free?
Moai is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Friction Frog or Moai have ads?
Neither Friction Frog nor Moai shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Friction Frog or Moai?
Friction Frog ships an update every 3 days, and Moai every 5 days. Most recently, Friction Frog was updated on October 28, 2026 and Moai on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons