Comparison

ScrollSteps vs 3 Things Pal

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

Head to head
About

ScrollSteps

This app locks distracting applications, requiring users to walk a set number of steps to earn screen time. It encourages users to be more intentional with their phone usage by gamifying physical activity. Turn your phone into a tool for progress by walking more and scrolling less.

Highlights
  • Earn screen time through walking
  • Locks distracting apps
  • Gamified physical activity
  • Promotes intentional phone use
  • Reduces doomscrolling
  • Subscription-based premium features
Features
Read full description

ScrollSteps turns walking into the only way to unlock your most distracting apps. Instead of relying on willpower, you earn screen time by moving: every 100 steps = 1 minute of access. If you haven’t walked enough, your apps stay locked. Take a short walk, earn minutes, and come back with intention instead of falling into a doomscrolling spiral in social media. Walk more, scroll less, and turn your phone into a tool that nudges you toward a better life. Stop doomscrolling. Start doing. All that lost time could’ve been progress—and your future still can be. 

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION A ScrollSteps SUBSCRIPTION is required to unlock and enjoy all features. ScrollSteps is free to download, and you can choose from the following options inside the app: * Annual subscription with free trial: Try all premium features for a limited time, then continue with an annual subscription if you don’t cancel before the trial ends. * Monthly subscription: Recurring subscription that grants full access to all premium features. * Lifetime access: One‑time purchase that unlocks all current premium features for the lifetime of the ScrollSteps app while it remains available on the App Store and is maintained by us (not your personal lifetime). Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Your Apple Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto‑renewal at any time in your Apple Account settings after purchase. If you start the annual free trial and subscribe before it ends, any remaining free trial period will be forfeited when your purchase is confirmed. Please review the Licensed Application End User License Agreement (EULA): Apple Standard EULA Privacy Policy: https://klncemre.github.io/steplocker-web/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://klncemre.github.io/steplocker-web/terms.html

About

3 Things Pal

This app helps individuals with ADHD overcome task paralysis by focusing on only three daily priorities. It features a daily reset to prevent guilt and offers persistent visibility through widgets and live activities. Completing tasks provides satisfying visual feedback and customization options.

Highlights
  • Focus on 3 daily tasks
  • Daily reset with no guilt
  • Home screen and lock screen widgets
  • Live Activities for persistent nudges
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • Satisfying task completion celebrations
  • Customizable themes and appearance
Features
Read full description

If you have ADHD, you probably have a productivity app graveyard on your phone. Todoist lasted three days. Notion's setup became its own procrastination project. Apple Reminders turned into a wall of red overdue badges that made you feel worse, not better. The problem was never your discipline. Traditional to-do lists are designed for brains that can hold a long list and methodically work through it. That's not how ADHD works. A long task list doesn't create clarity — it creates paralysis. Every undone task adds to the "Snowball of Shame": that growing pile of things you said you'd do but didn't, silently eroding your confidence. 3ThingsPal was built specifically to break this cycle. THE CORE IDEA: ONLY THREE THINGS Every morning, 3ThingsPal asks you one question: What are the three most important things you want to accomplish today? Not ten. Not "brain dump everything." Three. This isn't arbitrary. The "Rule of Three" is one of the most validated focus techniques in ADHD coaching and productivity research. When you limit yourself to three tasks, you eliminate decision paralysis. You stop wasting mental energy figuring out what to do, and start doing. THE DAILY RESET: NO GUILT CARRIED FORWARD Here's what makes 3ThingsPal fundamentally different from every other task app: your list clears every day. Didn't finish something yesterday? It's gone. No red badge. No overdue counter. No shame. Tomorrow is a fresh start with a fresh question: What matters today? This is intentional. For ADHD minds, yesterday's unfinished tasks aren't motivating — they're paralyzing. The daily reset means you never open the app to a wall of failure. You always open it to a clean slate and a simple question. If something was truly important, you'll choose it again today. If it wasn't, letting it go is the right call. DESIGNED TO STAY VISIBLE ADHD often comes with "out of sight, out of mind" — if your tasks aren't visible, they don't exist. 3ThingsPal puts your three priorities everywhere: Home Screen widgets show your tasks at a glance. Lock Screen widgets mean you see them every time you pick up your phone. Live Activities keep your current focus in the Dynamic Island or on the Lock Screen — a persistent, gentle nudge. Apple Watch app lets you check off tasks from your wrist without getting pulled into your phone (and its infinite distractions). THE FEELING MATTERS Completing a task triggers a satisfying visual celebration — because ADHD brains run on dopamine, and small wins need to feel like wins. Progress rings fill up throughout the day, giving you visual proof that yes, you did accomplish something meaningful. You can customize themes, colors, backgrounds, and app icons. This isn't vanity — for many neurodivergent users, aesthetic friction is a real barrier to opening an app consistently. WHO 3THINGSPAL IS FOR People with ADHD who have tried every productivity system and felt broken when none of them stuck. People with anxiety who are overwhelmed by their to-do list. Busy parents who need to focus on what actually matters today. Students who struggle with prioritization. Minimalists who believe less structure leads to more action. Anyone who's read "Why I Limit Myself to Just Three Tasks Per Day" and thought: I need that as an app. PRIVACY All data stays on your device. No account. No cloud sync. No tracking. No analytics. Your daily three are nobody's business but yours. PREMIUM (OPTIONAL) Unlock extra themes, custom app icons, and premium widgets. Weekly ($0.99), yearly ($5.99), or lifetime ($9.99). The free version is fully functional — Premium is for people who want to customize the experience. You don't need a better system. You need a simpler one. Three things. That's it. Start today. Terms of Use: https://elevenapril.com/3thingspal-terms Privacy Policy: https://elevenapril.com/3thingspal-privacy

Screenshots

ScrollSteps4 screens
3 Things Pal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: 3 Things Pal at 4.9 against ScrollSteps's 4.3. 3 Things Pal also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, ratings volume, 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. ScrollSteps sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and 3 Things Pal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

3 Things Pal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 9 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ScrollSteps ships an update monthly, 3 Things Pal fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ScrollSteps versus 3 Things Pal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScrollSteps3 Things Pal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4 ratings)4.9 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings49 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB58 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperEmre Kilinc帅 陈

Customer experience

ScrollSteps

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

3 Things Pal

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

ScrollSteps

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly$17.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium$17.991 Month
  • StepLocker (Annual Plan)$24.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • StepLocker (1 year)$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime StepLocker$39.99
4 purchases

3 Things Pal

Subscriptions3
  • 3ThingsMatter Premium Weekly$3.997 Days
  • 3ThingsPal Premium Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • 3ThingsPal Premium Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • 3ThingsPal Premium Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is ScrollSteps free?
ScrollSteps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 3 Things Pal free?
3 Things Pal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ScrollSteps or 3 Things Pal?
3 Things Pal is rated higher. ScrollSteps averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while 3 Things Pal averages 4.9 from 9 ratings.
Do ScrollSteps or 3 Things Pal have ads?
Neither ScrollSteps nor 3 Things Pal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ScrollSteps or 3 Things Pal?
ScrollSteps ships an update monthly, and 3 Things Pal fortnightly. Most recently, ScrollSteps was updated on October 24, 2026 and 3 Things Pal on October 28, 2026.

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