Sparky vs StudyKey
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Sparky
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Sparky makes screen time feel intentional, not forbidden. Do one small real-life win, earn Scroll Energy, then spend it through Time Bank to open the apps and categories you choose. Most blockers just say no. Timers nag you to stop at the worst moment. Sparky flips it around: do the thing first, then scroll on purpose, guilt-free. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick your daily wins. Move, read, focus, drink water, wind down, or build your own. 2. Choose your App Gates. The apps and categories that pull you into autopilot wait behind a gentle gate. 3. Earn Scroll Energy. Every check-in tops up your bank. 4. Spend on purpose. Start Time Bank when you are ready, and the minutes you do not use come straight back when you stop early. WHY SPARKY IS DIFFERENT - A warm companion, never a nag. Sparky celebrates your wins instead of shaming your slips. - App Gates powered by Apple Screen Time, all on your device. - Daily budgets, Auto-Gates, and per-app limits you actually control. - Streaks, history, and gentle insights that show your time getting calmer. - Widgets, Shortcuts, and Live Activities for one-tap Time Bank. - Unlock new Sparky worlds and app icons as your streak grows. Sparky is for people who still love their favorite apps and just want a better trade: one small real win before the feed. PRO (OPTIONAL) The core loop is free, with no account to create. Upgrade to Pro to run more than five habits at once, plus advanced rules, deeper history, and export. Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime unlock. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and you can manage or cancel them anytime in your Apple Account settings. PRIVACY Your habits and Screen Time data stay on your device. Screen Time access is optional and you can change it anytime in Settings. Try one tiny win before your next scroll. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://russellry.github.io/privacy.html
StudyKey
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Make a little learning part of your screen-time routine. StudyKey combines app boundaries, flashcards and focused time in one calm space. Choose how you want to study, set your own rules and make room for what matters. LEARN TO UNLOCK Choose apps to protect and the decks you want to practise. Complete a learning challenge in StudyKey to earn access according to your rule. Set the number of cards and the minutes earned per card, or choose a total break duration. FLASHCARDS, VOCABULARY AND QUIZZES Try ready-made examples to find your learning style. Build knowledge cards, practise words with example sentences or answer four-choice quizzes. Review with spaced repetition, edit individual cards and remove cards or whole decks whenever you need. CREATE FROM YOUR OWN MATERIAL Describe a topic, paste notes, attach a PDF or choose a photo. AI helps turn your source into a draft you can review before saving. Preview attachments and add optional instructions. Photos can be up to 10 MB and are optimised before upload; PDFs can contain up to 5 pages and be up to 2 MB. AI can make mistakes, so check every answer. FOCUS AND SEE YOUR RHYTHM Start a focus session with an intention. Build a personal focus tapestry over time and explore your week, month or year. Share the selected period as an image. BOUNDARIES THAT FIT YOUR DAY Use learning challenges, focus sessions, daily app limits or scheduled quiet hours. App protection requires Screen Time permission on a supported device. STUDYKEY PREMIUM Choose the existing weekly or yearly subscription. The weekly plan includes 75 AI generation credits per calendar week, resetting Monday at 00:00 UTC. The yearly plan includes 75 credits per calendar month, resetting on the first day at 00:00 UTC. One generation attempt uses one credit and creates up to 10 cards. Failed generation attempts also use a credit; unused credits do not roll over. Saved cards and manually created cards do not use AI credits. Shared service safety limits may temporarily affect generation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled in Apple Settings. Prices and billing periods are shown before purchase. Privacy policy: https://beratonerdev.com/privacy/kotu Terms of use: https://beratonerdev.com/terms/kotu
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: StudyKey at none against Sparky's shown. StudyKey also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Sparky sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and StudyKey sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Sparky ships an update weekly, StudyKey every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sparky | StudyKey |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Weekly โ better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | Yes | No โ better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 57 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Russell Ong | BERAT ONER |
In-app purchases
Sparky
- EarnedScroll Pro Monthly$8.991 Month
- EarnedScroll Pro Yearly3 Days trial$59.991 Year
- EarnedScroll Pro Lifetime$129.99
StudyKey
- Weekly Premium$4.997 Days
- Yearly Premium$29.991 Year









