Comparison

Shelly vs Koala

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

Head to head
About

Shelly

This app helps you build healthier phone habits with a visual motivator. It blocks distracting apps, offers focus schedules, and provides gentle breathing reminders to prevent mindless scrolling. Track your progress and improve your digital well-being.

Highlights
  • Visual motivation with a growing snail
  • App blocking and smart schedules
  • Breathing interventions
  • Shell Mode for total focus
  • Daily time allowances
  • Streak tracking
  • History and insights
Features
Read full description

Take back your day with Shelly — your friendly screen time coach to help you build healthy phone habits. Shelly is a cute snail who lives on your phone. The less you doom-scroll, the healthier Shelly gets. The more you mindlessly scroll, the more Shelly retreats into her shell. It's a simple visual nudge that works — no guilt trips, no lectures, just a little friend keeping you honest. Most of us spend 5+ hours glued to our screens without realizing it. Shelly flips the script: block the apps that drain your time, set focus schedules, and get gentle breathing reminders when you're about to spiral into another scroll session. WHY SHELLY WORKS - Visual motivation: Watch Shelly's health improve as your screen time drops - Gentle nudges, not guilt: Breathing exercises instead of harsh lockouts - Smart schedules: Auto-block apps during bedtime, work hours, or study sessions - Shell Mode: Total focus mode that blocks everything except what you whitelist - Real insights: See exactly which apps eat your time and track your progress FEATURES - Instant App Blocking: Pick the apps and sites to block. Done in seconds. - Shell Mode: Block everything except what you whitelist. Total focus. - Breathing Interventions: A 10-second breathing pause before any tracked app opens. - Smart Schedules: Auto-block apps at bedtime, work hours, or custom windows. - Daily Time Allowances: Cap usage on any app. Hit the limit, Shelly blocks it. - Escape Hatch: Need a blocked app? Simple unblock. - Streak Tracking: Stay under your goal. Watch the streak grow. - Home Screen Widget: Today's health score, always visible. - History & Insights: Weekly charts to spot patterns and celebrate wins. DESIGNED FOR - Students who lose hours to scrolling before exams - Creators who need to focus on making, not consuming - Professionals who want deep work without distractions - Parents building healthier phone habits for the family - Anyone who's tired of picking up their phone 150+ times a day PRIVATE & SECURE Shelly uses Apple's Screen Time API. All monitoring and blocking happen entirely on your device. Your usage data never leaves your phone — ever. No tracking. No ads. Just you and Shelly. FOUNDERS NOTE: I built Shelly because I was scrolling for 6 hours a day on my phone and couldn't stop. None of the screen time apps felt right — they were either too strict, too preachy, too complicated, or too easy to bypass. Shelly is the app I wished existed: simple, kind, and effective. All features described above require a subscription. Terms of Service: https://getshelly.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://getshelly.app/privacy

About

Koala

Features
Read full description

Your morning alarm goes off. You grab your phone to check the time... and suddenly it's noon and you've been doom-scrolling for 3 hours. Sound familiar? Meet Koala. The screen time app that's actually fun to use - because breaking up with your phone shouldn't feel like a breakup. ► WHAT REAL USERS ARE SAYING ◀ "Downloaded this to block TikTok for an hour. It's been 3 weeks and I've read 4 books. Send help (actually don't, I'm thriving)" - Emma "The 'dopamine slot machine broke' message made me laugh so hard I forgot I was trying to open Instagram" - Jake "My screen time went from 8 hours to 2 hours. My boss thinks I got a promotion. I just got a koala." - Sarah "Finally an app that doesn't guilt-trip me. It just shows me a sad koala and honestly that hits different." - Mike ► WHY KOALA WORKS ◀ Be more present with friends and family Actually finish that book you started 6 months ago Sleep better without late-night scrolling Feel accomplished instead of anxious Rediscover hobbies you forgot you loved ► FEATURES ◀ Set App Limits for Your Most Distracting Apps You know that one app that steals hours from your life? Set how long you can use it and how many times you can open it. When you hit your limit, Koala steps in with a gentle (and hilarious) reminder that the "dopamine slot machine broke." Schedule Your Focus Sessions Your gym sessions got more disciplined with scheduled blocking. Set start and end times for your most productive hours - whether that's 9pm-6am to protect your sleep, or 9am-12pm for deep work. Koala handles the rest. Or Just Block Now Need to focus RIGHT NOW? One tap and your distracting apps are blocked. Perfect for when you need to cram for that exam or actually reply to those emails. AI-Powered Focus Score Your personal focus score shows exactly how your day is going. Watch your koala transform from zen to scattered based on your phone usage. It's like a mood ring, but for your productivity. Koala Insights See which app is stealing your attention this hour, which one you keep picking up, and which one won't stop buzzing you. Knowledge is power. Track Your Progress Detailed charts show where your time actually goes. Daily and weekly breakdowns help you spot patterns and make changes. Maintain Streaks & Earn Eucalyptus Leaves Complete sessions to earn eucalyptus leaves. Maintain streaks by completing at least one session daily. Because who doesn't want to feed a virtual koala? Private and Safe Your data never leaves your device. We use Apple's official Screen Time APIs - no sketchy workarounds, no data harvesting. Your browsing history is YOUR business. *All features described above require a paid subscription* ► CONTACT US ◀ Questions? Koala things to share? koala@threesixlabs.org ► TERMS, PRIVACY & CONDITIONS ◀ https://koala.threesixlabs.org/terms https://koala.threesixlabs.org/privacy https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Shelly4 screens
Koala4 screens

Verdict

The call

Shelly and Koala are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Shelly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Koala sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Shelly versus Koala: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShellyKoala
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.1 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB83 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpindle Hyperlocal Solutions Private LimitedThreeSix Labs, Inc.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Shelly

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Plan$5.991 Month
  • One time offer$24.991 Year
  • Premium Plan$49.991 Year
2 purchases

Koala

Subscriptions2
  • Koala Pro$29.991 Year
  • Koala Pro - 3 Day Trial3 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Shelly free?
Shelly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Koala free?
Koala is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shelly or Koala have ads?
Neither Shelly nor Koala shows ads.

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