Comparison

Shelly vs StudyMode

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

StudyMode

Read full description

Study to unlock your apps. Stay focused. Ace your goals. StudyMode turns your screen time into study time. Set which apps get locked and then study to unlock your phone; it's that simple. HOW IT WORKS Study your flashcards or quiz questions, earn Study Points, and use those points to unlock your blocked apps. Want access to social media apps? Earn it. SMART STUDY MATERIALS Create flashcard decks and quiz sets in seconds. Import text, photos, or PDFs and let AI generate your materials instantly — no busywork, just studying. FLEXIBLE APP BLOCKING Choose exactly which apps to block, and when. Set different schedules for weekdays and weekends. Take back control of your attention on your terms. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See your study streak, total sessions, and a heatmap of your activity over time. BUILT FOR STUDENTS Whether you're in high school or university, StudyMode adapts to your schedule, your subjects, and your goals. Got any feedback or ideas? Please email me at: leedeverteuil@icloud.com

Screenshots

Shelly4 screens
StudyMode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Shelly at 18.1 against StudyMode's 26.2. On price, update cadence, 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. Shelly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and StudyMode sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shelly ships an update every 3 weeks, StudyMode every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Shelly versus StudyMode: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShellyStudyMode
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.1 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpindle Hyperlocal Solutions Private LimitedLEE DANIEL DE VERTEUIL

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

StudyMode

Subscriptions2
  • StudyMode Monthly$9.991 Month
  • StudyMode Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is Shelly free?
Shelly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StudyMode free?
StudyMode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shelly or StudyMode have ads?
Neither Shelly nor StudyMode shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shelly or StudyMode?
Shelly ships an update every 3 weeks, and StudyMode every 5 weeks. Most recently, Shelly was updated on November 5, 2026 and StudyMode on November 5, 2026.

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