# Shelly vs Fried

The clearest difference is monetization model: Fried at freemium against Shelly's subscription. Fried also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). Shelly's advantage is iOS requirement (18.1 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shelly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Fried sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Shelly against 5.0 for Fried. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively.

Shelly ships an update every 3 weeks, Fried every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelly | Fried |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-screen-time-control/id6757734582/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fried-screen-time-control/id6780674154/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 46 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.1** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Spindle Hyperlocal Solutions Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780345822) | [Carter Clark](https://appshunter.io/developer/1862935823) |

## What reviewers say

### Shelly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-screen-time-control/id6757734582)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plan | $5.99 | per month |
| One time offer | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan | $49.99 | per year |


### Fried

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fried-screen-time-control/id6780674154)

This app helps you reduce phone usage by blocking distracting applications and setting daily limits. It offers focus sessions, smart scheduling, and insights into your screen time habits, all while keeping a playful companion happy.

**Highlights:** Block distracting apps, Set daily limits, Focus sessions, Smart schedules, Screen time insights, Focus companion

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fried Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Fried Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shelly free?

Shelly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Fried free?

Fried is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shelly or Fried?

Shelly and Fried are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Shelly or Fried have ads?

Neither Shelly nor Fried shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shelly or Fried?

Shelly ships an update every 3 weeks, and Fried every 3 days. Most recently, Shelly was updated on October 18, 2026 and Fried on October 4, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*