# Shelly vs hey!

The clearest difference is monetization model: hey! at free with in-app purchases against Shelly's subscription. hey! also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). Shelly's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shelly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and hey! sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 hey!. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Shelly ships an update every 3 weeks, hey! every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelly | hey! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-screen-time-control/id6757734582/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hey-screen-time-control/id6810034213/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 46 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Spindle Hyperlocal Solutions Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780345822) | [X1 Consulting LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6810034215) |

## 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 |


### hey!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hey-screen-time-control/id6810034213)

This app helps you manage phone usage with a virtual companion who encourages breaks and rewards them with in-app currency. Earn coins by taking breaks to buy items for your companion or decorate their room. Track your progress and mood without pressure to maintain streaks.

**Highlights:** Virtual companion for focus, Earn coins for breaks, Decorate companion's room, Track mood and sessions, Focus Filter integration, No streaks or pressure

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| hey Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| hey Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| hey Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shelly free?

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

### Is hey! free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shelly or hey!?

Shelly and hey! are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Shelly or hey! have ads?

Neither Shelly nor hey! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shelly or hey!?

Shelly ships an update every 3 weeks, and hey! every 9 days. Most recently, Shelly was updated on October 18, 2026 and hey! on October 22, 2026.

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