# Friction vs BlockRot

Friction and BlockRot both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 62% of BlockRot's written reviews are positive against 25% of Friction's. BlockRot also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 6 days). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Friction sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and BlockRot sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Friction against 4.7 for BlockRot. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 319 and 387 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 25% of Friction's written reviews are positive against 62% of BlockRot's.

Friction ships an update every 6 days, BlockRot daily. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Friction | BlockRot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (319 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friction-reduce-screen-time/id6758893858/reviews) | **[4.7 (387 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blockrot-screen-time-control/id6761429056/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 319 | **387** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **62.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 53 MB | 241 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TalkUp LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767264111) | [Matthew Heester](https://appshunter.io/developer/1834464869) |

## What reviewers say

### Friction

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friction-reduce-screen-time/id6758893858)

This app helps you break free from mindless scrolling by requiring you to complete quick physical challenges before accessing distracting apps. Earn scrolling time through exercise and build healthier digital habits with a privacy-first approach.

**Highlights:** Complete physical challenges to earn screen time, Connect to Screen Time for app control, Track progress and build discipline, Privacy-first design with on-device detection, Breaks impulsive scrolling loops, Customizable app blocking

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |


### BlockRot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blockrot-screen-time-control/id6761429056)

This app helps users break free from phone addiction and reclaim focus by rewarding healthy real-life habits with screen time. It uses a unique gem system and a virtual companion to motivate users to build discipline and reverse the effects of excessive digital consumption.

**Highlights:** Rot Gems system for earning screen time, Penguin companion for motivation, Photo-based task verification, 30+ healthy habit tasks, App blocking via Apple Screen Time, Private and secure by default

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $79.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Friction free?

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

### Is BlockRot free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Friction or BlockRot?

BlockRot is rated higher. Friction averages 4.6 out of 5 from 319 ratings, while BlockRot averages 4.7 from 387 ratings.

### Do Friction or BlockRot have ads?

Neither Friction nor BlockRot shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Friction or BlockRot?

Friction ships an update every 6 days, and BlockRot daily. Most recently, Friction was updated on October 19, 2026 and BlockRot on October 16, 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.*