Comparison

Picksy vs Prelude Therapy prep

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

Head to head
About

Picksy

Features
Read full description

Picksy helps you use your phone less — for real. No guilt, no shaming, no made-up numbers. Just an honest mirror of how often you pick up your phone and how long you stay, plus genuinely fun ways to cut down and stay present. Most screen-time apps either nag you or show numbers you don't trust. Picksy is different: the numbers are real and consistent everywhere in the app, and the motivation comes from people you actually care about — not a scary red graph. HONEST TRACKING See your real pickups and screen time for today, updated live. The same figure appears on every screen — your stats, your Live Activity, your duels — so you always know where you stand. No inflated counts, no fake streaks. DUELS WITH FRIENDS Challenge a friend to a same-day duel and compete on who spends less time on their phone. Watch the score live on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, and send a playful taunt when you're ahead. Being present finally becomes a game you want to win — and a little accountability with a friend works far better than willpower alone. DISTRACTION SHIELD Turn on the Distraction Shield to mute and gently block the apps that tempt you most. Fewer interruptions for you, less mindless scrolling for your kid. While it's on, those apps stay quiet — so you reach for them on purpose, not on autopilot. DAILY LIMIT + PARENTAL PASSCODE Set how much time your tracked apps get each day. When the time's up, they lock — and only your passcode unlocks another session. Settings stay protected behind the same passcode, so it's perfect for parents who want a simple, honest limit without a complicated dashboard. PICKSY SCORE One simple score from your pickups and minutes. Lower is better. Glance at it each day and watch it drop as your habits improve. SEE WHAT DRIVES YOU Daily mood check-ins, a weather-and-habits view, weekly recaps and streaks help you spot what really pushes your phone use — rainy days, certain hours, certain moods — and build momentum one day at a time. BUILT FOR PRIVACY Your Screen Time data never leaves your device. Picksy reads it locally using Apple's on-device frameworks to show you your numbers. Nothing sensitive — no app names, durations, or browsing history — is uploaded. Only the optional Friends and Duels features share the minimum needed (a friend code and a couple of numbers) so your friend can see the score. WHO IT'S FOR • Anyone who wants to use their phone less without guilt • Friends who want to keep each other accountable • Parents who want a simple, honest limit for their kids • Anyone tired of fake numbers and scary graphs Use your phone less. Be present. For real. Picksy is a digital wellbeing tool, not a medical device. If excessive phone use is significantly affecting your daily life, consider speaking with a mental health professional.

About

Prelude Therapy prep

This AI-powered companion helps you prepare for therapy sessions by providing a private space to reflect on your week. It uses local processing to transcribe your thoughts, identify emotional patterns, and generate session summaries, all without sending your data to the cloud.

Highlights
  • Voice-to-Insight transcription
  • Session summary generation
  • Emotional arc visualization
  • Identification of recurring themes
  • Local AI processing
  • No account required
Features
Read full description

Stop walking into therapy sessions wondering where to start. Prelude is a private cognitive companion that helps you bridge the gap between your daily life and your therapeutic breakthroughs. Built exclusively for iOS, Prelude uses Apple Foundation Models to provide a secure, voice-first reflection space. Speak freely about your week and our local AI agent asks gentle, probing questions to help you uncover the "why" behind your "what." [Key Features] • Voice-to-Insight: High-fidelity, local transcription turns your raw thoughts into structured themes. • Session Briefs: Automatically generate a concise summary of your week’s emotional arc to share with your therapist. • The Emotional Arc: Visualize patterns in your mood across multiple sessions without ever sending data to a server. • Recurring Themes: Identify the core issues like workload anxiety or relationship goals before you step into the room. [The Privacy Pledge] We believe your mental health data is your most sensitive asset. • No Cloud: All AI processing happens on your iPhone. • No Accounts: No login required. No tracking. No data leakage. • Free Forever: This version of Prelude is a Billionware gift to the mental health community. End user license agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Picksy4 screens
Prelude Therapy prep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Prelude Therapy prep at none against Picksy's 1. Picksy's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Picksy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Prelude Therapy prep asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Picksy ships an update every 4 days, Prelude Therapy prep every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Picksy versus Prelude Therapy prep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPicksyPrelude Therapy prep
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.7 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.226.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB3 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperFotios PongasUgochukwu Nwune

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Picksy

One-time1
  • Picksy Pro$3.99
None

Prelude Therapy prep

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Picksy free?
Picksy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Prelude Therapy prep free?
Prelude Therapy prep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Picksy or Prelude Therapy prep have ads?
Neither Picksy nor Prelude Therapy prep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Picksy or Prelude Therapy prep?
Picksy ships an update every 4 days, and Prelude Therapy prep every 3 weeks. Most recently, Picksy was updated on October 6, 2026 and Prelude Therapy prep on October 24, 2026.

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