Comparison

Scrollar vs OpenAd

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

Head to head
About

Scrollar

This app helps you manage your phone usage by setting daily screen time goals and budgets for app groups. It offers gentle nudges and multiple blocking methods to reduce distractions, all while keeping your data private on your device.

Highlights
  • Daily screen time goals
  • App group budgeting
  • Limit blocking
  • Scheduled blocking
  • CEO Mode focus sessions
  • Privacy-focused design
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

We’ve all been there: You pick up your phone to check one thing… and suddenly an hour is gone.
You tell yourself “I’ll cut back tomorrow.”
But tomorrow never comes. SCROLLAR WORKS - BECAUSE IT DOESN’T SHAME YOU
No guilt trips. No scary warnings. Just a simple idea: give your attention a daily budget — like money.
Spend it how you want, just a little more intentionally. YOUR DAILY SCREEN TIME GOAL
Start by setting a daily limit based on how you actually use your phone — not some unrealistic target. Every minute you save helps your Pixel Pig grow, evolving through 25 levels from a tiny piglet to a golden bank. CREATE YOUR APP GROUPS, YOUR WAY
Organize apps in a way that makes sense to you — social, streaming, gaming, or anything else. Each group gets its own shared daily budget, so you can be strict where it matters and flexible where it doesn’t. THREE WAYS TO BLOCK DISTRACTIONS
 1. Limit Blocking
Go over a group’s limit? Those apps lock until tomorrow.
You set the rules — Scrollar enforces them.
 2. Scheduled Blocking
Create boundaries that fit your life.
No social media during work. No scrolling before bed. Set it once and forget it.
 3. CEO Mode
Need to focus right now?
Start a session that blocks all your tracked apps until you’re done. No shortcuts. GENTLE NUDGES, NOT GUILT TRIPS
Get a heads-up right before you hit your limit. No pressure. No shame.
Just a moment to decide if you want to keep going. SEE WHERE YOUR TIME GOES
Clear, simple insights show your daily and weekly habits. Spot what’s taking your time, track your streaks, and watch your progress build. 100% PRIVATE
No accounts. No cloud. No tracking.
Everything stays on your device — exactly where it belongs. Scrollar doesn’t judge you.
It doesn’t try to control you. It just helps you notice — and makes it easier to put your phone down. Built for people who’ve tried Screen Time and gave up.
Built for people who want to scroll less, but don’t know how to start. Built for you. Terms of Use: https://ntudevelop.github.io/Scrollar/ Privacy Policy: https://ntudevelop.github.io/Scrollar/

About

OpenAd

This app helps you limit screen time by making distractions inconvenient. Gate specific apps or categories, and watch a short ad to unlock them temporarily. It's designed to create friction, encouraging deliberate choices and helping you regain focus.

Highlights
  • Gate apps, categories, or websites
  • Watch ads to unlock apps
  • Temporary unlocks (5 or 15 minutes)
  • Automatic re-locking
  • Tracks user resistance
  • Private by design, no account needed
Features
Read full description

OpenAd is a screen time app that makes distraction inconvenient on purpose. Gate the apps that eat your time, and when you reach for one, you'll watch a short ad before it unlocks. FREE FOREVER. NO SUBSCRIPTION, EVER. OpenAd is funded entirely by ads — everyone's least favorite thing, put to good use. No paywall, no premium tier, no monthly fee. Just a free tool that helps you take back your attention. HOW IT WORKS • Pick the apps, categories, or websites you want to gate • Open one, and OpenAd asks you to watch a short ad first • Watch 1 ad to unlock for 5 minutes, or 2 ads for 15 • When the time's up, it locks back automatically — no willpower required WHY IT WORKS The friction is the feature. Mindless opening becomes a small, deliberate choice. Over time you'll catch yourself walking away instead of watching — and OpenAd keeps score so you can watch your resistance grow. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your Screen Time stays yours. The apps you gate and how you use them never leave your device — there's no account and no server. Take back your attention. Free, forever.

Screenshots

Scrollar4 screens
OpenAd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenAd at none against Scrollar's 2. OpenAd also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1). Scrollar's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Scrollar sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. OpenAd asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Scrollar against 5.0 for OpenAd. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scrollar ships an update every 5 days, OpenAd weekly. The most recent releases landed on June 26, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Scrollar versus OpenAd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScrollarOpenAd
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNguyen Thao UyenSeven Agent Studios LLC

Customer experience

Scrollar

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

OpenAd

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Scrollar

Subscriptions2
  • Scrollar Premium Monthly3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Scrollar Premium Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
None

OpenAd

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Scrollar free?
Scrollar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenAd free?
OpenAd is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Scrollar or OpenAd?
Scrollar and OpenAd are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Scrollar or OpenAd have ads?
OpenAd shows ads; Scrollar does not.
Which is updated more often, Scrollar or OpenAd?
Scrollar ships an update every 5 days, and OpenAd weekly. Most recently, Scrollar was updated on June 26, 2026 and OpenAd on September 19, 2026.

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