Comparison

Thumb Scroll vs Groundwork

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

Head to head
About

Thumb Scroll

This app helps you reduce screen time by requiring you to complete real-life tasks before unlocking access to blocked apps. Earn coins for completing actions, which you can then exchange for minutes on your favorite social media or gaming platforms.

Highlights
  • App and website blocking
  • AI-verified real-life actions
  • Coin-based unlock system
  • Object Hunt game mode
  • Customizable difficulty levels
  • Bedtime and wake schedules
  • Daily and weekly usage reports
Features
Read full description

Your phone is always right there. One tap and you're back in. Thumb Scroll flips it: do something in real life first, then scroll. Block the apps that steal your time — TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, games, any app you pick — and unlock minutes only after you've earned them. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps (and sites) to block 2. Do a real action: make your bed, touch grass, drink water, read a book… 3. Snap a photo: AI verifies it and gives you coins 4. Spend coins to unlock minutes on your blocked apps No coins? Apps stay locked. Simple. You don't have to delete your favorite apps. You just have to do something first. WHY IT WORKS (where blocking alone fails) Other apps just say "stop." But your phone is one tap away and you cave. Thumb Scroll gives you a trade instead: a walk for TikTok, a book for Instagram, a glass of water for two minutes of scroll. Your phone comes after life, not instead of it. WHAT'S INSIDE • App & website blocking via Apple's Screen Time API • Coins earned with real actions, validated by photo + AI (no cheating) • 7 daily actions + Object Hunt: find an object with your camera • Store: turn coins into minutes • 3 difficulty levels (Light, Balanced, Intense) that change the coins→minutes rate • Bedtime & wake schedule + custom time rules (days and time slots) • Daily and weekly reports, a 0–100 score, day streaks • Your thumb mascot: happy when you unplug, worn out when you scroll too much PRIVATE & SECURE Thumb Scroll uses Apple's Screen Time API: all monitoring and blocking run entirely on your device. Your usage data never leaves your phone. EARLY ACCESS Thumb Scroll is in early access: every feature is available for free, no subscription. Jump in and help us make it better. Less scrolling. More living. Terms of Use: https://thumbscroll-7ac7f.web.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://thumbscroll-7ac7f.web.app/privacy

About

Groundwork

Features
Read full description

GROUNDWORK is the habit app built for people who know what they should do — and can't make themselves start. THE ONE HABIT RULE GROUNDWORK lets you track exactly ONE habit at a time. Not ten. Not five. One. The second habit only unlocks after 21 consecutive completions of the first. This sounds limiting. It isn't. It's the only thing that works if your brain tends toward ADHD, anxiety, perfectionism, or burnout. Most habit apps fail you because they let you add too much. GROUNDWORK doesn't. THE QUIZ THAT ACTUALLY LISTENS Before you start, GROUNDWORK asks 7 questions — not about preferences, but about your actual pattern. When you fall off. How many apps you've tried. The result is a habit that fits your brain, not a generic template. SMART REMINDERS GROUNDWORK only sends reminders during the windows you actually have free — and, when it can, at moments you're genuinely still. Never at 7AM if you were never a morning person. WHO IT'S FOR - Tech professionals with ADHD (diagnosed or suspected) - People recovering from burnout - High-functioning anxiety sufferers who are "functioning" but exhausted - Perfectionists who start 10 habits and finish 0 FREE The full quiz, your personalized habit, streak tracking, basic reminders, and 4-7-8 breathing. PREMIUM (weekly or yearly) Smart context-aware reminders, mood and habit insights, the full breathing library, unlimited streak history, and Family Sharing. Privacy-first: 100% on-device. No accounts. No servers. No data collected, ever. GROUNDWORK. The groundwork is the work. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Thumb Scroll4 screens
Groundwork4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Thumb Scroll at every 6 days against Groundwork's every 3 weeks. Groundwork's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Thumb Scroll sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Groundwork sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thumb Scroll ships an update every 6 days, Groundwork every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Thumb Scroll versus Groundwork: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThumb ScrollGroundwork
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVITO BICAHUGO ANATOLE PAUL MORICEAU

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Thumb Scroll

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Pro$3.997 Days
  • Annual Pro – Offer$24.991 Year
  • Annual Pro3 Days trial$44.991 Year
2 purchases

Groundwork

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Weekly7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Thumb Scroll free?
Thumb Scroll is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Groundwork free?
Groundwork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Thumb Scroll or Groundwork have ads?
Neither Thumb Scroll nor Groundwork shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Thumb Scroll or Groundwork?
Thumb Scroll ships an update every 6 days, and Groundwork every 3 weeks. Most recently, Thumb Scroll was updated on October 28, 2026 and Groundwork on October 28, 2026.

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