Comparison

Svala vs DOTS

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

Head to head
About

Svala

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Take back control of your screen time—without giving up the apps you enjoy. Svala is a calm, flexible app blocker that helps you use distracting apps and websites more intentionally. Choose what you want to limit, set a daily allowance for each day of the week, and let Svala step in when your time is up. When you reach a limit, Svala shows a clear shield that interrupts automatic scrolling. You can close the app and move on, or make a deliberate choice to unlock a little more time with a quick challenge. WHY SVALA? • Set daily limits for selected apps and websites • Choose different allowances for different days • Block distractions automatically when a limit is reached • Unlock optional extra time with quick challenges • Use an emergency unlock when you really need access • Keep your limits and Screen Time selections on your device BUILT FOR BETTER SCREEN HABITS Svala adds a small, intentional pause between impulse and action. That moment of friction can help you scroll less, avoid automatic app opens, and build healthier habits—without complicated routines or rigid focus sessions. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Svala does not collect, track, or sell your personal data. Your limits and Screen Time selections stay on your device. There are no ads, subscriptions or accounts. HOW IT WORKS Svala uses Apple’s Screen Time technologies to monitor the apps and websites you select and display a shield when a daily limit is reached. Screen Time authorization is required for these features. Your time. Your limits. Your choice.

About

DOTS

Visualize your finite time and protect it from distractions. Set daily app limits, schedule downtime, and track reclaimed hours to live more intentionally. Features include a life grid, focus mode, and weekly reflections.

Highlights
  • Life grid visualization
  • Focus mode to block distractions
  • Daily app time limits
  • Scheduled downtime
  • Weekly reflections
  • Time reclaimed tracking
Features
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You have one life. About 4,000 weeks, if you're lucky. DOTS shows you every single one - as a grid of dots - so the time you have stops being an abstraction and starts feeling real. Then it helps you protect it. THE LIFE GRID Each dot is one week of your life. See the weeks you've already lived, the one you're in right now, and the ones still ahead. It's a quiet, powerful reminder that your time is finite - and worth defending. FOCUS MODE Start a focus session and DOTS shields the apps that pull you away. No willpower battles, no endless scrolling. Just the space to do what actually matters to you. DAILY LIMITS Set a daily time budget for the apps that eat your hours. When you hit your limit, DOTS steps in with a calm reminder of the commitment you made to yourself not a guilt trip, just a nudge back to your intentions. MINDFUL BLOCKING Choose the apps and categories you want to manage. DOTS uses Apple's Screen Time technology to block them on your terms, for the time you decide. Everything is opt-in and fully in your control. WEEKLY REFLECTIONS Look back on how you spent your time, notice your patterns, and set intentions for the week ahead. Small, honest check-ins that compound into real change. BUILT FOR YOU, AND ONLY YOU DOTS manages your own device, for your own goals. It is not a parental-control or tracking app. Your usage data stays private - stored on your device and synced only to your personal iCloud. We don't collect it, sell it, or share it. WIND-DOWN The "just ten minutes" that becomes two hours, fixed. Set a bedtime window and a short allowance. You get your few minutes, a gentle heads-up as the time runs low, then your apps wind down until morning. Keep it and your sleep streak grows. SCHEDULED DOWNTIME Block the apps that pull you away on a schedule that fits your life - work hours, school, dinner, deep work. Set it once and it runs every day, on its own. PER-APP LIMITS Give each app its own daily budget instead of one shared timer. Keep essentials like Maps, your bank, and Messages always allowed, and get a heads-up a few minutes before a limit is reached. TIME WON BACK See the hours you reclaim from focus sessions and protected nights add up as a growing field of green dots. The cost of a screen is easy to feel - now the winnings are too. LIFE LIVED A ten-second daily check-in: did you actually use the time you saved the way you meant to? It builds a quiet record of the days you showed up for your own life, not just the time you saved. MILESTONES Count down to the dates that matter - a birthday, a goal, a someday - in weeks. Seal a letter to your future self that opens on the very day it arrives. ON YOUR LOCK SCREEN AND WITH SIRI Follow your focus countdown live on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, and start or end a session hands-free with a Shortcut. WHY DOTS IS DIFFERENT Most screen-time apps treat the symptom. DOTS starts with the why: a clear, visceral picture of how precious your time is. Once you feel that, blocking an app stops feeling like a restriction and starts feeling like a choice - your choice. Privacy Policy: https://novarch.lol/dots-privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://novarch.lol/dots-terms Your life. Your time. Your choice. Download DOTS and start protecting the weeks you have left.

Screenshots

Svala4 screens
DOTS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Svala at none against DOTS's 4. On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. DOTS sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Svala asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Svala ships an update weekly, DOTS every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and August 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Svala versus DOTS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSvalaDOTS
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB53 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSebastian KalitaNovarch LLC

In-app purchases

None

Svala

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

DOTS

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Premium$1.997 Days
  • Monthly Premium$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Svala free?
Svala is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DOTS free?
DOTS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Svala or DOTS have ads?
Neither Svala nor DOTS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Svala or DOTS?
Svala ships an update weekly, and DOTS every 8 days. Most recently, Svala was updated on September 8, 2026 and DOTS on August 12, 2026.

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