Star Writer vs one sec | screen time + focus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Star Writer
Create mesmerizing psychedelic art with this drawing tool. The speed of your finger movements directly influences the flow of energy in your creations. Explore endless visual possibilities by adjusting star sizes.
- Psychedelic imagery creation
- Finger-drag responsive energy flow
- Adjustable star sizes
- Intuitive drawing interface
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Star Writer is the essential tool for creating beautiful psychedelic imagery. The flow of energy through your drawing is directly responsive to how fast you drag your finger across the screen. Adjust the size of your stars for endless possibilities!
one sec | screen time + focus
This app introduces intentional friction to distracting apps and websites, helping users reduce screen time and improve focus. It delays access rather than blocking, promoting long-term behavioral change. Integrates with other apps for enhanced productivity.
- Adds friction to distracting apps
- Delays app access instead of blocking
- Reduces app usage significantly
- Doom Scroll Emergency Brake (Re-Intervention)
- Free Safari extension for websites
- Integrates with other productivity apps
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Willpower is not enough against social media algorithms! That’s why I made one sec: one sec adds friction to distracting apps to make them less appealing…long-term! This principle works really well: we have gained scientific evidence in numerous research studies with the Max-Planck Institute, with the German and Danish government, and in dozens more scientific collaborations: one sec has incredible effects on your screen time: app usage drops by 57% on average! …just read our App Store reviews or try it for yourself if you don’t believe me (…you should really try it)! How is one sec different from Screen Time limits or app blockers? - one sec DELAYS access to distracting apps instead of blocking apps completely – that’s an important difference psychologically. - This way, we solve the screen time problem at its roots: long-term & sustainably! - one sec is always on, and makes using social media just slightly more annoying…so you’ll end up using it only when you actually have a reason! Which apps can I use with one sec? - You can set up one sec with any app you’d like to use less / more intentional. - Most popular use-cases are: social media, games, video streaming, dating, stock/coin trading, adult content. - Using one sec with one app of your choice if completely free, for more you’ll need to purchase one sec pro (we also need to finance development of our app!). What if I get stuck scrolling? - No worries, one sec offers a Doom Scroll Emergency Brake: We call it Re-Intervention. - After a set time (e.g. 5 minutes) you’ll be kicked out of social media, and you’ll have to go through an intervention again to unlock more time. Where can I learn more about the scientific background of one sec? → https://one-sec.app/research Can I use one sec to interrupt access to websites as well? → Yes, one sec offers a free Safari extension as well. How does one sec work technically? - one sec uses Shortcuts Automation to toggle a deep breath animation whenever you open one of the configured apps (Instagram, Twitter, YouTube…). - This breaks unconscious social media habits short-term (literally, as soon as you have set it up) and even helps long-term by adding more friction when opening these apps. Integrations: - Structured: one sec blocks apps during unfinished tasks. - LENGO: learn vocabulary to unlock social media. I developed one sec for myself in 2020…and it worked so well I decided to upload it to the App Store. Especially for people with ADHD one sec is a great tool to gain back control for incredible focus and concentration. – Frederik Legal information: Available Subscription Options: one sec pro (annual / monthly / lifetime unlock) one sec can contribute mindful moments to the Health App via HealthKit. one sec is covered by U.S. Patent 12,468,828 B2. Terms (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://one-sec.app/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Star Writer at none against one sec | screen time + focus's 6. Star Writer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). one sec | screen time + focus's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 42 months) and ratings volume (24K vs 6). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. one sec | screen time + focus sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Star Writer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Star Writer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: one sec | screen time + focus has 24K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Star Writer's written reviews are positive against 76% of one sec | screen time + focus's.
Star Writer ships an update every 42 months, one sec | screen time + focus every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Star Writer | one sec | screen time + focus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | 4.8 (24K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better | 75.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 24K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 42 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 367 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rainbow Brainskull LLC | riedel.wtf apps S.L. |
Customer experience
Star Writer
one sec | screen time + focus
Bugs and requests
Star Writer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
one sec | screen time + focus
Reported bugs
4 issues- App switching issues
- Interventions not triggering properly
- Inconsistent behavior with shortcuts
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to block more apps for free
- Customizable intervention timers
- Scheduled app blocking/access
- Passcode protection for settings
- Sync settings across devices
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- More intervention types (e.g. games)
In-app purchases
Star Writer
No in-app purchases
one sec | screen time + focus
- one sec pro (1 Month)$6.991 Month
- one sec pro | Family Plan (1 Month)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- one sec pro (1 Year)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
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- one sec pro | Family Plan (1 Year)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- one sec pro | Lifetime$99.99
- one sec pro | Family Lifetime$149.00
Questions
Is Star Writer free?
Is one sec | screen time + focus free?
Which has better reviews, Star Writer or one sec | screen time + focus?
Do Star Writer or one sec | screen time + focus have ads?
Which is updated more often, Star Writer or one sec | screen time + focus?
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