Unrot trades real-world habits — walks, reading, cleaning — for earned scroll time, with a cute buddy. Charming, but the loop still pays out in the thing you're trying to cut, and there's no head-to-head with friends. Five apps people switch to, honestly compared: one is ours (bias disclosed).
The reward is the very thing you're cutting. If your goal is a smaller daily total, the currency works against you.
Doing tasks to buy Instagram time is fun until it isn't — then the easy exit is deleting the gatekeeper.
Unrot has no head-to-head with friends; if competition is what moves you, it isn't there.
our app — bias disclosed, judge accordingly
people who want a fitness twist on cutting scroll time
Do pushups or squats (detected by the camera) to earn scroll minutes — physical effort buys app time.
people who want a solid free blocker without paying
Progressive open-delays, scroll interruptions and per-app goals to break automatic habits.
people who love pomodoro-style focus sessions with a wholesome, tree-growing payoff
Plant a virtual tree for each focus session — leave early and it dies; completed sessions earn coins that can help fund planting real trees (Trees for the Future).
people who want a gentle pause and autonomy rather than hard blocking
Adds a deep-breath pause before each app opens, then asks if you still want to continue — friction, not blocking.
| Unrot | Pauza | |
|---|---|---|
| Core approach | Earn coins by doing real-world habits like walking, reading or cleaning, then spend them to unlock app time. | Rewards time OFF your phone: every minute away from social media becomes tokens, builds streaks, and can be staked in head-to-head bets with a friend — lowest screen time wins the pot. |
| Price | paid subscription | free core app; optional PRO tier |
| Social layer | none head-to-head — it's you, your habits and your buddy | real head-to-head stakes with friends — lowest screen time wins the pot (tokens only, no cash value) |
| When you slip | you simply run out of earned scroll time until you do more habits | streaks freeze instead of breaking; a lost bet costs tokens, never money |
| Privacy | tracks habits and app usage to power the earn-to-scroll loop | per-app usage and your blocked-apps list never leave the device; friends only see an anonymous daily minute total |
| Platform | iPhone | iPhone only (iOS 26+) |
Full breakdown: Pauza vs Unrot
This page is written by the team behind Pauza, so read it with that in mind — we've kept every claim factual and point out where the other app is genuinely the better choice. Prices are approximate as of July 2026 and change often; always check the App Store for current pricing. All product names are trademarks of their respective owners; Pauza is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
Pricing for Unrot is paid subscription. Prices are approximate and change — the App Store listing is the source of truth. Pauza's core is free on iOS 26+: tracking, tokens, streaks, a daily Hard Mode block and friend challenges cost nothing. PRO is $59.99/year or $9.99/month and only lifts the caps.
Every iPhone subscription cancels the same way, Unrot included: open Settings, tap your name at the top, then Subscriptions, then Unrot, then Cancel Subscription. Deleting the app does not stop billing, and you keep access until the end of the period you already paid for.
What Pauza costs, in full: pricing & plans
ScreenZen — free open-delays, scroll interruptions and per-app goals, no earn-to-scroll economy. Pauza's core (tracking, tokens, streaks, friend challenges) is also free on iOS 26+.
Yes — Pauza pays you for the absence itself: every minute off social media earns tokens, builds streaks that freeze instead of breaking, and can be staked in head-to-head bets with a friend where the lowest screen time wins the pot.
Pushscroll is the closest match — pushups and squats detected by the camera buy scroll minutes. Forest flips it into focus sessions where completed time grows a tree. Both keep the effort-for-reward loop.
No — pricing for Unrot is paid subscription. Prices are approximate and change — the App Store listing is the source of truth. Pauza's core is free on iOS 26+: tracking, tokens, streaks, a daily Hard Mode block and friend challenges cost nothing. PRO is $59.99/year or $9.99/month and only lifts the caps.
Pricing for Unrot is paid subscription. Prices are approximate and change — the App Store listing is the source of truth. For comparison, Pauza is free with an optional PRO tier at $59.99/year or $9.99/month.
Every iPhone subscription cancels the same way, Unrot included: open Settings, tap your name at the top, then Subscriptions, then Unrot, then Cancel Subscription. Deleting the app does not stop billing, and you keep access until the end of the period you already paid for.
We don't publish other companies' discount terms — check the Unrot website or its App Store listing for current offers. With Pauza there is nothing to discount: the core app is free on iOS 26+, and PRO only lifts the caps.
More: Opal alternatives · one sec alternatives · ClearSpace alternatives · Jomo alternatives · Roots alternatives · ScreenZen alternatives · Forest alternatives · BePresent alternatives · Brainrot alternatives · all screen time apps compared
Every minute off social media earns tokens — and you can bet a friend on who scrolls less.
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