one sec Alternatives: Apps That Make You Stop Before You Scroll
By Fred Smith, maker of Drill Sergeant / Updated / 6 min read
The closest free alternative is ScreenZen: the same pause before the app, for as many apps as you like, paid for by tips. For a pause with more teeth, ClearSpace ($6.99 a month). For a hard block, Opal, Refocus or a physical key like Brick or Foqos. And if a breath is too easy to tap through, Drill Sergeant makes the price 10 push-ups or a report of real work.
one sec is one of the best-studied screen time apps there is: before Instagram or TikTok opens, it makes you take a breath and decide whether you still want to. It has a 4.8 rating from about 24,000 App Store reviews and runs on iPhone and Android[1][2]. Here's why people look elsewhere, and where they go. Prices are US App Store prices checked on 23 October 2026. We make Drill Sergeant, one of the options below; we've kept to the facts.
Why the pause works
In a six-week study with about 280 people, one sec's short pause made people give up on 36% of their attempts right at the pause, and over the six weeks they opened their target apps 57% less[3]. A small bit of friction, at the moment of the reflex, does more than a daily limit you hit at 11 pm.
Why people look for an alternative
We read one sec's 50 most recent App Store reviews on 23 October 2026. 27 gave five stars, mostly because the pause works. Of the 18 that gave three stars or fewer, about a third were about the price: the free version covers one app, and Pro costs $6.99 a month or $19.99 a year[4]. A few found the setup on iPhone fiddly, or saw the pause skipped now and then. And a pause, by design, lets you carry on, which is exactly why some people want something stricter.
The comparison
| App | Phones | Price (US) | Before the app opens, you… |
|---|---|---|---|
| one sec[1] | iPhone, Android | Free for one app; Pro $6.99 a month or $19.99 a year | Take a breath, then decide |
| ScreenZen[5] | iPhone, Android | Free (tips) | Wait out a pause; opens can be capped |
| ClearSpace[6] | iPhone | $6.99 a month or $44.99 a year | Pause, with limits and an exercise option |
| Opal[7] | iPhone | $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year | Hit a block; Deep Focus can't be ended early |
| Refocus[8] | iPhone | Pro from $7.99 | In Strict Mode, wait, type a passage or tap an NFC tag |
| Switchly[9] | Android | Free; in-app purchases | Hit a per-visit or open limit, or a block |
| Brick / Foqos[10][11] | Brick: both; Foqos: iPhone | Brick device $59; Foqos free | Walk to a physical tag and tap it |
| Drill Sergeant | iPhone, Android | $6.99 a month, first 7 days free | Do 10 push-ups or report an hour of real work |
The alternatives, by what you want
The same pause, free: ScreenZen
If price is why you're leaving, ScreenZen is the answer: a pause before the apps you choose, a cap on how many times a day they open, and blackout hours, on iPhone and Android, paid for by tips[5].
A pause with more to it: ClearSpace
ClearSpace keeps the mindful pause and adds limits and an exercise option, at the same monthly price as one sec Pro[6].
When a breath isn't enough: Opal, Refocus, Brick or Foqos
A pause leaves the decision with you. These take it away for a while. Opal's Deep Focus sessions can't be ended early[7]; Refocus's Strict Mode makes unblocking slow on purpose[8]; Brick and Foqos keep apps blocked until you walk to a tag[10][11]. On Android, Switchly can cap each visit or the number of opens[9].
Make it cost effort: Drill Sergeant
one sec asks for a breath. Drill Sergeant asks for more. Open Instagram or TikTok and Captain Jack is waiting: 10 push-ups, counted by your camera, buy 10 minutes; a report of an hour's real work buys 10 minutes; or you close the app and get back to it. He also turns your goals into daily objectives and ranks you against your friends.
A deep breath is a fine start, recruit. Ten push-ups is better.
Comparing more apps? See the best app blockers for iPhone, the best app blockers for Android and Opal alternatives.
Questions people ask
Is there a free alternative to one sec?
Yes. ScreenZen is free and supported by tips, on iPhone and Android, and puts a pause in front of as many apps as you like. one sec itself is free for one app; covering more needs Pro, $6.99 a month or $19.99 a year in the US.
Does one sec work on Android?
Yes, one sec is on Google Play as well as the App Store. On Android it can also remove just Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts instead of pausing the whole app.
Does a pause before opening an app really work?
In a six-week study with about 280 people, a short pause from one sec cut how often they opened their target apps by 57%. A pause works best for habits you half want to break; if you tap straight through it every time, a stricter blocker suits you better.
What is stricter than one sec?
Opal's Deep Focus sessions can't be ended early, Refocus's Strict Mode makes you wait or type a passage before unblocking, and Brick or Foqos keep apps blocked until you tap a physical tag. Drill Sergeant makes you do 10 push-ups or report real work first.
Sources
- one sec | screen time + focus, App Store listing (prices checked 23 October 2026).
- one sec | app blocker, focus, Google Play listing.
- Grüning, Riedel & Lorenz-Spreen (2023). Directing smartphone use through the self-nudge app one sec. PNAS 120(8).
- Apple public review feed, one sec (latest 50 reviews, read 23 October 2026).
- ScreenZen- Screen Time Control, App Store listing.
- ClearSpace: Reduce Screen Time, App Store listing.
- Opal: Screen Time Control, App Store listing.
- Refocus: App Blocker & Lock, App Store listing.
- Switchly - App Blocker, Google Play listing.
- Brick - Ditch Distractions, App Store listing; Brick device $59 at getbrick.com.
- Foqos - Tap to Block, App Store listing.