Stillock and one sec solve different problems. one sec puts a short breathing pause in front of an app, and you can still open it afterwards. Stillock blocks a group of apps for a set time, on a schedule or after a daily limit. If a pause is enough to stop you, keep one sec. If you tap straight through it, you need a block.
Disclosure: We make Stillock. Prices and features of other apps were checked on November 5, 2026 and link to their sources; tell us if something is out of date.
Where one sec is strong
one sec is a careful, well-liked app, and it has something most blockers don't: published research. All facts below were checked on November 5, 2026.
- Research behind it. one sec's research page lists peer-reviewed studies, including a 2023 paper about the app in the journal PNAS.
- A large user base. Its App Store listing shows 4.8 stars from about 24,000 ratings, and the app is available in 31 languages.
- Gentle by design. The listing says one sec delays access instead of blocking apps completely. For many people that is the right amount of pressure: no rule to fight, only a moment to think.
- Flexible pricing. Free covers one app. Pro costs $6.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $99.99 lifetime, and there are family plans. It runs on iPad.
Friction vs blocking: when each one works
Many unplanned app opens are habits. You unlock the phone and your thumb finds the feed before you have decided anything. A pause breaks that loop: you see a breathing exercise, you notice what you were about to do, and you get a chance to close the app. When you do need the app, you can still go in.
A block works on the decision instead. You decide in a calm moment, for example before a study session, and the apps stay unavailable until the time is up. There is nothing to tap through. In Stillock you can block a group for 5 minutes to 3 hours, block it every day on a schedule, or allow yourself, say, 30 minutes of social media a day and keep it blocked until midnight after that (schedules and daily limits are in Pro).
Both approaches have a cost. A pause can be dismissed, and one App Store reviewer found one sec "too easy to turn off blocks and interventions" (reviews). A block can feel heavy for an app you need now and then, such as a social app you also use for messages.
| Your situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| You open a feed many times a day without meaning to | A pause (one sec) |
| You need an app now and then, but want to use it on purpose | A pause (one sec) |
| You want an hour of study or deep work with no feeds | A timed block (Stillock) |
| You tap through prompts when you are tired | A strict block (Stillock Pro) |
| You want feeds gone every night at 10 pm | A schedule (Stillock Pro) |
| You want a daily cap, then nothing until tomorrow | A daily limit (Stillock Pro) |
one sec vs Stillock: side-by-side comparison
The one sec column comes from its US App Store listing, checked on November 5, 2026. The prices are US prices and differ by country.
| Checked November 5, 2026 | one sec | Stillock |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | A breathing pause before the app opens, through a Shortcuts automation | Blocks apps for a set time, on a schedule or after a daily limit, through Apple's Screen Time |
| Free plan | 1 app | Unlimited focus sessions, one block group, Pomodoro, challenges |
| Monthly (US) | $6.99 | $4.99 |
| Yearly (US) | $19.99 | $24.99, with a 7-day free trial |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | Not offered |
| Strict options | Delays access rather than blocking completely, per its listing | Strict mode and Tag to unlock (Pro) |
| iPad | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | 31 | 16 |
| App Store privacy label | Usage data for analytics, not linked to you | Data Not Collected |
Sources: one sec on the App Store, Stillock on the App Store.
On price, one sec is cheaper by the year ($19.99 against $24.99) and Stillock is cheaper by the month ($4.99 against $6.99). one sec also sells a lifetime plan, which Stillock doesn't. The free plans have a different shape: one sec's covers one app with its full pause, while Stillock's gives you unlimited timed sessions for one block group, which can hold several apps.
Setup differs too. one sec works through a Shortcuts automation for the apps you choose. Stillock uses Apple's Screen Time directly: you put apps in a block group and start a session.
When a block has to hold, Stillock Pro adds strict mode, which means a session can't be ended early in the app, and Tag to unlock, which means the only early exit is scanning an NFC tag you registered.
Limitation: No blocker on iPhone is absolute. iOS always lets you turn off an app's Screen Time access in Settings or delete the app, and that applies to Stillock too. Our guide to what an app blocker can and can't stop explains the limits.
Opal vs one sec vs Stillock
If you are comparing Opal and one sec, you are really choosing between a block and a pause. Stillock sits on the blocking side, like Opal, at a lower price.
| Checked November 5, 2026 | Opal | one sec | Stillock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Blocking, with Hard Mode on the paid plan | A pause before apps open | Blocking: sessions, schedules, daily limits |
| Free plan | 1 rule | 1 app | Unlimited sessions, one block group |
| Monthly (US) | $19.99 | $6.99 | $4.99 |
| Yearly (US) | $99.99 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
| Lifetime | $399 | $99.99 | Not offered |
| iPad | No ("Only for iPhone") | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | 10 | 31 | 16 |
| App Store privacy label | Data Used to Track You: Identifiers | Analytics, not linked to you | Data Not Collected |
Sources: Opal pricing, Opal on the App Store, one sec on the App Store.
Opal costs the most and also runs on Android and Mac. one sec is the gentlest of the three and speaks the most languages. Stillock costs the least per month and is the only one of the three that can lock a session until you scan an NFC tag. Our Opal comparison goes deeper on Opal.
Use both: one sec for reflex opens, Stillock for deep work
You don't have to choose. The two approaches cover different moments, and they can share one phone.
- Keep one sec on the apps you want to slow down but still use, for example a social app you also use for messages.
- Install Stillock and allow Screen Time access when iOS asks.
- Create a block group with the apps that should be gone while you work or study.
- Start a focus session when you sit down, or work in Pomodoro cycles with short breaks. Our Pomodoro app blocker guide shows a setup.
- With Pro, turn on strict mode or Tag to unlock for the sessions you don't want to negotiate with.
Give each app one job. If an app is in a Stillock block group, take it out of one sec, so you always know which rule is acting. We haven't tested how one sec's Shortcuts pause behaves on an app that Stillock has blocked, which is one more reason not to put the same app in both.
Which one should you choose?
Choose one sec if your problem is the reflex open, if you want a lifetime plan or the lower yearly price, or if research-backed design matters to you. Choose Stillock if you keep tapping through pauses, want timed blocks for work or study, or want an NFC tag to be the only early exit, with no account. For the full picture, see how iPhone app blockers work and how to choose one.
FAQ
Is one sec free?
one sec's free plan covers one app. Pro costs $6.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $99.99 lifetime in the US, according to its App Store listing on November 5, 2026.
Does one sec block apps completely?
Not by its own description. Its App Store listing says it delays access to apps instead of blocking them completely: it shows a pause, and you can continue to the app afterwards.
Which is better, Opal or one sec?
They do different jobs. Opal blocks apps, with Hard Mode on its paid plan at $99.99 a year, while one sec adds a pause and costs $19.99 a year (US prices, checked November 5, 2026). Pick the block if you tap through pauses, and the pause if you only want to slow down.
Can I use one sec and Stillock at the same time?
They cover different moments, so a practical split is one sec on the apps you want to slow down and Stillock on the apps you want blocked during focus sessions. Keep each app in only one of them, so you always know which rule is acting.
Is Stillock cheaper than one sec?
By the month, yes: $4.99 against $6.99. By the year, no: Stillock Pro is $24.99 and one sec Pro is $19.99, and only one sec sells a lifetime plan (US prices, checked November 5, 2026).