ScreenZen vs One Sec: Which Should You Use?

The short answer: both add a pause before distracting apps open, but they feel different. ScreenZen is free and built around a customisable delay that can escalate the more you open an app. One Sec leads with a mindful breathing pause, with a free tier for a limited set of apps and a paid plan for more. Pick ScreenZen for a free, no-frills delay; pick One Sec if the breathing ritual resonates. And if you want both qualities — free and mindful — plus optional hard blocking, PauseMate is a third option worth a look.

ScreenZen and One Sec are two of the best-known friction apps on iPhone, and they share a core idea: instead of blocking an app outright, put a brief pause in front of it so opening becomes a conscious choice. The mechanism is well evidenced — a 2019 ACM CHI study found a pause screen cut app visits by up to 47%. Where they differ is in tone and pricing.

ScreenZen — free, delay-led

ScreenZen's signature is a customisable delay before a flagged app opens — a few seconds to a couple of minutes — with an option for the wait to grow each time you reopen the same app within a period. It can also nudge you with a prompt ("Is this important?") and set usage goals with an optional block at your limit. Its biggest draw is that it's free (with optional donations), so you can protect as many apps as you like without paying.

Best for: people who want a straightforward, no-cost delay across all their apps and don't need a mindfulness ritual.

One Sec — the mindful breathing pause

One Sec popularised the breathing pause: when you try to open a distracting app, it intercepts and runs a short intervention — a deep breath, sometimes a reflection — before letting you continue or back out. The ritual is the point; many users say the breath alone is enough to make them put the phone down. The catch is pricing: the free tier protects a limited set of apps, and most people who want to cover several feeds end up on the paid plan.

Best for: people who respond to a calming, deliberate ritual and are happy to pay to protect more apps.

Pricing, features, and privacy practices change frequently — always confirm the current details on each app's App Store listing before deciding.

The deciding factor

Strip it back and the choice is simple. If price is the priority and you just want a reliable delay, ScreenZen wins. If the mindful moment is what changes your behaviour and you'll pay to cover all your apps, One Sec wins. For many people, though, the ideal is to have both — a free tool that also feels mindful — which is where the third option comes in.

PauseMate — the best of both, plus optional blocking

PauseMate is built to combine ScreenZen's free, cover-everything ethos with One Sec's mindful pause, and add something neither leads with: escalation. The pause builds in stages — a breath first, then a reflection prompt, then a timed wait if you keep returning — so the firmness matches your behaviour in the moment. It's free, keeps everything on your device (no accounts, no analytics), and includes an optional Focus Mode for genuine hard blocking when a pause isn't enough. It's grounded in the same research as the apps above, where pauses cut app visits by up to 47%. See how PauseMate works →

Quick recommendation

• Want a free delay across all apps? → ScreenZen (or PauseMate)
• Want a mindful breathing ritual? → One Sec (or PauseMate)
• Want free + mindful + escalating + optional blocking, all on-device? → PauseMate

Related: The best One Sec alternatives · Best apps to stop doomscrolling · The science behind the pause