DerotStart with the honest difference
ScreenZen and Derot both help you use distracting apps less often. The clearest public difference is commercial: ScreenZen’s website presents the app as donation-supported and completely free, with optional tips. Derot is free to download and uses paid plans (US App Store list prices below). Price should not be the only test, but it is a fair place to start.
The second difference is emphasis. ScreenZen describes several layers of friction: a delay before an app opens, short sessions that interrupt scrolling, daily limits, schedules, and a stricter block after a time range, a number of opens, or a screen-time budget, plus a lock mode so settings are harder to change. Derot’s store listings put proactive rules first: block by usage time, by the number of app opens, or by a fixed schedule. Habits in Derot are supplementary only. They are not how you earn or unlock screen time.
If a free app with delays, limits, and lockable settings already works for you, you may not need to pay for another blocker. If you want a structured 7-day digital detox on iPhone and Android, with optional habits that stay off the unlock path, Derot is built around that combination.
What ScreenZen says it does
On screenzen.co, ScreenZen calls itself a donation-supported screen time app that blocks distracting apps and websites. It says you choose which apps and sites to limit, then use schedules or daily limits rather than locking everything all day. A lock mode is described as protection against common loopholes, including making uninstall harder. The site states the app is completely free and that you can support the project with a donation. It also claims the app is available for iOS, macOS, Windows, and Android.
The App Store listing matches that toolkit in more detail: a delay before opening (which can increase with each open), interrupting scrolling with short periods of access, optional blocking when you reach a goal, schedules by day and time, prompts such as “Is this important,” tracking focused on distracting apps, strict blocks for time ranges, after a certain number of opens, or after Screen Time, locks on settings, and optional breathing or other activities while you wait. In-app purchases shown on the US listing are tip amounts, not a required subscription. The Play listing describes similar delay, interrupt, goal, and schedule tools, and notes accessibility permission for website blocking on Android.
ScreenZen also sells Halo, a companion device that blocks selected apps when you are in a room (for example the bedroom). This page does not quote a Halo price, because a hardware offer should be confirmed on ScreenZen’s product page at the time you buy.
What Derot says it does
Derot (“Stop Doomscrolling - Derot,” subtitle “Screen Time & App Blocker”) is listed for iPhone and Android. You select apps to block and attach one of three rule types: a usage-time limit, an open-count limit, or a schedule. It includes usage analytics, a Brain Health Score described as motivational rather than clinical, a 7-day digital detox with challenges and streaks, and supportive habits you can add alongside blocking. The listing states that completing habits is not required to unlock apps or gain screen time. No account is required; much of the data is described as stored on the device.
Derot’s public listings do not currently describe a desktop app, a website blocker, or a hardware accessory. If you need Windows or Mac blocking in the same product, ScreenZen advertises that coverage; so do tools such as Freedom and Opal.
Side-by-side
| Topic | Derot | ScreenZen |
|---|---|---|
| Price model (official sites / stores) | Free download with subscriptions and a lifetime IAP | App described as free; optional donations / tips |
| Platforms publicly listed | iOS and Android | iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows |
| Core rules | Usage time, app opens, or schedule | Delay, session interrupts, daily limits, schedules, strict blocks (including opens or screen time) |
| Locking settings | Not described on Derot’s store listing | Lock mode described on the site and store |
| Website blocking | Not described on Derot’s store listing | Described (apps and websites) |
| Habits | Optional; not a key to screen time | Optional activities while waiting; not positioned as earn-to-unlock |
| Hardware | None listed | Optional Halo device |
Pricing (public, may vary)
Derot (US App Store, 11 November 2026): Weekly $4.99, Monthly $9.99, Annual $59.99, Lifetime $99.99. Google Play: free to install with in-app purchases; regional prices differ.
ScreenZen: The official site says you do not have to pay to use the app, and that you can donate if you want to support it. The US App Store shows optional tip IAPs. Confirm any hardware pricing on ScreenZen’s own Halo page.
How to choose without talking yourself in circles
Use ScreenZen if you want a capable free blocker, you like a pause before the app opens, or you also want desktop support and a lock mode, and you are comfortable with a donation-supported product.
Use Derot if you want the rule to be the product: a time budget, an open budget, or a clock-based block on your phone, plus a short detox plan, with habits kept in a supporting role.
You can try ScreenZen at no cost and later add Derot if you want Derot’s specific rule combination and detox structure. Uninstall or disable one set of rules before you turn on the other, so the two apps are not fighting over the same permissions.
