moss vs ScreenZen
Free, donation supported. Adds a pause before apps open. Also sells a $49 Bluetooth device.
Checked 11 November 2026 against ScreenZen LLC's own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What ScreenZen is
ScreenZen is free and supported by donations. It does not lock apps outright. It adds a pause before a chosen app opens, can lengthen the wait each time, limits how many times a day you open it and cuts sessions short. It runs on iOS, macOS, Windows and Android. ScreenZen also sells Halo, a $49 Bluetooth device with no subscription that blocks apps while your phone is within a set distance of it. Halo ships to the US only.
What moss is
moss is an iPhone app that comes with a small physical stone. You choose the apps that distract you, tap your phone on the stone, and those apps stay locked until you tap the stone again. People who live together can link their phones to share schedules and put their phones down at the same time, while each person keeps control of their own phone. Locking is free in the app, the stone is a one-time purchase, and the household features are a paid add-on.
Side by side
| Feature | moss | ScreenZen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | Free. Halo device $49 |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | None |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | iPhone, Mac, Windows and Android |
| How you lock | Tap the stone, or start from the app, a Shortcut, the lock screen or the Action Button. Schedules by day of week | Automatic pause and daily limits. Halo: being near the device |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | Wait out the pause. Halo: move away from it |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | Not needed: it delays, it does not lock (a stricter lock mode exists) |
| Locking together as a household | Yes, as a paid add-on. Shared schedules, sessions others join in one tap, a view of whose phone is down, a streak. Nobody controls anyone else | Halo can be shared by a household. No shared sessions |
| Whose key opens your phone | Only your household's own stone, card and sprigs unlock your phones | No key |
Where ScreenZen is better
- The app is free.
- It covers Windows, Mac and Android as well as iPhone.
- A pause suits people who need their apps a little, often.
- Halo locks by proximity, with no tapping.
Where moss is better
- A lock, not a delay. You cannot wait it out.
- Households lock together and see who is in.
- A stone works for any length of time in any room: you choose when it starts and ends.
Who should pick which
Pick ScreenZen if
You want to open apps less without being locked out, or you want something free.
Pick moss if
A pause has not been enough and you want the apps gone until you walk to the stone.
Sources
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
moss is a stone that locks the apps you choose.
Tap to lock, tap to unlock. One price, and locking needs no subscription.
