Is one sec free? What it costs and the free alternatives
Marcel Cruz · Updated 3 November 2026
one sec is free for one app; one sec pro is $19.99 a year in the US as of October 2026. How its pause works, and the free and task-based alternatives.
one sec is free to use with one app of your choice, and one sec pro covers more apps for $19.99 a year in the US, read on the App Store in October 2026. It works by adding a short pause before a distracting app opens. If you want a free alternative, ScreenZen asks only for optional tips, and Apple's Screen Time costs nothing.
Is one sec free?
Partly. one sec's US App Store listing says "Using one sec with one app of your choice is completely free" (read 22 October 2026). Pause a second or third app and you need one sec pro.
The maker's help center has an article headed "What's included in one sec pro?" (tutorials.one-sec.app, loaded 29 October 2026), which is the place to check the current split between the free and paid versions.
How much does one sec pro cost?
| Plan | US price | Read on |
|---|---|---|
| one sec pro, 1 Year | $19.99 | 14 October 2026 |
| one sec pro, 1 Month | $6.99 | 22 October 2026 |
| one sec pro, Lifetime | $99.99 once | 14 October 2026 |
All three come from the in-app purchases section of the US listing. Over a year, the monthly plan adds up to $83.88, so the yearly plan is the cheaper way to keep it running. The lifetime price equals five years of the yearly plan.
How does one sec work?
When you tap an app you chose, one sec adds a short pause before it opens, then lets you choose whether to go in. Nothing is locked; each open just stops being automatic.
The maker's homepage leads with "Cut your screen time in half" (one-sec.app, loaded 29 October 2026). That is one sec's own claim, not a figure I have measured.
Is one sec worth $19.99 a year?
For people who want a moment of friction rather than a wall, it is a fair price. It had 24K ratings at 4.8 on the US App Store on 14 October 2026, which is a high score from a large group of users.
Pick one sec if a pause before Instagram or TikTok is enough to change what you do next, and start with the free app to find out. Skip it if you already tap straight through pauses, or if you want apps to stay closed until something else happens first, such as a schedule or a finished list.
What are the free alternatives to one sec?
Two cost nothing. ScreenZen is the closest match: it also puts a wait in front of a distracting app, and that wait can grow each time you open it. You can add a per-app goal with an optional block once you reach it. Its only in-app purchases are tips from $5.00 to $40.00, with no subscription, and it had 52K ratings at 4.9 (US listing, 14 October 2026). Our look at whether ScreenZen is safe and really free covers the permission it asks for.
Apple's Screen Time is built into the iPhone, so there is nothing to install. It sets limits by app or category. It does not add a pause, so it suits people who want a plain limit rather than a moment to decide.
What if you want a different mechanism?
A pause is one way to slow the scroll. The apps below use a schedule, exercise or your tasks instead. Beffore is our app, so it is listed last.
| App | How apps open | US price per year | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|
| one sec | a short pause, then you choose | $19.99 (one app free) | 14 October 2026 |
| ScreenZen | a wait that can grow, plus optional goals | free, tips only | 14 October 2026 |
| Jomo | blocks for the times you set, with breaks | $29.99, 3-day free trial on the yearly plan | 22 October 2026 |
| ClearSpace | exercise to scroll | $44.99 | 14 October 2026 |
| Opal | scheduled blocks and daily app limits | $99.99 | 14 October 2026 |
| Beffore | finishing today's tasks | $29.99, 3-day free trial | October 2026 |
- Jomo: pick it if you want blocks on set hours at a moderate price. Jomo Plus is also $5.99 a month or $99.99 once.
- ClearSpace: pick it if moving your body is the price you want to pay for scrolling. Monthly is $6.99; it had 8.9K ratings at 4.7.
- Opal: pick it if your day runs on a calendar and you want blocks to start on their own. It is the most expensive here, and what each Opal plan costs breaks down its other tiers.
- Beffore: pick it if you want your to-do list instead of the pause.
Beffore is a to-do list that unlocks your screen time. You add today's tasks, choose the apps to lock and how much time each limit holds, and finishing tasks opens that time: a slice per finished task (Progression) or all of it once the list is done (Completion). Every lock has two doors, "Unlock for 5 min" on the block screen and "Open until midnight" on the limit, so you can still get in when you need to. How Beffore works walks through a day, and the Beffore support page explains the doors.
Beffore costs $29.99 a year in the US as of October 2026, or $9.99 a week with no trial. one sec is cheaper and keeps one app free, so it is the better pick if a pause is all you need. Other apps that wait for your list are compared in apps that lock your apps until you finish tasks.
Get Beffore on the App Store. Beffore needs a subscription after setup; the yearly plan starts with a 3-day free trial.
What do AI assistants suggest instead of one sec?
In week 43 of 2026 (October), we sampled ChatGPT and Gemini 288 times across a set of screen time prompts. Three asked about one sec.
| Prompt | Samples citing other apps' sites |
|---|---|
| "List apps like one sec that limit social media on iPhone" | 10 of 12 |
| "What are the best alternatives to one sec?" | 8 of 12 |
| "Recommend a one sec alternative that uses my to-do list instead of a breathing pause" | 3 of 12 |
Across the three, the answers cited habitdoom.com, freedom.to, jomo.so, opal.so and appblock.app. None cited Beffore, including the prompt that asked for a to-do list in place of the pause, which is the gap this page answers.
FAQ
How much does one sec cost?
One app is free. one sec pro is $19.99 a year, $6.99 a month or $99.99 once in the US, from its App Store listing in October 2026.
Is there a free app like one sec?
ScreenZen. It adds a wait before a distracting app opens, the wait can grow with each open, and its only purchases are optional tips. Apple's Screen Time is free too, but it sets limits rather than a pause.
What is the best free app blocker?
For most people on iPhone, ScreenZen: no subscription, and 52K ratings at 4.9 on the US App Store (14 October 2026). If one app is the only problem, one sec's free tier covers it.
Does one sec have a lifetime plan?
Yes. one sec pro Lifetime is $99.99 as a one-time purchase in the US (App Store, 14 October 2026).
