Zenmo vs one sec
one sec interrupts every opening of a chosen app with a short intervention such as a deep breath, is free for one app, and is backed by a peer-reviewed study. Zenmo is free for every app you add, waits until your daily limit, then asks why you're opening the app—pick one sec for published evidence and iPhone support today, and Zenmo for a free Android pause with limits you can't loosen on impulse.
As of . Competitor facts are from the sources listed at the bottom of this page.
Side by side
| one sec | Zenmo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for one app. Pro adds unlimited apps and more intervention types; one sec's help center lists Pro at $19 a year.[1][3] | Free. No subscriptions, stakes, or in-app payments. |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android, and a desktop browser extension.[2] | Android, on Google Play. The iPhone app is built and waiting on Apple's Screen Time approval. |
| When it steps in | Each time you open a chosen app: an intervention such as a breathing pause before it opens. App time limits and scheduled blocks are also available.[1][2] | At your daily limit: a short pause showing time used and opens today, then one question—what brings you here? |
| Getting through | Finish the intervention and continue. Blocks and time limits can keep an app closed.[1] | Always possible, on purpose: finish a quick exercise or use one of your 15-minute weekly breaks. Closing the app counts as a win. |
| Strict blocking | Strict block sessions are listed as an iOS-only Pro feature.[3] | Deep Work focus blocks and Detox (1 day, 3 days, or a week) close your listed apps until the end time. Still not a lock: you can change permissions or uninstall. |
| Privacy | Google Play data-safety section: no data collected, no data shared with third parties.[1] | Detailed activity stays on your phone. Analytics are off unless you opt in. |
| Track record | 1M+ downloads and a 4.8-star rating from about 46,000 reviews on Google Play.[1] | Newly released on Google Play. |
Where one sec is better
- Evidence. one sec cites a peer-reviewed PNAS study run with the Max Planck Institute that found 57% fewer app openings on average. Zenmo has no published study.[1][4]
- It catches every opening, not only the ones after a limit. If your problem is the reflexive first tap of the day, that is a more direct fix.[1][2]
- It is on iPhone and desktop browsers today. Zenmo is Android only until Apple approves its Screen Time access.[2]
- Feature-level blocking. The Android listing describes removing YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels while keeping the rest of each app.[1]
- An established track record: more than a million downloads and tens of thousands of reviews.[1]
Where Zenmo is different
- Free for every app you add. There is no paid tier and no one-app limit.
- Below your limit, apps open normally. The pause appears when you reach the daily limit you set, with time used, opens today, and one question about why you're there.
- Tightening a limit applies instantly, but raising one waits 24 hours and moving to a looser mode waits an hour.
- Deep Work and Detox modes close your listed apps for a focus window or a set number of days.
- Progress is measured against your own first week, and every time you choose not to open an app counts as a win.
Which one should you pick?
Choose one sec if you want a pause on every single opening, research you can read, or an app that already runs on iPhone and desktop.
Choose Zenmo if you are on Android, want every app covered for free, and want a pause that shows up at your limit rather than on every opening.
Questions
Is Zenmo a free alternative to one sec?
Yes, on Android. Zenmo is free for every app you add, with no paid tier. one sec is free for one app; its Pro plan adds unlimited apps and more intervention types.
What is the main difference between one sec and Zenmo?
one sec interrupts every time you open a chosen app. Zenmo leaves apps alone until you reach the daily limit you set, then shows a short pause and asks why you're opening the app.
Which one has more evidence behind it?
one sec. It cites a peer-reviewed study published in PNAS that found 57% fewer app openings on average. Zenmo has not published a study.
Does either work on iPhone?
one sec does. Zenmo's iPhone app is built and waiting on Apple's Screen Time approval, so for now Zenmo is Android first.
Sources
- one sec on Google Play — play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=wtf.riedel.onesec, checked
- one sec website — one-sec.app/, checked
- one sec help center: What's included in one sec Pro — tutorials.one-sec.app/en/articles/3036418, checked
- Grüning, Riedel & Lorenz-Spreen (2023), PNAS — www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2213114120, checked
Zenmo facts come from this website's homepage and privacy policy.