People who search for a Roots alternative tend to like a strict blocker with a bit of personality, but want the time they spend at the gate to count for something. The honest short answer: Roots is a full-featured blocker with clever speed bumps and a no-way-back Monk Mode. ReadFirst has one main way back into your apps, and it is a page of a real book. We make ReadFirst, so we are not neutral. We checked every fact about Roots on its App Store page on 20 October 2026.
What is Roots?
Roots ("Roots: Screen Time Control", developer MWM) is a Screen Time blocker that looks at the quality of your screen time, not just the minutes. As its listing says, "Not all screen time is equal, so we help you understand the impact of each app."
It gives you several ways to block. Block Now starts blocking "at any time with one tap." Limits work "based on time limits or number of opens." Scheduled downtime covers routines like "mindful mornings" and "evening wind down." And Monk Mode is "App blocking that doesn't let you unblock until tomorrow."
Recent versions add speed bumps before you unblock, such as "Pet a Dog to Unblock Apps" and "Meditate to Unblock Apps." Staying under your limits builds a streak that earns cheat days and custom app icons, and Vacation Days replace the old pause.
Roots is free to download with in-app purchases. As listed on the US App Store on 20 October 2026, Roots Plus costs $7.99 a week, $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, and other Premium entries are listed up to $99.99. It runs on iPhone with iOS 18 or later and on Apple Vision.
Roots vs ReadFirst at a glance
| Roots | ReadFirst | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Screen Time blocker with impact stats, limits and Monk Mode | An app blocker plus a reading tracker |
| How you get back into your apps | Speed bumps like meditating; Monk Mode waits until tomorrow | Read a page of a printed book and take a live photo of it |
| Reading built in | No | Yes: pages, books, streak, goal, medals |
| Printed books | No | The key to your apps |
| Streaks and goals | Streak for staying under limits, cheat days | Daily page goal, reading streak, 60 medals |
| Price (US App Store, 20 Oct 2026) | Free with in-app purchases; Roots Plus $7.99 a week, $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year | $39.99 a year (3 days free for new subscribers), $7.99 a month or $99.99 one-time purchase |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 18+), Apple Vision | iPhone and iPad (iOS and iPadOS 18+) |
| Best for | Insight into your screen time and a hard stop for the day | Turning phone time into reading time |
Where Roots is a great choice
Roots is a strong pick if you want to understand your habits. Seeing which apps leave you drained and which ones are fine is useful in itself, and it helps you decide what to block in the first place.
Monk Mode is a real strength. Some days call for a block with no way back until tomorrow, and Roots offers exactly that. Limits by number of opens catch the quick, reflexive checks a time limit misses. And cheat days and vacation days make the rules feel humane.
Where ReadFirst is different
Roots gives you many small speed bumps. ReadFirst gives you one, and it leaves you with something every time you pass it.
- One main way back in, and it is a book. Open a locked app and you see "This page can wait." Read a page of a printed book, take a live photo of the last page you read, and your apps open. See how read to unlock works.
- A check you cannot fake with a screen. The page is checked on your iPhone or iPad. Photos of screens are rejected, a page you have already shown does not count twice and the photo is never saved. See the page photo check.
- Pages become minutes. Your rule decides, for example one page gives you 15 minutes. Minutes only run while you use the locked apps, and you can lock them again early whenever you like. See your reading rule.
- Every day starts locked. At midnight any open time closes, and your apps start the new day closed until you read. Read ahead and extra minutes wait in a bank for later that day, up to 5 hours.
- Your streak is a reading streak. It counts days you read, with one grace day a month, next to a daily page goal, widgets and 60 reading medals. More on the reading streak.
Can you use both?
You can, as long as each app guards its own apps. A sensible split: keep Roots for its insight and for Monk Mode on days you need a full stop, and let ReadFirst guard the apps you reach for in quiet moments, so those moments start with a page. Locking the same app in both just stacks two gates in a row.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Roots if:
- you want to see the impact of each app, not just the minutes
- you want Monk Mode with no way back until tomorrow
- you like varied speed bumps, cheat days and custom icons
Choose ReadFirst if:
- you want one simple rule: read, then scroll
- you want every return to your apps to start with a page of a real book
- you want to finish more books, with a shelf, a goal, a streak and medals
Frequently asked questions
Is ReadFirst free like Roots?
No. ReadFirst has no free tier. It costs $39.99 a year with 3 days free for new subscribers, $7.99 a month or $99.99 as a one-time purchase on the US App Store.
Does ReadFirst have a mode like Monk Mode?
Not in the same way. ReadFirst has no schedules or day-long blocks; your chosen apps are always locked except for the minutes you earn by reading. The one exception is a skip: one a week by default, it waits 10 seconds and opens at most 15 minutes, and you can set skips to zero.
Does ReadFirst work with Kindle or e-books?
No. ReadFirst works with printed books only. Photos of phone and e-reader screens are recognized and do not count.
Does ReadFirst lock my whole phone?
No. Only the apps and websites you choose are locked through Apple Screen Time. Every other app keeps working as usual.