Jolt vs one sec

Jolt vs one sec: a gentle pause, or a wall you can't walk through?

one sec slows you down with a breath. Jolt stops you with a block and a person watching. Here's who each one is really for, with public pricing from September 2026.

Try Jolt free See the full breakdown

Jolt

Pick Jolt if a pause isn't enough and you keep tapping through. You get hard blocks, a 1:1 accountability partner, and sleep protection. It costs more because it does more.

one sec

Pick one sec if you want the gentlest, cheapest way in. Its breathe-before-you-open pause is research-backed and just $2.99 a month, and it works inside your browser too. It won't hold you if you're set on scrolling.

Jolt vs one sec, feature by feature

Green means the feature is included on the standard paid plan. Prices and ratings are public, as of September 2026.

	Jolt	one sec
Core approach	Hard blocks built for behavior change	Breathe / pause before you open
Accountability partner (1:1)	Yes	No
Sleep protection	Yes	No dedicated mode
Blocks that are hard to bypass	Yes	Pause you can tap through
Escalating blocking modes	Easy, Medium, Hard	Single pause
Browser blocking	App-focused	Yes (extensions)
Usage insights	Yes (full suite)	Yes (reports)
Free tier	Yes	Yes (one app only)
Weekly / monthly price	$7.99/wk	$2.99/mo
Yearly price	$45	$19.99
Lifetime	$70	$99.99
App Store rating	4.9 (~500)	4.8 (~23K)

Where Jolt pulls ahead

1:1

Someone actually watching

one sec makes you pause, then leaves the choice to you. Jolt adds a partner who sees when you break a block, which is a very different kind of pressure.

⛒

A block, not a speed bump

A breathing screen works until the day you're determined. Jolt's Hard Mode removes the snooze, the edit, and the delete, so there's nothing to tap through.

🌙

Real sleep protection

Jolt guards your wind-down and morning windows. one sec has no dedicated sleep mode, though you can approximate one with scheduling.

🧮

One app free isn't enough

one sec's free tier protects a single app, so people drift to the ones it doesn't cover. Jolt's free tier lets you feel the real thing before you pay.

📊

Deeper insight into your day

Jolt scores your focus, discipline, and sleep, and tracks streaks. one sec reports usage, but doesn't go as deep on what to change.

📍

Location and escalation

Jolt blocks by place and ramps difficulty from a breath up to a challenge you have to beat. one sec is one pause, the same every time.

Where one sec is the better call

A fair comparison names the other tool's wins. one sec earns these.

Cheaper year to year

one sec is $2.99/mo or $19.99/yr against Jolt's $45/yr. If a gentle nudge is all you need, paying more would be a waste.

🧪

A research pedigree

one sec is built on a Max Planck study that reported a large drop in app opens. If the evidence trail matters to you, it's front and center.

🌐

It follows you into the browser

one sec's extensions cover Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. If your scrolling happens on the web as much as in apps, that reach helps.

Questions people ask

Is one sec cheaper than Jolt?+

Yearly, yes: one sec is $2.99/mo or $19.99/yr, while Jolt is $7.99/wk or $45/yr. For life, Jolt is cheaper at $70 against one sec's $99.99. Jolt costs more per year because it adds enforcement, accountability, and sleep protection.

Does one sec block apps or just pause them?+

Its core is a breathing pause before an app opens, and paid plans add app and website blocking. The pause is gentle by design, so a determined person can tap through it. Jolt is built to hold when you don't want it to.

Does one sec have an accountability partner?+

No. It has a Family Plan for shared billing, which isn't the same thing. Jolt pairs you with a 1:1 partner who sees when you break a block.

Which should I start with?+

If you want a light, cheap nudge, start with one sec. If nudges haven't worked and you keep overriding them, that's the sign you need Jolt's enforcement.

Can I try Jolt for free?+

Yes. Block your first app free, no card needed, and upgrade only if it's working.