Short answer: PushScroll makes you earn scroll time with exercise, one pushup equals one minute of app time. Paced works the other way round: you use your chosen apps for 30 minutes, then you get a 60-minute break, the WAIT, before you use them again. If you want, walking can shorten that break, 100 steps takes 3 minutes off it, but you can also just wait it out. No hard lockouts, ever.
I love a clever idea, and PushScroll is a clever idea. Do pushups, earn minutes, scroll a little, repeat. It is fun, it is memorable, and for the right person, it probably works.
But I kept coming back to one question: what happens on the days you do not want to do pushups in front of your phone?
How PushScroll actually works
PushScroll is called "Exercise To Scroll" in the App Store, and the deal is right there in the name. You pick the apps you want to limit, like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. They stay blocked until you earn time back with exercise.
One pushup equals one minute of app time. You can also earn time with squats, lunges, jumping jacks, diamond pushups, squat holds, and situps. The app uses pose detection on your phone camera to count your reps, so you place your phone where it can see you and do the exercise in front of it.
It also has the usual blocker tools: set time limits on apps, set daily caps, and set schedules for focused time.
A PushScroll subscription is required for full access. The App Store listing says payment is charged to your Apple Account after the free trial ends. Check the price in the app before you commit, I am not quoting one here because I could not verify a current price.
Paced vs PushScroll — the honest comparison
| PushScroll | Paced |
|---|---|
| How you get time back: Exercise first, then scroll | Use your apps for 30 minutes, then a 60-minute break |
| Movement: Required, to earn minutes | Optional, walking shortens the break if you want it |
| When you are tired, sore, or out in public: You still have to exercise to unlock time | You can just wait out the break |
| Who is in charge: The workout | You, always |
| Free tier: Subscription required for full access, check in app | 1 app protected free, forever |
The part that made me pause
PushScroll turns scrolling into something you earn. Do the work, get the reward. That is motivating, until it is not.
Think about a normal Tuesday. You are tired after work. Your shoulder is sore. You are on the couch at 9 at night, or in a waiting room, or at your kid's practice. Do you really want to get on the floor and do pushups in front of your phone camera just to check Instagram for 10 minutes?
And there is a quieter problem with earning it. If I do 30 pushups, I have earned 30 minutes, so now I have permission to scroll for 30 minutes. The exercise becomes the reason to scroll more, not less.
Paced does not ask you to earn your time back. You use your apps for 30 minutes, then there is a break. During that break, you can wait, or you can walk. Walking is a choice, not a toll. One hundred steps takes 3 minutes off the break, if you want it to. If you do not, the break still ends, and you get a fresh 30 minutes.
That is the difference I keep coming back to. PushScroll says move first, then scroll. Paced says use your time, then take a real break, and move only if it helps you.
Which one should you choose?
Honestly? It depends what you need.
If you love a challenge, you like working out, and the idea of earning your screen time makes you laugh and actually do it, PushScroll might be a good fit for you. It is playful, it gets you moving, and that counts for something.
If you want something calmer, something that works when you are tired, sore, busy, or just done for the day, Paced fits better. You do not have to perform to get your time back. You take a break, you breathe, and you start fresh.
If you want the full breakdown of which kind of tool fits which person, I wrote about that here.
What each one costs
PushScroll requires a subscription for full access. Check the current price in the app, the App Store listing says payment is charged to your Apple Account after the free trial ends.
Paced protects 1 app free forever, no credit card, no catch. Want the full thing? Paced Pro is $9.99/month or $49.99/year, with a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paced free?
Yes, one app protected free forever. Pro ($9.99/mo or $49.99/yr) unlocks everything else, with a 7-day free trial.
Does Paced lock you out of your apps?
No. No hard lockouts, ever. You use your chosen apps for 30 minutes, then you get a 60-minute break before you use them again. You are always in charge.
How does PushScroll count pushups?
It uses pose detection on your phone camera to count reps, so the phone has to be placed where it can see you while you exercise. One pushup equals one minute of app time, according to the App Store listing.
What is the best PushScroll alternative without exercise?
If you like the idea of a break but do not want to earn it with a workout every time, try Paced: 30 minutes using your apps, then a 60-minute break, with walking optional. I have done this comparison before with Opal,
another popular blocker.
If earning your scroll time with pushups sounds exhausting, try the break instead. Try Paced free.
