Kept, a one sec alternative that blocks by time and place
one sec puts a short pause in front of a distracting app, every time you open it. Kept works the other way round. The apps stay closed during the hours and at the places you choose, and a pause is the exception, with a price you set. Here is how they differ, as fairly as we can put it.
Checked on 17 October 2026, from one sec's website, help center and App Store page. US App Store prices.
Kept and one sec at a glance
| Kept | one sec | |
|---|---|---|
| The main idea | Apps stay closed during the hours and at the places you choose | A short pause before a distracting app opens, every time |
| Platforms | iPhone, iOS 17 or later | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android, and browser extensions |
| Price | 7 days free, then $9.99 a year, or $4.99 a month. No free tier | A free version for one app. one sec pro is $6.99 a month, $19.99 a year, or $99.99 once. Family plans too |
| Before a blocked app opens | During a moment, a pause costs what you choose: nothing, a wait, a typed passage, sums, your code, a partner's code, and more | A breath, a reflection, turning the phone, typing text, and more |
| How often | Only inside a moment, and only as many pauses as you allow: 0 to 5 a day | Every time you open a chosen app, on the days and hours you set |
| Full blocks on a schedule | Yes | Yes |
| Block by location | Built in: only at a place, or everywhere but a place | Not built in. An iOS Focus can turn on at a place, and one sec's Focus Filters can then block apps |
| Strict mode | Firm locks a moment while it runs. Committed locks it until a date, and Kept cannot be deleted | With one sec pro, strict blocks that you cannot pause or leave, and an uninstall lock during them |
| Websites | Yes, and one switch for adult sites | Yes, with one sec pro, and adult-content blocking |
| Account | None | An account lets you use one sec on several devices |
Where Kept is different
Closed hours, not a speed bump
one sec slows you down every time you open an app. Kept draws a line around part of your day. During a moment the apps stay closed, and outside it Kept leaves you alone. If a pause before every open is too easy to tap through for you, a closed window may suit you better.
Place is built in
In Kept, every moment can depend on where you are. Block social apps only at the office, or block work mail everywhere but the office. You pick the place on a map, with a radius of 100, 200 or 500 metres, and the rule works with the app closed. In one sec, location needs an iOS Focus that turns on at a place.
A pause has a price, and a limit
Each moment has its own price for a pause: nothing, a 10-second wait, a typed passage, three sums, catching a moving dot, turning the phone, your own code, a partner's code, or being on a charger. You also decide how many pauses a day, from zero to five. Zero means the apps stay closed until the moment ends.
Committed means until a date
Committed locks a moment until a date you choose. Until then it cannot be softened, the pauses drop to zero, and Kept cannot be deleted from the phone. One emergency pass a month remains, for real emergencies.
When one sec is the better choice
- You want a gentle pause, all day. one sec's pause is its core, and it is well studied. A 2023 study in PNAS found that one sec cut the opening of target apps by 57% after six weeks.
- You use more than an iPhone. one sec runs on iPad, Mac and Android, and in desktop browsers. Kept is for iPhone only.
- You want a free version or a one-time purchase. one sec has a free version for one app, and a lifetime purchase.
- You want reflection tools. one sec has journaling, intention tracking and healthy alternatives.
- You want a long track record. one sec has about 24,000 ratings at 4.8 stars in the US App Store.
Using Kept with one sec, or instead of it
- Install Kept and allow Screen Time.Kept and one sec can run side by side.
- Make a moment for the hours that matter most.For example, weekday mornings at the office, or bedtime at home.
- Choose a price for a pause and how many pauses a day.Zero pauses makes the moment a hard block.
- Keep one sec for the rest of the day, or turn it off.If you pay for one sec pro and no longer need it, cancel it in your App Store subscriptions.
Questions
Does Kept show a pause every time I open an app, like one sec?
No. Outside its moments, Kept leaves your apps alone. During a moment the apps are closed, and a pause is the only way back in. Each pause has the price you set, and you choose how many pauses a day, from zero to five.
Can Kept block apps by location?
Yes. Any moment can run only at a place, or everywhere but a place, with a radius of 100, 200 or 500 metres. It works with the app closed.
Is Kept cheaper than one sec?
Yes. In the US App Store, Kept costs $9.99 a year after a seven-day trial, and one sec pro costs $19.99 a year. By the month, Kept costs $4.99 and one sec pro costs $6.99.
Does Kept work on iPad, Mac or Android?
No. Kept is for iPhone only, with iOS 17 or later. one sec also has iPad, Mac and Android apps, and browser extensions.
Can I use Kept and one sec at the same time?
Yes. You can keep one sec's pause for the whole day and add Kept for the hours and places where an app must stay closed.
Try Kept for seven days.
Make your first moment in a minute. Give it hours, give it a place, and decide what a pause costs.
Free for seven days, then $9.99 a year. Monthly is $4.99. US prices; the App Store shows yours.
Sources
We checked one sec's facts on 17 October 2026 in these places. Apps change. If something here is out of date, write to support@getkeptblocker.app and we will correct it.
- one sec on the US App Store: platforms, prices, ratings
- one sec FAQ: the free version, full blocks, accounts
- one sec help: block sessions: strict blocks
- one sec help: recurring blocks
- one sec feedback: Geo Blocking: location through Focus
- one sec platforms
- The 2023 PNAS study
one sec is a trademark of its owner. Kept is not affiliated with one sec.