Looking for a one sec alternative? BrainTok swaps the breath for a quiz
one sec is one of the best-loved screen-time apps: before a distracting app opens, it makes you pause, usually with a short breathing exercise. BrainTok does something similar with a different pause: a few quick quiz questions, so the moment you’d have spent breathing teaches you something. Here’s how they compare.
We make BrainTok, so read this knowing that. We’ve tried to be fair: every fact about the other app comes from its own website or App Store page, linked at the bottom.
The short version
- Choose one sec if you want a calming pause, an Android app, iPad or Mac support, or a free plan for one app.
- Choose BrainTok if you’d rather the pause teach you something: quiz questions with explanations, from a reviewed library or your own notes.
Side by side
| BrainTok | one sec | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens before the app opens | A few quiz questions (3 by default) | A breathing exercise or another short intervention |
| Can you still open the app? | Yes, right or wrong | Yes, after the pause (strict blocks are separate) |
| Teaches you something | Yes: every answer has an explanation | Not by default (vocabulary and math options exist) |
| Make your own content | AI quizzes from your notes, photos and PDFs | No |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 17+) | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, browser extension |
| Price | $7.99/month or $69.99/year, 3-day free trial | Free for 1 app; Pro $6.99/month, $19.99/year or $99.99 lifetime |
Prices are US App Store or official-site prices as of October 19, 2026, and change often.
Where one sec is better
one sec works on far more devices, has a free plan, and costs less per year. Its interventions are designed to calm you down, and it has extras BrainTok doesn’t, like website blocking and an emergency brake that kicks you out after a set time. If a breath is what helps you, it’s a great choice.
Where BrainTok is different
BrainTok’s pause is a quiz. Over a day of checking your phone, that adds up to dozens of questions on things you chose to learn, each with a short explanation. You can quiz yourself on exam material by making quizzes from your notes, and use Study time for longer practice. Wrong answers still open your apps, so it never turns into a fight with your phone.
Questions
Is BrainTok free like one sec?
No. BrainTok needs a subscription ($7.99 a month or $69.99 a year) after a 3-day free trial. one sec has a free plan for one app.
Can I use both?
They both rely on Apple’s Screen Time, so it’s possible, but two interruptions in front of the same app would get in each other’s way. Most people pick one.