# Freedom vs App Blocker

The clearest difference is monetization model: App Blocker at free with in-app purchases against Freedom's subscription. Freedom's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (5.9K vs 77). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Freedom sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and App Blocker sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Freedom against 4.5 for App Blocker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freedom has 5.9K ratings behind it against 77, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Freedom's written reviews are positive against 63% of App Blocker's.

Freedom ships an update every 9 days, App Blocker every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freedom | App Blocker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228/reviews) | **[4.5 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-blocker-limit-screen-time/id6502186144/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.9K** | 77 |
| Positive reviews | **63.6% of reviews** | 62.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#194** | — |
| Size | 90 MB | 214 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eighty Percent Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/960372430) | [Screen Time Control LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1425190168) |

## What reviewers say

### Freedom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freedom-screen-time-control/id1269788228)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This app helps you block distracting apps and websites to improve focus and productivity. Schedule blocking sessions across all your devices to build better screen time habits and reclaim productive hours.

**Highlights:** Block distracting apps and websites, Schedule blocking sessions, Sync across all devices, Block the internet, Locked Mode for habit commitment, Focus sounds

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Freedom Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Freedom Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Freedom Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Freedom Forever | $199.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Effective at blocking distractions
- 👍 Customizable blocklists
- 🔒 Locked mode prevents bypassing
- 💡 Cross-device sync
- 👍 Helpful for productivity and focus

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent blocking, doesn't always work as expected
- 🐛 Scheduled sessions don't always start automatically
- 🐛 Buggy, crashes frequently
- 🔒 Easy to bypass by disabling VPN or deleting app
- 👎 Limited app blocking on iOS

**Reported bugs**

- Blocks unintended apps/websites
- Fails to block certain apps like Facebook, Instagram
- Doesn't work in low power mode on iOS

**Requested features**

- Allow specific app whitelisting
- Add time limit/usage tracking features
- Improve scheduling options (e.g. by day, not just time)
- Better integration with mobile OS features (e.g. iOS Screen Time)


### App Blocker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-blocker-limit-screen-time/id6502186144)

This app helps you regain control of your screen time by blocking distracting applications and websites. Utilize custom block lists and focus sessions to improve productivity and mental well-being.

**Highlights:** Block distracting apps and websites, Create custom block lists, Schedule focus sessions, Manage screen time effectively, Improve productivity and mental health, Personalized app and website blocking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $8.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Premium | $99.99 | per year |
| Free for Life | Free | one-time |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freedom free?

Freedom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is App Blocker free?

App Blocker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Freedom or App Blocker?

App Blocker is rated higher. Freedom averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5.9K ratings, while App Blocker averages 4.5 from 77 ratings.

### Do Freedom or App Blocker have ads?

App Blocker shows ads; Freedom does not.

### Which is updated more often, Freedom or App Blocker?

Freedom ships an update every 9 days, and App Blocker every 11 days. Most recently, Freedom was updated on September 24, 2026 and App Blocker on August 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*