Comparison

Shortcuts vs Lock Screen 27

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shortcuts

Automate everyday tasks on your iPhone and iPad by creating custom workflows. Combine actions from your favorite apps to perform complex operations with a single tap, Siri command, or even automatically. Explore hundreds of built-in actions to streamline your digital life.

Highlights
  • Create custom automations
  • Hundreds of built-in actions
  • Integrates with favorite apps
  • Home Screen icons for quick access
  • Siri integration
  • Automatic task execution
  • Make animated GIFs
  • Create PDFs from Safari
Features
Read full description

Now, with Describe a Shortcut, you can automate daily tasks with a simple description. Just describe what you need, and Shortcuts creates an automation that connects actions across apps. Choose from hundreds of built-in actions in your favorite apps — like Calendar, Camera, Reminders, and more — to help you accomplish everyday tasks with a simple tap from the Home Screen, by asking Siri, or even automatically. Use the Shortcuts app to: • Add a Home Screen icon that calls a loved one • Make animated GIFs • Make PDFs from Safari And so much more... Shortcuts opens up incredible possibilities to automate things you do regularly on your iPhone and iPad.

About

Lock Screen 27

Personalize your device's lock screen with custom text, emojis, app shortcuts, and contact links. Access your favorite websites and apps directly from your lock screen. Choose from a variety of icon packs and wallpapers to create a unique look.

Highlights
  • Custom text and emoji
  • Website and app shortcuts
  • Contact shortcuts
  • Icon packs
  • Wallpapers
Features
Read full description

Lock Screen 27 lets you personalize your lock screen like never before. There are no limits to customizing your Lock Screen! Here’s a glimpse: ● Custom Text & Emoji ● Website & app shortcuts ● Contacts ● Icons Pack ● Wallpapers Subscription: Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription with a free trial period will automatically renew to a paid subscription. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the rate of the selected plan. Subscriptions and auto-renewal may be managed by going to Account Settings after purchase. You can cancel your subscription or free trial in the iTunes settings at least 24-hours before the end of the free trial period. The cancellation will take effect the day after the last day of the current subscription period and you will be downgraded to the free service. Subscription options: Week Price: $ 2.99 Annual: $19.99 Privacy Policy: https://appchi.org/privacy-policy Terms: https://appchi.org/terms-of-use Support : support@appchi.org

Screenshots

Shortcuts3 screens
Lock Screen 274 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shortcuts at none against Lock Screen 27's 2. Shortcuts also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (49K vs 7.8K). Lock Screen 27's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (71% vs 49%). On price and rating there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lock Screen 27 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Shortcuts asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Shortcuts against 4.5 for Lock Screen 27. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortcuts has 49K ratings behind it against 7.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Shortcuts's written reviews are positive against 71% of Lock Screen 27's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shortcuts ships an update every 6 months, Lock Screen 27 fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Shortcuts versus Lock Screen 27: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShortcutsLock Screen 27
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (49K ratings) — better4.5 (7.8K ratings)
Positive reviews49.2% of reviews71.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings49K — better7.8K
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB231 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperAppleAppchi LLC

Customer experience

Shortcuts

All ratings48,682 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral3.5%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews2,827 reviews
Positive49.2%
Neutral12.5%
Negative38.3%

Lock Screen 27

All ratings7,806 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral4.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews397 reviews
Positive71.0%
Neutral7.6%
Negative21.4%

User reviews

Shortcuts

From 49K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful automation capabilities
  • 👍 Customizable app icons and widgets
  • 🎨 Aesthetic customization options
  • 💡 Useful for home automation and productivity

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy, crashes, and exhibits unexpected behavior
  • 🔍 Inaccessible and difficult to use
  • 🔕 Annoying notification banners
  • 🔌 Drains battery when running complex shortcuts

Lock Screen 27

From 7.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazing
  • 👍 Very good
  • 💕 Cute
  • 🌟 Unique
  • 🔓 Solid App

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Doesn't work
  • 💰 Too expensive
  • 🚫 Useless Application
  • 🔒 Free to subscription model
  • 🔧 Buggy app

Bugs and requests

Shortcuts

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Shortcuts randomly stop working, requiring device restart
  • Inconsistent behavior when adding/removing actions in shortcuts
  • Shortcuts not syncing properly between devices
  • Automations not running automatically as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add 'and' statement for automations
  • Allow toggling of silent mode on iPad and Apple Watch
  • Provide option to disable notification banners
  • Improve syncing and reliability between devices

Lock Screen 27

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Widgets not working
  • Shortcuts not functioning properly
  • Wallpaper selection issues
  • Blank icons
  • Transition issues when opening shortcuts

Requested features

5 requests
  • More aesthetic wallpapers
  • Shortcut widgets
  • Custom app icons for widgets
  • Larger text size
  • More than 2 apps per Lock Screen

In-app purchases

None

Shortcuts

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Lock Screen 27

Subscriptions2
  • Widget & Aesthetic Wallpapers7 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • One Year Access$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Shortcuts free?
Shortcuts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lock Screen 27 free?
Lock Screen 27 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shortcuts or Lock Screen 27?
Shortcuts is rated higher. Shortcuts averages 4.6 out of 5 from 49K ratings, while Lock Screen 27 averages 4.5 from 7.8K ratings.
Do Shortcuts or Lock Screen 27 have ads?
Lock Screen 27 shows ads; Shortcuts does not.
Which is updated more often, Shortcuts or Lock Screen 27?
Shortcuts ships an update every 6 months, and Lock Screen 27 fortnightly. Most recently, Shortcuts was updated on October 21, 2026 and Lock Screen 27 on October 21, 2026.

Other comparisons