# Shortcuts vs LockMe

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shortcuts at none against LockMe's 8. Shortcuts also leads on ratings volume (47K vs 229) and device support (4 vs 2). LockMe's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LockMe sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Shortcuts asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Shortcuts against 4.6 for LockMe. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortcuts has 47K ratings behind it against 229, 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 47% of LockMe's.

Shortcuts ships an update every 9 months, LockMe every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortcuts | LockMe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (47K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortcuts/id1462947752/reviews) | [4.6 (229 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lockme-applock-for-lock-apps/id6460862187/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **47K** | 229 |
| Positive reviews | **49.2% of reviews** | 46.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 9 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Apple Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) | [Tyson Gill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683191398) |

## What reviewers say

### Shortcuts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortcuts/id1462947752)

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:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### LockMe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lockme-applock-for-lock-apps/id6460862187)

Control app usage on your device or for your children with time and location-based restrictions. Automate app blocking, minimize distractions, and protect sensitive information for a balanced digital life.

**Highlights:** Time-based app restrictions, Location-based app blocking, Automated app access control, Minimize distractions, Protect sensitive apps, App grouping management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| App Lock Unlimited | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| LockMe Pro | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| App Lock Unlimited | $9.99 | per month |
| LockMe Pro | $12.99 | per month |
| App Lock Unlimited | $24.99 | per year |
| Lock Unlimited Apps | $49.99 | per year |
| LockMe Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| App Lock Unlimited | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for protecting kids
- 👍 Useful for restricting apps
- 👍 Helps with homework focus
- 👍 Good for safeguarding children
- 👍 App ran smoothly (one instance)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes frequently
- 🐛 App does not lock apps
- 🐛 Cannot access app after forgetting PIN
- 🐛 App requires premium for full functionality
- 🐛 Misleading promo for free lifetime premium

**Reported bugs**

- App does not lock apps
- App freezes during use
- App crashes when trying to turn on Face ID
- App is locked out after setting passcode
- App crashes when Face ID option is turned off

**Requested features**

- Option to reset PIN
- More free functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortcuts free?

Shortcuts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is LockMe free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shortcuts or LockMe?

Shortcuts and LockMe are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 47K and 229 ratings respectively.

### Do Shortcuts or LockMe have ads?

Neither Shortcuts nor LockMe shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shortcuts or LockMe?

Shortcuts ships an update every 9 months, and LockMe every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shortcuts was updated on October 19, 2026 and LockMe on October 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.*