Focus Lock vs Lerf
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Focus Lock
This app helps you reduce screen time and block distracting applications to improve focus and productivity. It offers customizable blocking sessions, scheduling, and progress tracking to support digital detox and better presence.
- Block distracting apps
- Set screen time limits
- Automatic scheduling
- Digital detox without deleting apps
- Track progress and streaks
- Save custom session shortcuts
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For over 7 years, Focus Lock is the original #1 app for limiting screen time and the easiest way to block distracting apps on your phone. With Focus Lock, you can block all or selected apps for a period of time, allowing you to focus, get more done, and simply be present without distractions. Whether you’re working from home, studying, focusing, reading, sleeping, hanging with family, or taking a detox from social media, Focus Lock will make your life a whole lot easier. HEAR IT FROM OUR COMMUNITY: // “I am a better person, friend, mother, and employee because of this app. I flip it on at outings with friends and family and it has truly restored my ability to break away from the chains of cell phone addiction. I could never recommend this app enough.” // “It’s honestly the best app ever. I appreciate how much it helps me focus. That I’m able to block my apps for an hour a day helps me be more productive and feel better.” // “Total insulation from distractions.” // “It prevents any and all distractions without deleting apps.” // "It saved my life, I got so much work done, and it changed my relationship with my phone." THE BENEFITS OF FOCUS LOCK - reduce your screentime select distracting apps to block - set up an automatic schedule to make Focus Lock part of your daily routine - take a digital detox without needing to delete any apps from your phone - heighten your productivity, focus, and ability to be more present HOW IT WORKS - Block Your Apps: start a session by selecting the apps you want to block and the duration of your session - Save Shortcuts: easily save a session to quickly access the same setup again for future blocks - Whitelist Apps: select all or specific apps you want to block, organized by app category - Tagged Goal: add a tag to your session to remember what you did - Activities: view your recent sessions organized by date, tag, and duration - Weekly Progress: view your progress by completed days of the week - Day Streak: stay on track and compete against yourself with a day streak - Daily Goal: set up a goal for how much screentime you’d like to improve GO PREMIUM Focus Lock is created by the team behind Flipd (App of the Day 2021). It takes a team to build and maintain our apps, which is why we ask for a subscription to support our work. Your initial trial will give you up to five free sessions, after which you’ll need to upgrade to continue using Focus Lock. We never sell data and we don’t serve ads, so your premium subscription will go toward supporting the services we provide you. Without your premium subscription, Focus and Flipd wouldn’t be able to exist! If you were previously a Flipd subscriber and are wondering about a subscription migration, contact us at info@flipdapp.co. SUBSCRIPTION PRICING $9.99 per month or $49.99 per year These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew at the subscription price unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will not be able to cancel the current subscription once activated during the subscription period. Manage your subscriptions in your iOS Account Settings after purchase. Terms and Conditions: http://www.flipdapp.co/terms-privacy Support Contact: info@flipdapp.co
Lerf
This app helps you regain control of your screen time by blocking distracting applications during specific periods. It offers flexible blocking modes and ambient sounds to support relaxation, study, or sleep. The focus is on protecting your time and peace without intrusive tracking.
- Block distracting apps
- Set custom session timers
- Easy and Strict blocking modes
- Ambient soundscapes
- Designed for minimal interaction
- Protect personal time
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10 minutes on your phone turned into 2 hours. Again. Do Not Disturb stops notifications. Lerf turns your phone back into a tool that supports your goals. HOW IT WORKS Choose apps, set a schedule (optional) or tap start and distracting apps lock down. No streaks. No account. Nothing to check. Flexible Mode lets you end blocking early. Strict Mode keeps your apps blocked until the timer (or schedule) ends. FOR Focus: work or study without negotiating with your phone. Sleep: less scrolling before bed. Family time: set boundaries around distracting apps so family time means actually being together. PRICING Lerf is free to download. Full access is $12.99 a month or $39.99 a year after a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime in Settings. WHY LERF Our smartphones are our greatest tools and our worst distractions. Lerf's mission is to turn smartphones back into tools, helping people take back control of their time, attention, and technology. PRIVACY Lerf uses Apple's Screen Time framework. Your app choices and usage stay on your phone. Lerf never sees them, and there's no account to create. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lerfapp.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lerf at 100% against Focus Lock's 23%. Lerf also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and monetization model (free vs freemium). Focus Lock's advantage is ratings volume (295 vs 15). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Focus Lock sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Lerf sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Lerf holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Focus Lock has 295 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Focus Lock's written reviews are positive against 100% of Lerf's.
Focus Lock ships an update every 2 weeks, Lerf every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Focus Lock | Lerf |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (295 ratings) | 5.0 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 22.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 295 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Flipd Apps | Grant Hergenroeder |
Customer experience
Focus Lock
Lerf
Bugs and requests
Focus Lock
Reported bugs
3 issues- Apps not returning after lock duration
- Inability to unlock or reactivate apps
- Frequent crashes or glitches
Requested features
3 requests- Allow selective app locking
- Provide scheduling options for automatic locks
- Improve app organization after lock ends
Lerf
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Focus Lock
- Weekly subscription$4.997 Days
- Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
- Monthly subscription$9.991 Month
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- The Success Bundle$12.491 Month
- Yearly Subscription$24.991 Year
- Yearly Subscription - 3 days free3 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Yearly Subscription - 7 days free7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Yearly subscription$49.991 Year
- The Success Bundle$87.991 Year
- Focus Lock Premium Lifetime$99.99
Lerf
- Lerf Weekly$3.997 Days
- Lerf Monthly$12.991 Month
- Lerf Monthly7 Days trial$14.991 Month
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Lerf Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Lerf Yearly14 Days trial$79.991 Year








