# Special Dates vs App Blocker

The clearest difference is rating: App Blocker at 4.6 against Special Dates's 4.0. App Blocker also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (73 vs 5). Special Dates's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Special Dates sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and App Blocker sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

App Blocker holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: App Blocker has 73 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Special Dates ships an update every 3 months, App Blocker every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Special Dates | App Blocker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-dates/id1532853488/reviews) | **[4.6 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-blocker-focus-pal/id6751124216/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **73** |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 1 MB | 268 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ernesto Fernández Calles](https://appshunter.io/developer/548312732) | [Manuel Fessen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1788065349) |

## What reviewers say

### Special Dates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-dates/id1532853488)

Easily save and track important dates with a minimalist countdown widget. This app helps you remember upcoming events like birthdays or bills, syncing them across your devices.

**Highlights:** Save important dates, Track days remaining, Periodic event saving, Birthday reminders, Bill tracking, iOS 14 widget support, Cross-device syncing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cake | $2.99 | one-time |
| Party | $4.99 | one-time |


### App Blocker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-blocker-focus-pal/id6751124216)

Reclaim your screen time and build better habits with this app. It helps you step away from distracting applications and create intentional breaks using native system features for a private and reliable experience.

**Highlights:** One-tap focus breaks, Smart scheduling for recurring breaks, App and category blocking, Gentle reminders for healthy breaks, Privacy-first insights and charts, Home and Lock Screen widgets

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro | $4.99 | per month |
| Pro | $12.99 | per year |
| Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| 60 Credit Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro | $34.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Special Dates free?

Special Dates 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, Special Dates or App Blocker?

App Blocker is rated higher. Special Dates averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while App Blocker averages 4.6 from 73 ratings.

### Do Special Dates or App Blocker have ads?

Neither Special Dates nor App Blocker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Special Dates or App Blocker?

Special Dates ships an update every 3 months, and App Blocker every 4 days. Most recently, Special Dates was updated on October 24, 2026 and App Blocker on October 25, 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.*