Barrier vs Limit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Barrier
This app helps you break free from social media distractions by limiting access to your favorite apps. It introduces intentional delays or ad-watching requirements before you can open them, encouraging healthier digital habits and increased productivity.
- Blocks social media apps
- Introduces ad-watching or wait times
- Promotes healthier digital habits
- Digital wellness assistant
- Reduces mindless scrolling
- Increases productivity
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Are you tired of wasting precious hours scrolling through social media apps? Do you want to break free from the cycle of constant distractions? Barrier is here to help. Our app acts as a blocker for social media apps, limiting your access and promoting healthier digital habits. With Barrier, you can only open your social media apps if you watch an ad or wait our 30 second load times, creating an incentive to reduce the amount of time you spend scrolling mindlessly. But Barrier is more than just a blocker. It's a digital wellness assistant, helping you take control of your digital life Don't let social media control your life. Take back control with Barrier!
Limit
This app helps you regain control of your phone usage by setting daily time limits for distracting applications. It blocks apps by default, making each use a conscious decision and helping you improve focus and presence.
- Blocks distracting apps by default
- Set daily time limits
- Mindful app usage tracking
- Behavioral science principles
- Runs quietly in the background
- Promotes focus and presence
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Scrolling steals your time – Limit helps you take it back. Limit transforms how you use your phone through simple, science-based behavioral design. You choose your distractions, set a daily time limit, and go on with your day. Limit blocks those apps by default – so every time you open one, it’s a mindful choice, not a reflex. When you decide to use a distracting app, your time budget starts ticking. When your limit is reached, those apps stay blocked for the rest of the day. You’ll feel the difference in focus, mood, and time – one intentional decision at a time. Why Limit * Blocks distractions by default – every tap becomes intentional. * Set it once, live your day – Limit runs quietly in the background. * Behavioral science built-in – based on proven habit-change principles. * Free – no subscriptions, no upsells, no ads. * Backed by Freedom – trusted by millions for digital well-being and focus. Limit doesn’t shame you for using your phone. It simply helps you stay aware, present, and in control. Whether you want to focus on work, be more present with family, or reclaim creative time, Limit makes it easier to live intentionally. Download Limit and enjoy your apps – mindfully.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Limit at none against Barrier's shown. Limit also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Barrier's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Barrier against 4.6 for Limit. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 346 and 275 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Barrier's written reviews are positive against 79% of Limit's.
Barrier ships an update fortnightly, Limit every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Barrier | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (346 ratings) — better | 4.6 (275 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews — better | 78.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 346 — better | 275 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Haplo, LLC | Eighty Percent Solutions |
Customer experience
Barrier
Limit
Bugs and requests
Barrier
Reported bugs
14 issues- Blocking does not work at correct times or remains blocked at incorrect times
- Blocking stops working after a while
- Apps remain unlocked after unlocking
- Streak keeps breaking for no reason
- Custom schedule does not unlock when it's supposed to
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- Last iOS release caused issues with re-locking after unlocking
- Timer resets but apps remain unlocked after unlocking
- Instagram and TikTok not always blocked
- App stops working after a few days, requires re-download
- Editing screen for blocked apps crashes sometimes
- Custom schedule setting does not work for overnight blocking (end time before start time)
- Does not unlock apps half the time after watching an ad
- Cannot make edits to timer or unlock time
- Cannot unlock apps without reinstalling after deleting the app before unlocking
Requested features
7 requests- Ability to set different apps to lock during different times
- More flexibility in setting multiple check-in times
- Option to customize the duration after watching an ad
- Fix for custom schedule not working for overnight blocking
- Option to have a daily time limit per app
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- Ability to set a certain amount of time per day and then block apps
- Update to end the 10-minute screentime after the ad finishes
Limit
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Barrier
No in-app purchases
Limit
No in-app purchases









