# Barrier vs Blocus

Barrier and Blocus both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Barrier's written reviews are positive against 9% of Blocus's. Barrier also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10). Blocus's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, ratings volume and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blocus sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Barrier asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Barrier against 4.5 for Blocus. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 343 and 226 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Barrier's written reviews are positive against 9% of Blocus's.

Barrier ships an update fortnightly, Blocus every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Barrier | Blocus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (343 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barrier-screen-time-for-focus/id6448244443/reviews)** | [4.5 (226 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blocus-earn-screen-time/id6758338291/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **343** | 226 |
| Positive reviews | **80.3% of reviews** | 9.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 42 MB | 148 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Haplo, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476210690) | [Diyar Dirik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1849149412) |

## What reviewers say

### Barrier

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barrier-screen-time-for-focus/id6448244443)

This app helps you break free from social media distractions by blocking access to social apps. It encourages healthier digital habits by requiring users to watch an ad or wait before accessing them, promoting mindful usage and digital wellness.

**Highlights:** Block social media apps, Limit app access, Promote healthier digital habits, Incentivize reduced scrolling, Digital wellness assistant

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Highly effective at reducing screen time
- 💰 Free to use with valuable features
- 😂 Funny and smart methods (Goblin Mode)
- 💡 Creates resistance to mindless scrolling
- 🚀 Simple and easy to use interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches causing unreliability
- 🐛 Blocking not always consistent
- 🐛 Custom schedules not working correctly
- 🐛 Ads can be long and annoying
- 🐛 Violent ads in some cases

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Blocus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blocus-earn-screen-time/id6758338291)

This app helps you break distraction habits and regain control of your time by blocking distracting apps and websites. It offers various enforcement modes, from gentle nudges to strict, irreversible blocks, and allows unlocking distractions only after completing specific tasks or challenges.

**Highlights:** Block distracting apps and websites, Set daily limits and smart schedules, Extreme Mode for irreversible blocking, Unlock distractions via challenges or tasks, PIN Code Mode for external accountability, Integrates with system Screen Time

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly plan | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlock | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock | $8.99 | one-time |
| Unlock | $17.99 | one-time |
| Unlock | $44.99 | one-time |
| Unlock | $89.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Barrier free?

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

### Is Blocus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Barrier or Blocus?

Barrier is rated higher. Barrier averages 4.7 out of 5 from 343 ratings, while Blocus averages 4.5 from 226 ratings.

### Do Barrier or Blocus have ads?

Barrier shows ads; Blocus does not.

### Which is updated more often, Barrier or Blocus?

Barrier ships an update fortnightly, and Blocus every 3 days. Most recently, Barrier was updated on October 27, 2026 and Blocus on October 21, 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.*