Comparison

Barrier vs Unpuff

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Blocks social media apps
  • Introduces ad-watching or wait times
  • Promotes healthier digital habits
  • Digital wellness assistant
  • Reduces mindless scrolling
  • Increases productivity
Features
Read full description

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!

About

Unpuff

This app helps you quit smoking by tracking cravings, building smoke-free streaks, and offering daily motivation. It focuses on progress over perfection, supporting your journey to a healthier life.

Highlights
  • Track cravings and triggers
  • Build smoke-free streaks
  • Monitor money saved
  • Daily motivation and mindset support
  • Journal your journey
  • Create replacement habits
Features
Read full description

Unpuff is your personal system for breaking free from smoking and building a healthier, more focused life. Quitting isn’t about willpower alone — it’s about creating structure, awareness, and momentum. Unpuff helps you turn every smoke-free moment into progress you can see and feel. What You Can Do With Unpuff: • Track cravings and understand your triggers • Build smoke-free streaks and personal milestones • See money saved and health progress over time • Get daily motivation and mindset support • Journal your journey and reflect on progress • Create habits that replace smoking, not just resist it Designed for Real Life Slip-ups happen. Unpuff doesn’t punish you for them — it helps you continue forward. Your journey is about progress, not perfection. Whether you’re quitting cigarettes, vaping, or reducing nicotine, Unpuff gives you a calm, focused space to stay committed to change. Start today. Your future self is already waiting. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Barrier4 screens
Unpuff4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Barrier at 4.7 against Unpuff's 1.0. Barrier also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (346 vs 1). Unpuff's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Unpuff sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.00 per month. Barrier asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Barrier holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Barrier has 346 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barrier ships an update fortnightly, Unpuff weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Barrier versus Unpuff: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarrierUnpuff
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (346 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews80.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings346 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB43 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperHaplo, LLCdavid esteban yupa freire

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
Show 9 more
  • 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
Show 2 more
  • 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

Unpuff

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Barrier

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Unpuff

Subscriptions2
  • premium-monthly$12.001 Month
  • premium-yearly$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Barrier free?
Barrier is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Unpuff free?
Unpuff is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Barrier or Unpuff?
Barrier is rated higher. Barrier averages 4.7 out of 5 from 346 ratings, while Unpuff averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Barrier or Unpuff have ads?
Barrier shows ads; Unpuff does not.
Which is updated more often, Barrier or Unpuff?
Barrier ships an update fortnightly, and Unpuff weekly. Most recently, Barrier was updated on November 7, 2026 and Unpuff on October 31, 2026.

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