Barrier vs TidyType
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 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.
- Block social media apps
- Limit app access
- Promote healthier digital habits
- Incentivize reduced scrolling
- Digital wellness assistant
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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!
TidyType
This smart keyboard automatically corrects grammar, spelling, and phrasing as you type. It also offers instant translation between English, Korean, and Spanish, with adjustable formality levels. Use it across all your apps to refine your messages and emails.
- Grammar, spelling, and phrasing correction
- English, Korean, and Spanish translation
- Adjustable output formality
- Works in any app
- Highlight specific text for editing
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TidyType is a smart keyboard that fixes typos and translates your text right where you type — with a single tap. Whether you're smoothing out a text message, tightening up an email, or writing to a Korean friend in casual 반말, TidyType edits your draft in place. Type the way you usually do, then tap Tidy. WHAT IT DOES • Fixes grammar, spelling, and phrasing • Translates between English, Korean, and Spanish • Formality control for output (auto, casual / 반말, or formal / 존댓말) • Works wherever you type — messages, email, notes, social media • Highlight specific text to Tidy just that part BUILT FOR • Non-native speakers writing in English or another language • Anyone messaging friends or family across a language gap • Fast typers who don't want to slow down to fix mistakes Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://tidytype.a19labs.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: TidyType at none against Barrier's shown. TidyType also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Barrier's advantage is ratings volume (338 vs 5). On price, update cadence, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
TidyType holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Barrier has 338 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Barrier's written reviews are positive against 100% of TidyType's.
Barrier ships an update fortnightly, TidyType every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Barrier | TidyType |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (338 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 338 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Haplo, LLC | 0923Labs LLC |
Customer experience
Barrier
TidyType
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
TidyType
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Barrier
No in-app purchases
TidyType
No in-app purchases
