Comparison

Barrier vs Submos

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 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
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

Submos

Features
Read full description

See every subscription before it charges you. Submos is a clean, private subscription tracker and expense manager that helps you stay on top of recurring payments. Whether it's streaming services, AI tools, cloud storage, gym memberships, or anything that bills you automatically, Submos ensures you never pay for an unwanted auto-renewal again. Add a subscription in seconds, and Submos will show you exactly what is renewing, how much you spend each month, and help you identify which subscriptions might be worth cutting to save your budget. Core Features: • Upcoming View: See what is renewing next, smartly grouped by urgency so you can cancel in time. • Overview Dashboard: Track this month's total spend, average monthly cost, active counts, and upcoming charges at a glance. • Renewal Reminders: Set optional local notifications to alert you before any recurring payment hits your card. • “Worth it?” Tagging: Flag subscriptions you may not use enough and quickly review your possible savings. • Spending by Category: See exactly where your money goes (Entertainment, AI tools, Cloud, Business, and more). • Calendar View: Check the next 30 days and tap any date to see what bills are due. • 9 Languages Supported: English, ไทย, 日本語, Deutsch, Français, Português (Brasil), Español, 繁體中文, 한국어. • Customizable Design: Follow your system theme or choose your preferred Light and Dark modes. Private by Design Your financial data is yours. Submos is a local-first subscription manager. There is no account required, no sign-up, no login, and absolutely no cloud sync. Nothing about your subscriptions is shared online, and you can wipe all data anytime from the Settings. Submos Pro The free plan lets you track up to 5 active subscriptions. Upgrade to Submos Pro (securely via the App Store) for unlimited tracking, plus access to all current and future premium features. Download Submos today and take back control of your recurring spending!

Screenshots

Barrier4 screens
Submos4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barrier at none against Submos's 1. Submos's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence 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. Submos sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Barrier asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barrier ships an update fortnightly, Submos every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Barrier versus Submos: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarrierSubmos
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (340 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings340 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB47 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHaplo, LLCMoodmango Company Limited

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

Submos

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Barrier

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Submos

One-time1
  • Submos Pro$2.99

Questions

Is Barrier free?
Barrier is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Submos free?
Submos is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Barrier or Submos have ads?
Barrier shows ads; Submos does not.
Which is updated more often, Barrier or Submos?
Barrier ships an update fortnightly, and Submos every 9 days. Most recently, Barrier was updated on October 24, 2026 and Submos on October 8, 2026.

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