# App Lock vs Essential Launcher

The clearest difference is rating: Essential Launcher at 4.5 against App Lock's 3.8. Essential Launcher also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (31 vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. App Lock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Essential Launcher sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Essential Launcher holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Essential Launcher has 31 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

App Lock ships an update every 2 months, Essential Launcher every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | App Lock | Essential Launcher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-lock-secure-folder/id6456267824/reviews) | **[4.5 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-launcher/id6590616999/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **31** |
| Positive reviews | — | 88.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chetna Nakrani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680941411) | [Patrik Racskai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1728193737) |

## What reviewers say

### App Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-lock-secure-folder/id6456267824)

This app offers a secure, offline solution for protecting your private photos, contacts, passwords, and notes. It prioritizes user privacy by keeping all data stored locally on your device without any internet connection or cloud synchronization.

**Highlights:** Offline photo and video vault, Contact backup and restore, Secure password manager, Encrypted notes storage, Local data storage only, Intuitive user interface

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade Premium Version | $3.99 | per month |
| Upgrade Premium Version | $24.99 | per year |
| Upgrade Premium Version | $29.99 | one-time |


### Essential Launcher

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-launcher/id6590616999)

This app offers a minimalist home screen experience designed to reduce distractions and limit screen time. Customize your interface with only essential applications to promote focus and productivity.

**Highlights:** Minimalist home screen, Reduce distractions, Limit screen time, Customize essential apps, Clean, intuitive interface, Dark and light modes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Discounted | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual Discounted | $3.99 | per year |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual | $12.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Free | Free | one-time |
| Lifetime | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is App Lock free?

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

### Is Essential Launcher free?

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

### Which has better reviews, App Lock or Essential Launcher?

Essential Launcher is rated higher. App Lock averages 3.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Essential Launcher averages 4.5 from 31 ratings.

### Do App Lock or Essential Launcher have ads?

Neither App Lock nor Essential Launcher shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, App Lock or Essential Launcher?

App Lock ships an update every 2 months, and Essential Launcher every 11 days. Most recently, App Lock was updated on October 6, 2026 and Essential Launcher on October 7, 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.*