# Buy The Time vs StepBloc

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Buy The Time at 11.0 against StepBloc's 16.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buy The Time sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and StepBloc sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Buy The Time ships an update every 2 weeks, StepBloc weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buy The Time | StepBloc |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (497 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepbloc-screen-time-blocker/id6480580480/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **497** |
| Positive reviews | — | 65.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 37 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chyngyz Malikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667146773) | [Hamsters Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/1684075068) |

## What reviewers say

### Buy The Time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buy-the-time/id6467040903)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One year subscription | $4.99 | one-time |


### StepBloc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepbloc-screen-time-blocker/id6480580480)

This app helps you reduce screen time by requiring physical activity to unlock distracting apps. Earn your app access by completing workouts like push-ups, squats, or reaching step goals. Take control of your digital habits and improve your health simultaneously.

**Highlights:** Earn app access through push-ups, squats, or steps, Block distracting apps until goals are met, App blocking scheduler, Set daily usage limits, Track focus minutes, Digital habit insights and reports, HealthKit integration for step tracking

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pass | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Pass | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Blocks apps very well
- 👍 Free to use
- 👍 Innovative concept
- 👍 Effective screen time reduction
- 👍 Motivates exercise

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Push-up/squat tracking issues
- 🐛 Daily limits in free version
- 🐛 Limited free features
- 🐛 Unintuitive timer
- 🐛 Lacking features

**Reported bugs**

- Push-up counter can be cheated
- Squat counter can be cheated
- App keeps blocks after deletion
- Push-up system is faulty
- Squats not registered correctly

**Requested features**

- Accumulate screen time
- Start day with screen time
- Reset banked steps daily
- Widget for progress tracking
- Macbook app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buy The Time free?

Buy The Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is StepBloc free?

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

### Do Buy The Time or StepBloc have ads?

Neither Buy The Time nor StepBloc shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buy The Time or StepBloc?

Buy The Time ships an update every 2 weeks, and StepBloc weekly. Most recently, Buy The Time was updated on November 7, 2026 and StepBloc on November 4, 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.*