Comparison

App Lock vs Screen Time Control

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

Head to head
About

App Lock

Manage screen time and enhance privacy with customizable modes for work, personal use, and parental control. Set app restrictions, use geofencing, and secure apps with passwords or biometrics. Features include intruder alerts and app disguise for added security.

Highlights
  • Parental Control (Teen Mode)
  • Multiple Modes (Work, Personal, Beast)
  • App Restrictions & Time Limits
  • Geofencing for Location-Based Locks
  • Password & Biometric Protection
  • App Disguise & Intruder Alerts
  • Widget & Dynamic Island Quick Re-lock
Features
Read full description

This is a versatile screen time management tool that offers various modes to address different needs, whether it's for parental control to prevent children from getting addicted to games or to safeguard personal privacy. FEATURES - Parental Control: Activate the Teen Mode to effectively prevent children from indulging in social media and games. - Multiple Modes: Easily switch between Work Mode, Personal Mode, and Beast Mode, adapting to different scenarios flexibly. - App Restrictions: Set time limits for specific applications. - Geofencing: Automatically restrict app usage in specific locations. - Password Protection: Securely lock specific apps with a secret code. - Biometric Recognition: Supports Face ID & Touch ID for quick app unlocking. - App Disguise: Change app icon and unlock screen style for enhanced privacy. - Intruder Alert: Automatically detect and log suspicious failed unlock attempts. - Quick Re-lock: Supports Home Screen Widgets, Lock Screen Widgets, and Dynamic Island. Quickly re-lock unlocked apps by tapping on widget or Dynamic Island. - Additional Safeguards: Prevent app installations, app deletions, in-app purchases, enable quick unlocking, and automatically restore locks, among other protective measures. MULTIPLE MODES - Work Mode: Enhance productivity by focusing on work tasks with no distractions. - Teen Mode: Prevent teenagers from getting addicted to games and other entertainment apps, ensuring their healthy growth. - Personal Mode: Protect your personal privacy by preventing unauthorized access to your apps, giving you more control. - Beast Mode: Lock all apps to fully concentrate on tasks like studying or working out, unlocking your potential. SUBSCRIPTION TERM Confirm Subscription: Payment will be charged to your iTunes account upon confirmation. Manage Subscription: You can manage or cancel your subscription in your iTunes & App Store account settings. Auto-Renewal: Your subscription will automatically renew within 24 hours before the end of the current period. To cancel renewal, turn it off at least 24 hours before the period ends. Cancellation is not allowed during the active subscription period. Free Trial: After the trial ends, your subscription will auto-renew to the Premium plan. To avoid being charged, cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends. If you subscribe during the trial, the remaining trial period will end immediately. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://site.fastlanespace.com/app/Lock/PrivacyPolicy Give this app a try now! Prioritize privacy protection and reduce distractions, creating a healthy and secure online environment.

About

Screen Time Control

This app helps you build better focus habits by scheduling app blocking and managing screen time. It offers scheduled blocking, manual focus sessions, and usage insights to eliminate distractions and improve productivity.

Highlights
  • Scheduled app blocking
  • Manual focus sessions
  • Smart notifications
  • Usage insights
  • Privacy-focused design
  • Apple Screen Time framework integration
Features
Read full description

Anchor: Work Smarter, Scroll Less Build better focus habits with scheduled app blocking and intentional screen time Stay Grounded Welcome to Anchor — a focused productivity tool built on Apple's Screen Time framework. Anchor helps you eliminate distractions by blocking apps on a schedule, so you can show up fully for work, study, and the moments that matter. Scheduled Blocking Set recurring focus schedules for any day of the week. Choose the apps and categories you want blocked, pick your hours, and let Anchor handle the rest — automatically, every day. Manual Focus Sessions Need to focus right now? Start an instant focus session in one tap. Select your distracting apps and lock them out for as long as you need. Smart Notifications Get reminded before a focus session starts and notified when it ends, so you can prepare, transition, and stay in control of your time. Usage Insights See a clear breakdown of your screen time, app usage, and pickups. Understand your habits so you can make smarter decisions about where your attention goes. Simple & Private Anchor is designed to be fast, clean, and easy to use. All blocking is powered by Apple's Screen Time API — your usage data never leaves your device. Unlock the complete AppShield experience with Anchor Pro. Choose from three convenient auto-renewable subscription options: - Weekly - Monthly - Lifetime Subscription Details: - Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at the time of purchase confirmation. - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, identifying the cost of the renewal. - Manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. - Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited upon purchasing a subscription, where applicable. Privacy Policy: https://caseadri.com/appshield/privacypolicy.html Terms & Conditions: https://caseadri.com/appshield/termsandconditions.html Support: appshield-support@caseadri.com

Screenshots

App Lock4 screens
Screen Time Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Screen Time Control at none against App Lock's shown. App Lock's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (6.6K vs 4). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. App Lock sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Screen Time Control sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Screen Time Control holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: App Lock has 6.6K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

App Lock ships an update every 2 weeks, Screen Time Control every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and July 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
App Lock versus Screen Time Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterApp LockScreen Time Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (6.6K ratings)4.8 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings6.6K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size108 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer友财 徐Stephen Fung

Customer experience

App Lock

All ratings6,551 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral3.6%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews497 reviews
Positive73.4%
Neutral5.4%
Negative21.1%

Screen Time Control

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

App Lock

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Locked apps sometimes become unlocked randomly
  • App deletion issues, unable to uninstall

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Shortcut support for quick access
  • Ability to lock/unlock apps without opening the app
  • Improved notification handling for locked apps

Screen Time Control

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

14 purchases

App Lock

Subscriptions10
  • Monthly Membership1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership$3.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership$5.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Monthly Membership$7.991 Month
  • Yearly Membership$9.991 Year
  • Yearly Membership$14.991 Year
  • Yearly Membership3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Yearly Membership3 Days trial$16.991 Year
  • Yearly Membership$18.991 Year
  • Yearly Membership3 Days trial$18.991 Year
One-time4
  • Lifetime Membership$19.99
  • Lifetime Membership$21.99
  • Lifetime Membership$27.99
Show 1 more
  • Lifetime Membership$36.99
3 purchases

Screen Time Control

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is App Lock free?
App Lock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Screen Time Control free?
Screen Time Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, App Lock or Screen Time Control?
Screen Time Control is rated higher. App Lock averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.6K ratings, while Screen Time Control averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.
Do App Lock or Screen Time Control have ads?
App Lock shows ads; Screen Time Control does not.
Which is updated more often, App Lock or Screen Time Control?
App Lock ships an update every 2 weeks, and Screen Time Control every 5 months. Most recently, App Lock was updated on September 26, 2026 and Screen Time Control on July 9, 2026.

Other comparisons