Comparison

Padlock vs flotsom

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

Head to head
About

Padlock

This app locks distracting applications on your iPhone by requiring a physical device to be tapped against your phone. Once locked, apps remain inaccessible until the physical device is tapped again to unlock them.

Highlights
  • Lock distracting apps
  • Physical device integration
  • App access control
  • Phone distraction management
Read full description

Padlock will change the relationship you have with your phone. Tap it against your iPhone, stash the Padlock somewhere that's out of the way, and your distracting apps are locked up. If you need to unlock them, retrieve the padlock and tap it again. To use this app, a physical Padlock device is required.

About

flotsom

Features
Read full description

Flotsom helps you quickly understand links you find anywhere online. Instead of opening long articles, save the link and generate a clean AI-powered summary inside the app. Perfect for links shared on social media, group chats, and messaging apps. How it works 1. Save a link you want to read later 2. Flotsom extracts the readable content from the page 3. Generate a concise AI summary Features β€’ Save links from social media and the web β€’ Generate clean summaries from long articles β€’ Organise links in one place β€’ Quickly review saved content later β€’ Minimal, distraction-free reading experience Flotsom is designed for people who regularly encounter interesting links but don’t always have time to read full articles. Important note AI summaries require an API key from a supported AI provider. Flotsom will guide you through setting this up inside the app.

Screenshots

Padlock4 screens
flotsom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Padlock at every 2 weeks against flotsom's every 2 months. Padlock also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Padlock ships an update every 2 weeks, flotsom every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 6 level
Padlock versus flotsom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPadlockflotsom
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews86.7% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks β€” betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidβ€”
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size24 MB25 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperPadlock Focus Technologies LTDJoseph Taylor

In-app purchases

None

Padlock

No in-app purchases

None

flotsom

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Padlock free?
Padlock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is flotsom free?
flotsom is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Padlock or flotsom have ads?
Neither Padlock nor flotsom shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Padlock or flotsom?
Padlock ships an update every 2 weeks, and flotsom every 2 months. Most recently, Padlock was updated on November 4, 2026 and flotsom on November 5, 2026.

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