Comparison

Vocab Builder vs Lock Learn

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

Head to head
About

Vocab Builder

Features
Read full description

Learn a new English word every time you glance at your phone. Vocab puts words and example sentences right on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island with a Live Activity — free to start, nothing to open. WHY VOCAB • Learn passively. Every glance at your phone is a chance to remember a new word in context. • Live Activity that sticks. Pin a word and example sentence to the Lock Screen until it's locked in. • Dynamic Island companion on iPhone 14 Pro and later — the target word stays one swipe away. • Choose your pace. A new word every 30 or 60 minutes on the free plan, or as often as every 2 minutes with Premium. LEARN 6 LANGUAGES English, Turkish, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese. Pick your native tongue and the language you're learning, and Vocab handles the rest. 4 LEVELS • Beginner — everyday words that get you started fast • Intermediate — vocabulary that powers real conversations • Advanced — nuanced words for fluency • Proficient — the words that separate good from great BUILT FOR REAL ATTENTION SPANS You don't need an hour a day. You don't need to remember to study. Vocab works in the background while you scroll, message, or wait for the bus. The words just show up. TRACK YOUR LEARNED WORDS Every word the Live Activity shows is saved to your Learned Words list, sorted by language. Open the app, see your progress, and pick up where you left off. PRIVACY-FIRST Words stay on your device. No accounts, no tracking, no shared lists. Your learning is yours. PREMIUM Free plan: a new word every 30 or 60 minutes at Beginner level. Premium: Intermediate, Advanced and Proficient levels and rotation from every 2 minutes. Start with a 3-day free trial, then $3.99/week or $29.99/year. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. Cancel anytime in App Store settings. — Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ — Privacy Policy: https://www.privacypolicies.com/live/3df3708c-7fb6-4955-a940-b7fd2440aaca

About

Lock Learn

Learn new vocabulary effortlessly by having words and definitions appear on your phone's lock screen every 10 minutes. Create custom word lists for any subject, from languages to professional terms, and tap to explore them further. Start with 20 free words and unlock unlimited access with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Lock screen vocabulary widget
  • Customizable word lists by topic
  • Definitions and grammar labels
  • Tap to view word details
  • One-time purchase for unlimited words
Features
Read full description

Lock Learn puts a vocabulary word on your lock screen and swaps it out every 10 minutes, all day. You're checking your phone constantly anyway, so you might as well pick something up in the meantime. There are no study sessions, no streaks to maintain, and no extra time required. How it works: Add the Lock Learn widget to your lock screen. From that point on, every time you glance at your phone you'll see a different word from your list along with its definition and grammar type. The widget refreshes in the background every 10 minutes without you doing anything. Build your own word lists: Lock Learn isn't tied to a preset word bank. You create topics for whatever you're working on: a language you're studying, industry terminology, SAT prep words, culinary terms, anything you want. Every entry includes a definition and a grammar label so you understand how to actually use the word, not just what it means. Tap to go deeper: Spot a word you want to explore? Tap the widget and Lock Learn opens directly to that word's topic so you can review, edit, or add related words. Free to start: You get up to 20 vocabulary words completely free, with no trial period and no expiration date. If you want more, a small one-time purchase unlocks unlimited words and there's no subscription. Features: - Lock screen widget that rotates vocabulary every 10 minutes - Organize words into topics and categories - Grammar labels included with every entry - Tap-to-open deep link goes directly to the word currently on your lock screen - Free up to 20 words, one-time purchase for unlimited

Screenshots

Vocab Builder4 screens
Lock Learn4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Lock Learn at every 2 days against Vocab Builder's every 3 months. Vocab Builder's advantage is iOS requirement (16.2 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Vocab Builder sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Lock Learn sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vocab Builder ships an update every 3 months, Lock Learn every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Vocab Builder versus Lock Learn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVocab BuilderLock Learn
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.2 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKamil DemirtasMaxQ Consulting Services LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Vocab Builder

Subscriptions2
  • Vocab Pro Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Vocab Premium Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
1 purchases

Lock Learn

One-time1
  • LockLearn$1.99

Questions

Is Vocab Builder free?
Vocab Builder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lock Learn free?
Lock Learn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Vocab Builder or Lock Learn have ads?
Neither Vocab Builder nor Lock Learn shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vocab Builder or Lock Learn?
Vocab Builder ships an update every 3 months, and Lock Learn every 2 days. Most recently, Vocab Builder was updated on November 4, 2026 and Lock Learn on October 31, 2026.

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