Comparison

Expect Chat vs Lock in

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

Head to head
About

Expect Chat

Read full description

Stay connected with your goals and aspirations using Expect Chat, the app that helps you reflect on your progress by messaging your future self. Here’s how it works: 1. Schedule Messages: Write and schedule messages to your future self, sharing your current expectations, goals, and plans. When setting up the message, you'll also write both congratulatory and constructive responses, since the outcome is unknown. 2. Become Your Future Self: On your chosen date, you’ll step into the role of your future self and send a response to your past self, answering whether or not you’ve met your expectations. 3. AI Evaluation: Our AI then reviews your response and decides whether you've achieved your goals. 4. Personalized Feedback: Based on the AI's evaluation, you'll receive the pre-written message you prepared earlier—either congratulations for success or constructive criticism if there’s room for improvement. 5. Track Your Progress: Look back at your past messages and feedback to monitor your growth over time. Key Features: 1. Message Scheduling: Plan meaningful check-ins with your future self by scheduling messages to be delivered at the perfect time. 2. Dual Feedback Creation: Prepare both positive and constructive responses in advance, giving yourself tailored feedback based on how things turn out. 3. AI-Powered Evaluation: Let the app’s AI evaluate your progress to decide which message, congratulations or criticism, you’ll receive. 4. Personalized Feedback: Get encouraging or constructive feedback that’s tailored to your situation, written by your past self. 5. Progress Tracking: Keep a record of your journey, seeing how far you’ve come and what you've learned along the way. 6. Goal Setting & Reflection: Make goal-setting meaningful by adding regular self-reflection, helping you stay focused and grow.

About

Lock in

Easily track your daily habits and progress towards your goals. Define custom habits, monitor your history, and stay motivated with inspiring content. Achieve maximum focus and build discipline.

Highlights
  • Track daily habits
  • Define custom habits
  • Monitor season history
  • Focus timer with Live Activity
  • Inspiring self-improvement topics
  • Progress visualization
Features
Read full description

Get the best out of your Lock-In Seasons with this super easy-to-use Tracking App [Habit tracker], designed for Maximum Focus. Define your Plan and get started right-away with tracking your 4 core habits every day and see your progress in the Heat-Maps! Define custom habits and improve yourself by finding helpful topics! With [Habit tracker], you can: - Track your habits, super-quick - Add any new habits, by choosing a name, color, a Symbol and a time goal - Accomplish your 4 core habits every day (or at least 3 to complete the day!) - Track your history of Lock-In seasons - Track your running Habit with a focus timer (including Live Activity) - Read inspiring Topics about self-improvement Lock yourself in to come back stronger. Learn discipline in a world led by cancel-culture. A paid subscription is required to use the app. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Expect Chat4 screens
Lock in4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Expect Chat at none against Lock in's 3. Expect Chat also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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. Lock in sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Expect Chat asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Expect Chat ships an update daily, Lock in every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Expect Chat versus Lock in: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExpect ChatLock in
PriceFreeFree
Rating—1.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Subscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.4 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB34 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperCaleb AreevesoJoel Bialluch

In-app purchases

None

Expect Chat

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Lock in

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Premium3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Annual Premium$24.991 Year
  • Annual Premium$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Expect Chat free?
Expect Chat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lock in free?
Lock in is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Expect Chat or Lock in have ads?
Neither Expect Chat nor Lock in shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Expect Chat or Lock in?
Expect Chat ships an update daily, and Lock in every 2 months. Most recently, Expect Chat was updated on October 12, 2026 and Lock in on October 24, 2026.

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