Comparison

Monkeyless vs Monk

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

Head to head
About

Monkeyless

This app helps you reduce phone addiction by incorporating mindfulness before opening distracting applications. It offers guided meditations, personalized screen time analysis, and habit-building plans to foster healthier digital habits.

Highlights
  • Meditate to unlock apps
  • Guided meditations
  • Screen time analysis
  • Habit building plans
  • Progress tracking
  • Micro-mindfulness exercises
Features
Read full description

Monkeyless is a mindfulness screen time app that helps you end phone addiction by meditating before opening distracting apps. Here’s how: Meditate to unlock – our soft app blocking feature creates a mindful moment before distractions begin. Take a short breath before opening certain apps. No more autopilot to distracting apps. Daily guided meditations – access guided meditations and micro-mindfulness exercises to reset your mind daily. Turn insight into action – get personalized screen time analysis to uncover patterns, triggers, and areas for growth. Build better habits – choose from science-backed habit plans designed to help you dismantle addictive phone behaviors and build mindful ones. Track your transformation – a clear, encouraging progress system keeps you motivated as you build mindfulness and intention into every tap. Try all features free during your trial. After the trial, access requires a subscription. We believe mindful tools should be accessible - if cost is a barrier, reach out. We’re here to help. Join 10 000+ users who have already liberated themselves. The average person spends over 6 hours a day on their phone. What about you? The root cause? Low mindfulness. It’s so easy to open Instagram or TikTok and, hours later, realize you’ve lost track of time. Hours have passed by. Your mind is on autopilot. East Asian philosophy describes this as the "Monkey Mind" - restless and mindlessly jumping from one thing to another. Like every addiction, breaking the habit seems like fighting uphill against yourself. And harsh measures such as blocking apps, or setting time limits never seem to work in the long run. Monkeyless takes a radically different approach. Why? 1. The root cause of doomscrolling is the restless "Monkey Mind," shaped by years of conditioning toward constant distractions such as your phone. 2. The only solution lies in calming this same mind with mindfulness. Simply blocking apps or setting time limits, like most screen time apps do, don't address the root issue. 3. Cultivate mindfulness with meditation. Combine pragmatism with optimism. You don't have to be a monk to do this - but hey, we always welcome you to join us. Science? Using mindfulness backed by science, we make it easier to break these habits in a lasting way. Meditation has been proven to effectively help in dismantling addictive behaviors. For instance, a study on Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) found that mindfulness training was associated with a reduction in relapse rates among individuals, and it could help manage stress-induced addictive behaviour​. Other research on MBRP and similar approaches has shown reductions in relapse, emotional distress, and impulses. Ancient wisdom from thousands of years ago is still highly relevant today. Change with Monkeyless, break free from the Monkey Mind forever. AI Transparency Notice: Monkeyless uses artificial intelligence to assist in creating the audio tracks for our guided meditations. All meditation scripts are written by humans. FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions): https://www.monkeyless.app/faq Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://monkeyless.app/privacy-policy.html Our special thanks goes to the book: The Mind Illuminated by Culadasa. Some of the teachings in this app are inspired by this.

About

Monk

This app helps users regain focus by blocking distracting applications until a chosen meaningful activity is completed and verified. It encourages daily rituals and discipline to combat digital distractions and improve productivity.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps
  • AI-verified activity completion
  • Daily focus rituals
  • Dopamine detox
  • Focus schedules
  • Win history and streaks
Read full description

Monk - Earn Your Dopamine The #1 Monk Mode App for Gen Z HOW IT WORKS: Every morning, choose ONE meaningful activity: studying, deep work, coding, business work, gym, meditation, journaling, or walking. Monk blocks your most distracting apps until you complete the activity and verify it with a quick AI scan. Your apps unlock only after you earn your dopamine. Monk gives you the one advantage nobody else has: a daily ritual that forces discipline, kills brainrot, and unlocks pure focus. Reclaim 1h 30m+ every day. WHY MONK - #1 Monk Mode App – Built for Gen Z’s attention war - Earn Your Dopamine – Apps unlock only after real action - Dopamine Detox – Escape the infinite scroll, kill brainrot FEATURES - Daily Win Ritual – Complete one real action and verify with AI - Focus Schedules – Automate deep work, focus, and study windows - Monk Mode – Instantly block distracting apps until tomorrow - Win History – See your daily wins, streaks, and focus hours over time WHO IT'S FOR - Students – Study like an academic weapon - Entrepreneurs – Protect focus to grow your business - Creators – Unlock the flow state for your best ideas - Athletes – Train with discipline and consistency - Builders – Execute relentlessly without distraction PRIVACY GUARANTEED We use Apple’s Screen Time API so all of your phone usage data stays on your device. JOIN THE MENTAL RENAISSANCE Download Monk now. Your attention is your superpower. *A Monk subscription is required to enjoy full access to features* TERMS & CONDITIONS: monkapp.com/terms monkapp.com/privacy

Screenshots

Monkeyless4 screens
Monk4 screens

Verdict

The call

Monkeyless and Monk are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Monkeyless sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and Monk sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Monkeyless against 4.6 for Monk. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 116 and 135 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Monkeyless's written reviews are positive against 75% of Monk's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and July 4, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Monkeyless versus Monk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonkeylessMonk
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (116 ratings) — better4.6 (135 ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings116135 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionSubscription
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB131 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMonkeylessPolymath Labs Ltd.

Customer experience

Monkeyless

All ratings116 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative10.0%

Monk

All ratings135 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral1.5%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Monkeyless

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Monk

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Apps not being blocked as scheduled
  • Glitches in scheduling functionality

Requested features

2 requests
  • Improved app blocking reliability
  • Customizable scheduling options

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Monkeyless

Subscriptions10
  • Monkeyless Pro Weekly$5.997 Days
  • Monkeyless Pro Weekly7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Monkeyless Pro$11.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • Monkeyless Pro Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Monkeyless Pro Monthly1 Month trial$17.991 Month
  • Monkeyless Pro Monthly1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Monkeyless Pro Annual$34.991 Year
  • Monkeyless Pro7 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • Monkeyless Pro7 Days trial$72.991 Year
  • Monkeyless Pro Annual$89.991 Year
3 purchases

Monk

Subscriptions3
  • Monk Pro (Monthly)$19.991 Month
  • Monk Pro (Annual)$48.001 Year
  • Monk Pro (Annual)3 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Monkeyless free?
Monkeyless is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Monk free?
Monk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Monkeyless or Monk?
Monkeyless is rated higher. Monkeyless averages 4.7 out of 5 from 116 ratings, while Monk averages 4.6 from 135 ratings.
Do Monkeyless or Monk have ads?
Neither Monkeyless nor Monk shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Monkeyless or Monk?
Monkeyless ships an update every 2 weeks, and Monk every 2 weeks. Most recently, Monkeyless was updated on September 18, 2026 and Monk on July 4, 2026.

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