Comparison

Habit Lock vs FocusGuard

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

Head to head
About

Habit Lock

Features
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Habit Lock – The Strictest Habit & Focus App on the App Store Tired of habit trackers that give you too many excuses? Habit Lock is a productivity app for people serious about building strong habits, eliminating distractions, and boosting self-discipline. Whether you’re studying, working, or breaking phone addiction, Habit Lock keeps you locked in and focused until your task is complete. - Stay Locked In – No Distractions Allowed Once a session starts, Habit Lock goes fullscreen and blocks selected apps, so you can’t access social media or other distractions until your session ends. This strict approach ensures maximum focus during your work. - Track Your Progress and Build Better Habits Set daily goals and track time spent on productive activities. Habit Lock helps you visualize your progress, monitor streaks, and stay motivated to build lasting habits. Track your focus and productivity over time with detailed reports. - Pomodoro Mode – Focus with Timed Intervals The Pomodoro timer helps you work in 25-minute intervals (or custom durations) with a fullscreen timer, blocking distractions. Get more done in less time by following this popular technique to stay focused and efficient. - Flexible Session Planning Customize your schedule with multiple sessions per day. Define your session length, set specific skip days, and get reports on your performance. Habit Lock adapts to your unique routine, whether you need short bursts of focus or long sessions. - Hardcore Mode – No Escaping Focus Hardcore Mode ensures you can’t exit a session once started, preventing distractions and making it easier to stay focused. Perfect for people who need extra discipline while tackling important tasks. - Penalty System for Leaving the App If you leave Habit Lock during a session, the timer stops, and you'll get a warning. If you leave repeatedly, extra time will be added to your next session as a penalty, helping you stay accountable to your goals. - Habit Tracking & Performance Insights Habit Lock lets you track your habits over time, whether you’re focusing on study goals, fitness, or any other habit. Consistent progress is rewarded with insights into your performance and growth. - Simple, User-Friendly Interface Designed to be intuitive, Habit Lock’s clean interface helps you focus on your tasks without distractions. Start, pause, or end sessions easily, and track your progress from a convenient dashboard. Your habits define your future. Habit Lock helps you build the discipline to take control of your day, stay focused, and achieve your goals. Download Habit Lock now and start building a productive, distraction-free life. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

FocusGuard

Features
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Take back your time. FocusGuard blocks the apps that pull you in, and makes sure the block holds when your willpower doesn't. THE PROBLEM Most of us unlock our phones dozens of times a day, usually without deciding to. The apps are built to keep you scrolling, and a simple time limit is one tap away from "Ignore". Blocking only works if it's hard to undo. THE SOLUTION FocusGuard is built on Apple's Screen Time, so blocks are enforced by iOS itself. You choose how strict to be, from a gentle pause to a session that can't be cancelled. HOW IT WORKS 1. Tell us your goal. A short setup builds your plan: a daily focus goal, a starter schedule and the apps that distract you most. 2. Block in one tap. Start a focus session from a quick preset or with Siri. 3. Pick your strictness. Flexible allows a mindful pause, Focus asks for a 30-second challenge to quit, Strict can't be ended early. 4. Watch your streak grow. Every focused day counts toward your streak, gems and milestones. WAYS TO BLOCK β€’ Focus Sessions: block the apps and sites you choose for a set time β€’ Schedules: block automatically on the days and hours you pick, including overnight β€’ Daily App Limits: give social apps a daily budget. When it's spent, they lock until midnight β€’ Always On: keep apps blocked until you turn it off β€’ Dumb Phone Mode: allow only the few apps you truly need. Everything else locks β€’ Sleep Mode: distractions lock automatically at bedtime HARD TO BACK OUT OF β€’ Strict Mode: no cancel button. One Emergency Pass per week for real emergencies β€’ Mindful Pause: one slow breath and a reason before a short, timed unlock. Apps lock again on their own β€’ See how many times you resisted today, right on the block screen β€’ PIN and uninstall protection against impulse decisions STAY MOTIVATED β€’ Focus Score: your progress toward today's focus goal β€’ Weekly focus charts, streaks, evolving gems and milestones β€’ Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, plus a Live Activity while you focus β€’ Siri and Shortcuts: start focusing or lock apps hands-free β€’ Focus sounds: white, pink and brown noise WHY FOCUSGUARD IS DIFFERENT β€’ Blocks are enforced by iOS Screen Time, not a reminder you can swipe away β€’ No VPN profile, no account, no ads β€’ FocusGuard never sees which apps you use. Apple keeps that private, and your data stays on your iPhone FREE β€’ Unlimited Flexible focus sessions with Mindful Pause β€’ 1 schedule plus Sleep Mode, and 1 daily app limit β€’ Streaks, Focus Score, widgets and 7-day stats FOCUSGUARD PRO β€’ Focus and Strict difficulty β€’ Dumb Phone Mode β€’ Unlimited schedules and app limits β€’ PIN and uninstall protection β€’ 30-day history and focus heatmap Pro is available as a weekly, monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings β†’ your name β†’ Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Habit Lock4 screens
FocusGuard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FocusGuard at none against Habit Lock's 2. Habit Lock's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Habit Lock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. FocusGuard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Habit Lock ships an update every 2 days, FocusGuard every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Habit Lock versus FocusGuard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHabit LockFocusGuard
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days β€” betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad β€” better
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better17.6
Further details β€” not scored
Size41 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLiam Wittigerdem caygor

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Habit Lock

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium (1 Month)7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Annual Premium (1 Year)7 Days trial$34.991 Year
None

FocusGuard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Habit Lock free?
Habit Lock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FocusGuard free?
FocusGuard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Habit Lock or FocusGuard have ads?
Neither Habit Lock nor FocusGuard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Habit Lock or FocusGuard?
Habit Lock ships an update every 2 days, and FocusGuard every 2 months. Most recently, Habit Lock was updated on October 28, 2026 and FocusGuard on October 28, 2026.

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