Comparison

Study Guard vs Monk Mode

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

Head to head
About

Study Guard

This app transforms social media habits into a learning tool. It uses flashcard mastery to unlock social media access, ensuring focused study sessions. Create custom flashcards or generate them automatically from notes and PDFs.

Highlights
  • Social media leverage for motivation
  • Flashcard accountability for phone access
  • Custom flashcard creation
  • AI flashcard generator from notes/PDFs
  • Social media blocking during study
  • Progress tracking and insights
  • Unlimited flashcard sets
Features
Read full description

Study Guard – Turn Your Social Media Addiction into a Learning Powerhouse Never wait for study motivation again with Study Guard—the app that holds you accountable to mastering your flashcards. Transform your social media habits into an unexpected ally for academic success. SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED - Study Guard requires a paid subscription to access all features after your free trial ends. WHAT YOU GET WITH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION: - Social Media Leverage Instead of letting endless scrolling derail your study sessions, Study Guard uses your social media habits as motivation. Each glance at your apps becomes a chance to earn time by proving your mastery of flashcards. - Accountability at Its Best Study Guard holds you directly accountable. Answer your flashcards correctly to unlock your phone and access social media, ensuring you stay committed to reviewing the material you worked hard to create. - Custom Flashcard Creation Use our intuitive interface to create custom flashcards manually. Spend hours preparing your content? With Study Guard, every flashcard counts. - AI Flashcard Generator Automatically generate flashcards from your notes and PDFs in 20+ languages. Save time and create comprehensive study materials effortlessly. - Focus-Driven Learning When it's time to study, distractions are minimized. The app temporarily blocks access to social media until you achieve your study goals, turning the habit that once hindered you into a powerful tool for concentration. - Progress Tracking & Insights Monitor your performance with detailed analytics. Track your success, identify areas for improvement, and stay motivated to keep pushing your boundaries. - Unlimited Flashcard Sets Create and manage as many flashcard decks as you need for all your subjects and learning goals. SUBSCRIPTION & FREE TRIAL: Study Guard requires a subscription to use. Start with a FREE TRIAL to experience all features at no cost. After your trial ends, a paid subscription is required to continue using the app. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your Account Settings after purchase. Download Study Guard now and let your passion for social media fuel your path to knowledge. Whether you're a student striving for excellence or a lifelong learner seeking to optimize your study routines, Study Guard integrates seamlessly into your lifestyle, making every moment count. TERMS: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Monk Mode

This app helps you reclaim your time by blocking distracting apps and websites. It offers focus sessions with ambient sounds, progress tracking, and gamified challenges to encourage productivity. Smart interventions add friction to accessing blocked apps, promoting mindful usage.

Highlights
  • Strict app and website blocking
  • Focus sessions with ambient sounds
  • Progress tracking and usage insights
  • Friction-based unlock flows
  • Gamified focus challenges
  • Pomodoro timer
Features
Read full description

MonkMode helps you block distractions, reduce mindless scrolling, and stay focused with strict app blocking, focus sessions, progress tracking, and friction-based unlock flows. MonkMode is free to download. The core blocking, focus, analytics, and premium tools require a MonkMode subscription or separate in-app purchase. Pricing and terms are shown before purchase confirmation. BLOCK DISTRACTIONS Requires MonkMode subscription - App and website blocking with multiple difficulty levels - Strict blocking modes designed to make quitting harder - Daily time limits, open limits, downtime schedules, and recurring blocks - Templates to block distracting apps quickly FOCUS SESSIONS Requires MonkMode subscription - Quick Focus sessions and longer Monk Mode challenges - Commitment prompts before starting a session - Ambient sounds including rain, lo-fi, white noise, ocean, forest, and cafe - Built-in Pomodoro timer - XP rewards for completed focus sessions FOCUS TRACKING Requires MonkMode subscription - Focus score and visual progress tracking - Daily and weekly usage insights - Hourly heatmaps, pickup patterns, and category breakdowns - See how much time you are reclaiming SMART INTERVENTIONS Requires MonkMode subscription - Hold-to-unlock friction for distracting apps - Reason selection before temporary access - Timed delays to help you pause before scrolling - Temporary access windows when you need them GAMIFICATION Requires MonkMode subscription - Earn XP for focus time - Build streaks and unlock achievements - Level up as you complete harder sessions - Difficulty multipliers reward stronger commitments BUILT FOR iOS - Uses Apple’s Screen Time API - Built with SwiftUI - Secure cloud sync for your account data Stop doomscrolling. Start living. Go Monk. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.monk-mode.lifestyle/terms-of-service.html Privacy Policy: https://www.monk-mode.lifestyle/privacy-policy.html Support: https://www.monk-mode.lifestyle/support.html

Screenshots

Study Guard4 screens
Monk Mode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Monk Mode at none against Study Guard's 6. Monk Mode also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). Study Guard's advantage is ratings volume (376 vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Study Guard sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Monk Mode asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Monk Mode holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Study Guard has 376 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Study Guard ships an update every 2 weeks, Monk Mode every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Study Guard versus Monk Mode: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStudy GuardMonk Mode
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (376 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings376 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.417.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJason MayoAura Technologies LLC (U.S.)

Customer experience

Study Guard

All ratings376 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive28.1%
Neutral3.1%
Negative68.8%

Monk Mode

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Study Guard

Subscriptions5
  • Study Guard (Weekly)$4.997 Days
  • Study Guard Plus$5.991 Month
  • Pro Plan (Yearly)$19.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Study Guard Plus Yearly3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Study Guard (Yearly)3 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Study Guard (Lifetime)$79.99
None

Monk Mode

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Study Guard free?
Study Guard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Monk Mode free?
Monk Mode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Study Guard or Monk Mode?
Monk Mode is rated higher. Study Guard averages 4.6 out of 5 from 376 ratings, while Monk Mode averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Study Guard or Monk Mode have ads?
Neither Study Guard nor Monk Mode shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Study Guard or Monk Mode?
Study Guard ships an update every 2 weeks, and Monk Mode every 2 days. Most recently, Study Guard was updated on October 17, 2026 and Monk Mode on September 25, 2026.

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