ChessLock vs ZugZwang
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ChessLock
This app helps you control screen time by blocking distracting applications. To take a break, you must solve chess puzzles, sharpening your mind and earning your pause. It's designed for anyone seeking enhanced focus and productivity with a unique, brain-boosting approach.
- Block distracting apps
- Solve chess puzzles for breaks
- Customizable focus sessions
- Brain-training puzzles
- Private by design, no data collection
- Pro version for advanced features
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Take control of your screen time like never before—with your brain as the key! Screen Time Control: ChessLock is a powerful focus tool that blocks distracting apps… and makes you earn your breaks by solving chess puzzles. Designed for those who want real productivity with a fun twist, ChessLock combines proven focus techniques with the timeless game of chess to help you stay in control. - How it works: Create a Focus Session Select the apps you want to block. Once it starts, you're locked in—no cheating allowed! Pause With Purpose Want a break? Solve a chess puzzle to unlock it. No puzzle, no pause. Train Your Brain Each puzzle challenge helps keep your mind sharp and focused. - Unlock More with ChessLock Pro Unlimited focus sessions Choose your puzzle difficulty Smarter, stronger app blocking Earn meaningful breaks More brain-boosting control - Why Chess? Chess is the perfect game to sharpen concentration, improve problem-solving, and help reset your brain during focused work. It’s not just screen time management — it’s brain time empowerment. - Private by Design No accounts, no personal data collection, no creepy tracking. Your preferences are stored locally, and analytics are completely anonymous. You stay in control. - Built for Everyone Whether you’re a student, freelancer, parent, or pro, ChessLock gives you a mindful, brain-powered way to manage your screen time. Download Screen Time Control: ChessLock and make every pause a power move.
ZugZwang
This app blocks distracting applications and websites, requiring users to solve a chess puzzle to gain temporary access. It offers a personalized rating system and strict mode for enhanced focus. Your progress is saved to your account and syncs across devices.
- Block apps, categories, and websites
- Solve chess puzzles for access
- Personalized Elo puzzle rating
- Strict mode for enhanced focus
- Cross-device progress syncing
- No ads
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Your apps stay blocked. A solved chess puzzle opens one of them for five minutes. ZugZwang turns the reflex of opening an app into a move you have to think about. Choose the apps, categories and websites that eat your day. They are blocked at once and stay blocked. When you open one, the block screen offers one way through: solve a chess puzzle. HOW IT WORKS • Pick what to block with Apple's Screen Time picker: apps, whole categories, websites. • Opening a blocked app shows the block screen. Tap "Solve chess puzzle". • Solve it and collect five minutes of that app, or of your whole list if you prefer. When the time is up, the block comes back on its own. • The first wrong move fails the puzzle. The solution then plays out on the board, and a failed puzzle never unlocks anything. A RATING THAT IS YOURS • Three puzzles during setup find your starting rating, from beginner to strong club player. • Every puzzle after that moves it, like an Elo puzzle rating. Puzzles are served around your level, so they stay hard enough to make you stop and think. • 20,000 rated puzzles: mates, tactics, endgames, promotions. • Endless puzzles on the Puzzles tab, with filters for kind and length. STRICT MODE With strict mode on, removing an app from the list or turning strict mode off needs a harder puzzle or a 24-hour wait. Adding to the list is always allowed. YOUR PHONE STAYS YOURS • You can always turn blocking off. • Your rating and progress are saved to your account (Sign in with Apple or Google), so they move with you to a new phone. • Which apps you block stays on your device. ZugZwang never learns their names. • No ads. SUBSCRIPTION ZugZwang Pro unlocks the whole app. Choose a monthly or a yearly subscription. The yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and if you allow notifications you get a reminder two days before it ends. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase, or when the free trial ends. The subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for the renewal within the 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel it at any time in your App Store account settings. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use: https://use-less.app/zugzwang/terms Privacy Policy: https://use-less.app/zugzwang/privacy Puzzles come from the Lichess open puzzle database (CC0).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ChessLock at 67% against ZugZwang's 40%. ChessLock also leads on device support (3 vs 1). ZugZwang's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. ChessLock sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and ZugZwang sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ChessLock ships an update fortnightly, ZugZwang weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ChessLock | ZugZwang |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Patricio Guzman | DaDaMa Ug (haftungsbeschränkt) |
Customer experience
ChessLock
ZugZwang
In-app purchases
ChessLock
- Chesslock Pro$2.997 Days
- Chesslock Pro$4.991 Month
- Chesslock Pro2 variants$29.991 Year
- Chesslock Pro$17.49
- Chesslock Pro$34.99
ZugZwang
- Monthly$7.991 Month
- Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
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- Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year









