Comparison

Parental Control App:PatLock vs HammyNest

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

Head to head
About

Parental Control App:PatLock

Remotely manage your child's phone with app locking, screen time limits, and geofencing. Control usage from your own device without needing direct access to theirs. Features include scheduled locks and customizable rules for weekdays and weekends.

Highlights
  • Remote app locking and unlocking
  • Set daily screen time limits
  • Geofencing for location-based restrictions
  • Scheduled auto-locks for specific times
  • Pure iCloud remote control
  • Optional virtual pet task assignment
Features
Read full description

PatLock — Remote Parental Control App. Manage Your Child's Phone from Anywhere. PatLock lets you lock apps, set screen time limits, and monitor usage — all from your own phone, remotely. No need to touch your child's device. Simple, secure, effective. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remote App Locking - Lock/unlock any app on your child's device from your phone - Commands delivered in seconds - Schedule auto-lock for homework, bedtime, school hours Remote Screen Time Management - Set daily usage limits per app - Visual countdown, auto-lock when time's up - Different rules for weekdays vs weekends Remote Geofencing - Auto-restrict games near schools or study zones - Auto-unlock when leaving the area - Multiple zones supported Pure iCloud Remote Control - All commands via iCloud — no third-party servers - Real-time sync, instant status updates - Your data stays in your iCloud only Bonus: Xingbao Pet Tasks (Optional) - Assign chores through a virtual pet - Kids earn stars upon completion - Optional feature, not required for core controls Optional Disguise Mode - App can appear as a puzzle game to reduce resistance - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Security and Privacy - Face ID / passcode protection - Pure Apple CloudKit — no third-party servers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Why PatLock? - Core features free - Truly remote — no need to touch child's device - Privacy-first, your data stays yours - 10 languages supported - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Download PatLock today and take control of your family's digital life — from your phone. Privacy Policy: https://alexjiang1.github.io/privacy.html Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

HammyNest

This comprehensive companion app helps hamster owners provide optimal care for their pets. It offers daily tracking, health monitoring, extensive guides, and sharing features. Premium features unlock unlimited profiles, advanced tracking, and real-time weather alerts.

Highlights
  • Daily care tracking
  • Health and wellness journal
  • Extensive hamster guides
  • Photo gallery and sharing
  • Customizable reminders
  • Food safety database
  • AI photo tagging (premium)
Read full description

HammyNest — The Complete Hamster Care Companion Everything you need to give your hamster the best life possible. Built by a hamster owner, for hamster owners. DAILY CARE - Track feeding with 191-food safety database - Log cage cleaning with next-due reminders - Daily care checklist with auto-logging - Playtime timer for free-roam sessions - Morning check-in for overnight activity - Water monitoring and shopping list - Heat warnings and a summer safety briefing when it's dangerously hot — free for everyone - Cold-weather & torpor warnings when a cold night is dangerous — free for everyone - Add your own custom food types to the feeding log - Customisable care reminders — feeding, water, cleaning & seasonal tips, at your chosen times HEALTH & WELLNESS - Health journal with weight & vet visit logs - Mood & behaviour logging with patterns - Sleep tracking with wake/sleep shifts - Heat cycle & scent tracker with 4-day predictions - Activity tracker - Care score — your weekly care report card - Custom Trackers — track your own things (nail length, wheel distance, mood…) and chart them over time - Medication and allergy tracking GUIDES & REFERENCE - Emergency guide for health crises - "Hamster on the Loose!" — escape recovery, real stories, an illustrated comic & a calm space - Summer heat-safety guide — cooling, heatstroke signs & what never to do - Going Away guide — travel prep, time limits & sitter instructions - Behaviour guide — 20 behaviours decoded - Cage setup guide (wire vs tank vs bin) - Breed encyclopedia (all 5 breeds) - Safety guides — free-roam hazards, bedding & floor cleaning - Owner Wellbeing guide — stress, health & calming techniques - Allergies & Asthma guide — spotting an allergy from bedding & dander PHOTOS & SHARING - Photo gallery — timeline, tags & growth strip - Tag & Share — share a mood card in one tap - Share Hub — 10 shareable cards - QR pet sitter cards with emergency contacts - Food barcode scanner — check if a food is safe - AI photo tags (premium) — one-tap suggested tags TOOLS & MORE - Taming tracker with trick training guide - Vet appointments with Calendar sync & Maps location - Export data as CSV or vet visit summary - Backup & Restore — save everything to a file and restore it any time (free) - Achievements & care streaks - Age, cage size & bedding calculators PREMIUM - 7-day free trial - Unlimited hamster profiles - Full care history and food database - Health journal, mood, sleep, and activity tracking - Photo gallery, journal, and care calendar - Live weather + automatic heat alerts the night before a hot day, even when the app's closed - Cold-snap & torpor warnings, medication reminders, heat-cycle predictions & senior check-ins - Pet sitter cards, export data, custom themes, and more - Unlimited custom food types (everyone gets a couple free) FAMILY & SHARING - Care Circle — share care in real time - See who fed, who cleaned, and who's next at a glance - Push notifications when your partner logs care - "Already fed?" guard prevents duplicate logging - FairShare (premium) — see who did what percentage of the care - Routines (premium) — assign standing responsibilities MORE FROM THE DEVELOPER - Symply — asthma & allergy tracker - Moshed — a concert & gig journal - NEATEd — a playful "see how AI learns" sandbox - Loafe — cozy lo-fi you make yourself - Dear Diary — a gentle journal for your days OUR PROMISE Heat and cold-weather warnings, the emergency guide, and life-saving care advice are free for everyone. A hamster's safety is never a premium feature. PRIVACY Your data stays on your device and in your personal iCloud. We never collect, see, or share your information. Built with love in Scotland, inspired by Miho — a five-time escape artist who once stole an entire carrot and vanished for three days. Privacy Policy: https://github.com/venetsia/hammynest-support/blob/main/PRIVACY.md Terms of Use: https://github.com/venetsia/hammynest-support/blob/main/TERMS.md

Screenshots

Parental Control App:PatLock4 screens
HammyNest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Parental Control App:PatLock at 5.0 against HammyNest's 3.0. HammyNest's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Parental Control App:PatLock sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and HammyNest sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Parental Control App:PatLock holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Parental Control App:PatLock ships an update every 3 weeks, HammyNest every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Parental Control App:PatLock versus HammyNest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterParental Control App:PatLockHammyNest
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.417.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB21 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developer飞 江Venetsia Krasteva

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Parental Control App:PatLock

Subscriptions2
  • Parental Control Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Parental Control Pro (Yearly)$12.991 Year
One-time2
  • Parental Control Pro - Half Price$19.99
  • Parental Control Pro(Lifetime)$39.99
2 purchases

HammyNest

Subscriptions2
  • HammyNest Premium – Monthly$2.991 Month
  • HammyNest Premium – Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Parental Control App:PatLock free?
Parental Control App:PatLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HammyNest free?
HammyNest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Parental Control App:PatLock or HammyNest?
Parental Control App:PatLock is rated higher. Parental Control App:PatLock averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while HammyNest averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Parental Control App:PatLock or HammyNest have ads?
Neither Parental Control App:PatLock nor HammyNest shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Parental Control App:PatLock or HammyNest?
Parental Control App:PatLock ships an update every 3 weeks, and HammyNest every 8 days. Most recently, Parental Control App:PatLock was updated on November 5, 2026 and HammyNest on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons