Comparison

The Lock In vs Austere

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

Head to head
About

The Lock In

Enhance deep focus, build lasting habits, and gain insights into your time management. This app combines distraction-free timers, streak tracking, AI coaching, and social accountability features to help you achieve your goals.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free focus timers
  • Habit streak tracking
  • AI-driven productivity coaching
  • Social focus sessions with friends
  • Habit history and success rate analysis
  • User profiles and home base dashboard
Features
Read full description

The Lock In is your all‑in‑one productivity companion for deep focus, habits that actually stick, and a clear picture of how you spend your time. Built for iOS 16 and above, The Lock In combines focus sessions, habit tracking, social accountability, and AI‑driven coaching into one sleek, intuitive app. Whether you’re studying, building a startup, or just trying to stay consistent with the basics, The Lock In helps you show up every day, lock in when it matters most, and see real progress instead of vague good intentions. — Key Features — - Focus Sessions that actually get you started Start a focus session in seconds with clean, distraction‑free timers. Choose a preset or set your own duration, tap start, and let The Lock In guide you into flow with clear time remaining and subtle haptics. When the timer ends, you know exactly what you just accomplished. - Habit Tracking for real streaks Turn small daily and weekly actions into long‑term streaks. Mark habits complete with one tap and let The Lock In track how often you follow through, how long your current streak is, and what your best streak has been, so you always know where you stand. - Habit History and success rates See the bigger picture behind your routine. Habit History shows you completed and missed days, streak changes, and success rates over time. Quickly spot patterns like “I always miss Thursdays” or “weekends are my weak spot” and adjust before things slide. - Bob – your data‑aware productivity companion * Bob isn’t guessing. Inside The Lock In, Bob can see all of your focus sessions, all of your habits, and the success rate of each one. Because he understands your real behavior, Bob can talk to you about where you’re consistent, where you stall, and what might help you get moving again. Check in when you feel stuck or overwhelmed, reflect on your week, and revisit past conversations in Bob’s history whenever you need a reminder. - Social Tab & Lock‑In Duo: focus with a friend The Social tab turns focus into something you don’t have to do alone. With Lock‑In Duo, you and a friend can lock in at the same time and see that you’re both in a session together, live. Instead of just sharing screenshots later, you’re actually focusing side‑by‑side in real time—bringing a new kind of social accountability experience to the App Store. - Profiles, usernames, and a clear home base Every user has a unique username, giving your account a simple identity across social features like Duos. Key profile information and high‑level stats live on the Home screen so you can quickly see how you’re doing and jump into your next session without digging through extra tabs. The Lock In is built for people who want serious tools without unnecessary complexity. It’s there when you need help starting, staying focused, or understanding your own patterns and it quietly steps back once you’re in the zone. Download The Lock In today to start locking in deep focus sessions, building habits that last, and working alongside friends in real time—one streak, one session, and one small win at a time. *Some AI features (including AI Insights and Bob’s advanced coaching) require a pro subscription. Terms of Use: https://lock-in-fb1d6.web.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://lock-in-fb1d6.web.app/privacy Developed by Deniz Gokcay

About

Austere

Read full description

Austere is the AI life coach you can't afford in real life — in your pocket, every day. Most people know what they need to do. They just don't do it. Austere exists to change that. YOUR COACH. YOUR RULES. Tell Austere your goals, your focus, and how hard you want to be pushed. Your coach adapts to you — direct, honest, and relentless. DAILY CHECK-INS Every day your coach checks in. How did yesterday go? What's today's focus? What's in your way? No fluff. Just accountability. AI COACHING SESSIONS Talk to your coach anytime. Get real feedback, not validation. Your coach remembers your goals and calls you out when you're slipping. GUIDED JOURNALING Daily prompts generated by your coach based on where you are in your journey. Write freely. Your coach reflects back what matters. GOAL TRACKING Set targets. Track progress. Your coach stays aware of your goals in every session. WEEKLY REVIEW Every week your coach breaks down your performance. What worked. What didn't. What to focus on next. No motivation speeches. No empty encouragement. Just the truth and a plan. Your coach is ready. Are you? Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

The Lock In4 screens
Austere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: The Lock In at 16.0 against Austere's 26.2. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. The Lock In sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Austere sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
The Lock In versus Austere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Lock InAustere
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (37 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings37 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGOKHAN GOKCAYHUNTER FLOYD

In-app purchases

3 purchases

The Lock In

Subscriptions3
  • Lock In Pro Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Lock In Pro – 6 Months7 Days trial$19.996 Months
  • Lock In Pro Yearly7 Days trial$44.991 Year
2 purchases

Austere

Subscriptions2
  • Austere Pro Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Austere Pro Yearly3 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is The Lock In free?
The Lock In is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Austere free?
Austere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do The Lock In or Austere have ads?
Neither The Lock In nor Austere shows ads.

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