Comparison

LOCK vs Sandbar

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

Head to head
About

LOCK

This app offers a focused social media experience by removing short-form videos and algorithmic feeds. It prioritizes direct messages, profiles, and connections, allowing users to control their digital environment.

Highlights
  • No short videos
  • No algorithmic feeds
  • Focus on messages and profiles
  • User-controlled experience
  • Ad-free social media
Features
Read full description

No feed. No scroll. No rabbit hole. LOCK-IN gives you Snapchat, Instagram & Co. without short videos and without algorithmic traps. Just what matters: messages, profiles, connections. Your phone. Your rules. https://get-lockin.app/nutzungsbedingungen https://get-lockin.app/datenschutz

About

Sandbar

Features
Read full description

Sandbar is a calm Pomodoro timer where every focus session grows something: your very own low-poly island. A new island starts as a little sandbar with a single sapling. With every Pomodoro, more land rises from the sea. Grass spreads, rocks appear, and one day a mountain and a waterfall rise up. The island sits on a round base inside a glass cylinder, so you can look all the way down to the sea floor. HOW IT WORKS • Focus, short break, long break: you choose the length and the rhythm. • Every minute of focus brings you a shell. Spend them on trees, animals, cabins and decor, and place each one exactly where you want it with a tap. • Every sixth Pomodoro brings a surprise: a rabbit hops by, a family of ducks paddles across the lake, a deer steps out of the forest. • Create several islands and see how much you got done in your weekly overview. • Day and night follow your device. At night, windows and campfires glow. • Soft rippling water while you focus, if you like. • A notification at the end of each phase, even when the app is in the background. WORLDS Forest Lake is free. Unlock more worlds with shells or buy them one by one, like the Maldives with white sand, water villas, sea turtles and dolphins. There are 20 worlds in all, from the Rainforest and the Hallig with real tides to the Fjord under the northern lights, the Underwater World and the Moon Colony. The newest are the Cloud Peak above a sea of clouds, the Mangrove Delta with its tides, the Rice Terraces, whose fields mirror the sky, and the Christmas Village, available every year from December 1 to 25. SANDBAR PLUS All worlds, the Plus Collection, every decor pack and double shells. Monthly, yearly (with 14 days free) or once for a lifetime. Your island still only grows through focus, never through money. PRIVATE No ads, no tracking, no account needed. Every island begins as a little sandbar. That’s where the name comes from. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

LOCK4 screens
Sandbar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sandbar at weekly against LOCK's every 2 months. 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. LOCK sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Sandbar sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LOCK ships an update every 2 months, Sandbar weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
LOCK versus Sandbar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLOCKSandbar
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews87.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperValerio QunajXavier Joseph Haas

In-app purchases

4 purchases

LOCK

Subscriptions4
  • Monatliches Abo$5.991 Month
  • Monatsabo$5.991 Month
  • Jahresabo$24.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Jährlich$29.991 Year
18 purchases

Sandbar

Subscriptions2
  • Sandbar Plus (monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Sandbar Plus (yearly)14 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time16
  • River Life$1.99
  • Christmas Bakery$1.99
  • Evening at the Hut$1.99
Show 13 more
  • Teahouse$1.99
  • Jungle Camp$1.99
  • Dive Center$1.99
  • Northern Lights Night$1.99
  • Moon Leisure$1.99
  • Surf Morning$1.99
  • Dolce Vita$1.99
  • Tea Party$1.99
  • Hytte$1.99
  • Rice Terraces$2.99
  • Mangrove Delta$2.99
  • Christmas Village$3.99
  • Cloud Peak$3.99

Questions

Is LOCK free?
LOCK is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sandbar free?
Sandbar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do LOCK or Sandbar have ads?
Neither LOCK nor Sandbar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LOCK or Sandbar?
LOCK ships an update every 2 months, and Sandbar weekly. Most recently, LOCK was updated on October 30, 2026 and Sandbar on November 1, 2026.

Other comparisons