Comparison

Focus App Blocker vs BlockMate

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

Head to head
About

Focus App Blocker

This app helps you reclaim lost time by blocking distracting applications during focused work or study sessions. It removes tempting shortcuts and builds positive habits through a streak system, making productivity feel automatic.

Highlights
  • Block any app or website
  • Focus timer with Pomodoro
  • Customizable Focus Profiles
  • Session Journaling
  • Weekly Focus Reports
  • Streak Insurance
  • Home screen widgets
Features
Read full description

You picked up your phone for one thing. Somehow, half an hour disappeared. StrictBlock helps you make room for what you meant to do. Finish the assignment. Read a few pages. Be there for the people sitting next to you. Choose the apps that pull you away, set a focus session, and block access while you get on with your day. You decide what deserves your attention. MAKE STARTING EASIER Write down one thing you want to finish. Set aside a little time. Keep distracting apps out of reach while you take the first step. PROTECT TIME THAT MATTERS Plan recurring blocks around study, work or your evening routine. Use Pomodoro sessions when a little structure and regular breaks help you keep going. SEE WHAT YOU MADE TIME FOR Look back at your focus sessions, streaks and progress. Let each completed session remind you that small efforts count. START SMALL Try free focus sessions, then choose Pro monthly, annually or with a one-time lifetime purchase for more room to focus. Eligible new monthly subscribers can try Pro free for 7 days. Local prices and offer eligibility are shown before purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings. Lifetime is a one-time purchase. Take a few minutes back today. Decide what to do with them. https://www.strictblock.app https://www.strictblock.app/support https://www.strictblock.app/privacy https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

BlockMate

Features
Read full description

Stop doomscrolling. Without willpower. BlockMate is your AI mate for intentional screen time on iPhone. Instead of hard-blocking apps, it asks one honest question when you reach for Instagram, TikTok, or any app you'd rather not be on. Most of the time, you put the phone down on your own. The friendly way to reduce screen time, without locking yourself out of your own phone. THE PROBLEM You unlock your phone 80+ times a day. Most of those weren't your idea. Hard blockers fail because you override them. Willpower runs out by 2 PM. The lever that actually works is intention — and you only need one second of it, the moment your thumb is moving. Whether you call it doomscrolling, phone addiction, or just a habit you'd like to break, the same one-second lever applies. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps that pull you in. Instagram, TikTok, X, Reddit, YouTube Shorts — gate any apps, categories, or websites in Safari. BlockMate uses Apple's FamilyControls API, so the gating is real. 2. When you reach for one, BlockMate asks why. A short, honest exchange. No password, no countdown — a 30-second conversation. The AI mate reflects what you said before it asks anything. 3. Walk away, or get exactly the time you asked for. Real reason? You get the minutes you named. Just bargaining? You'll catch yourself, and the app stays closed. Auto-locks when time's up. WHY IT WORKS - Reflects, then asks. A bare question is interrogation. BlockMate restates what you said before asking anything. - Self-compassion, not shame. Honest impulses get honored. Guilt cycles drive more scrolling, not less. - Your past self knew. You set this up in a clear moment, for a foggy one. - Adapts as you grow. The more intentional you become, the quieter BlockMate gets. VS HARD BLOCKERS Opal, One Sec, Jomo, ScreenZen, Refocus — every one promises to reduce screen time. Every one relies on willpower. BlockMate uses a different lever: a 30-second conversation in the moment your thumb is moving. A mate, not a warden. PRIVACY - Apple FamilyControls — your blocklist stays on your device. - Conversations are short, anonymized, and never sold. - No ad networks. No third-party trackers. The product is the business. PRICING Free to start. Upgrade to unlock unlimited negotiations, multi-app gating, and adaptive coaching that learns your patterns. Yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. The friendly way to reduce screen time. Helping people live a little more, scroll a little less. Terms of Service: https://cloudy-bite-d28.notion.site/Terms-of-Service-354cc3aac91081908268cf66507229ec Privacy Policy: https://cloudy-bite-d28.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-2f1cc3aac9108061b102e03cf5eb3ce8

Screenshots

Focus App Blocker4 screens
BlockMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

Focus App Blocker and BlockMate are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Focus App Blocker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days and BlockMate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Focus App Blocker versus BlockMate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocus App BlockerBlockMate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB30 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperPaul ContrerasOleh Hykavyy

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Focus App Blocker

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Weekly Access3 Days trial$1.497 Days
  • Pro Monthly Access$3.991 Month
  • Pro Annual Access7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime Access$19.99
2 purchases

BlockMate

Subscriptions2
  • BlockMate Pro (Monthly)$6.991 Month
  • BlockMate Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Focus App Blocker free?
Focus App Blocker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BlockMate free?
BlockMate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Focus App Blocker or BlockMate have ads?
Neither Focus App Blocker nor BlockMate shows ads.

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