Focus App Blocker vs Core Time
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Block any app or website
- Focus timer with Pomodoro
- Customizable Focus Profiles
- Session Journaling
- Weekly Focus Reports
- Streak Insurance
- Home screen widgets
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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/
Core Time
This app provides a strict approach to blocking distracting applications and websites, helping users regain focus and manage screen time. It offers customizable lock durations and schedules, ensuring boundaries are enforced without negotiation.
- Strict app blocking
- Customizable lock durations
- Automatic scheduling
- Cold turkey focus mode
- Dopamine detox support
- ADHD-friendly focus aid
- One-tap recovery
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Core Time is a strict app blocker and screen time app lock for people who need more than a gentle reminder. Block apps cold turkey, protect your focus, and stop losing hours to social media, dopamine loops, and phone addiction. If Screen Time limits are too easy to ignore, Core Time gives you a harder reset. Choose the apps and websites that pull you away from what matters, set your lock duration or schedule, and let Core Time enforce the boundary until time is up. ▶ STRICT APP BLOCKER Select distracting apps, set a timer, and tap Lock Now. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit, games, and other dopamine traps stay blocked while your lock is active. ▶ SCREEN TIME APP LOCK Use Core Time as a stronger screen time blocker when default limits are not enough. Create hard app limits for study, deep work, bedtime, weekends, or any moment when one more scroll can ruin your day. ▶ COLD TURKEY FOCUS No snooze. No soft warning. No willpower negotiation. Core Time is built for people who want a cold turkey app blocker that removes temptation instead of asking you to resist it. ▶ STUDY, EXAMS, AND DEEP WORK Start a lock before homework, exam prep, reading, writing, coding, or meetings. Keep your phone nearby without letting social media or games steal your focus. ▶ DOPAMINE DETOX AND DIGITAL DETOX Trying to break a scrolling habit? Use Core Time to block the apps that trigger quick dopamine hits and build a calmer digital routine. It is useful for a daily digital detox, a weekend reset, or a longer phone addiction recovery plan. ▶ AUTOMATIC SCHEDULES Set recurring locks for school hours, work blocks, family time, or sleep. Core Time can activate on your schedule so you do not need to decide again every day. ▶ ADHD-FRIENDLY FOCUS SUPPORT When impulse control is hard, a reminder is not enough. Core Time helps by removing the option to open the apps you already decided to avoid. ▶ NO WAY OUT DURING A LOCK During an active lock, selected apps and websites show a shield screen. Core Time uses Apple's Screen Time API and Family Controls framework so blocking runs on your device and stays private. ▶ ONE-TAP RECOVERY If something goes wrong, use Fix Now in Settings to reset Core Time to a clean state quickly. ▶ RECOMMENDED FOR • Students preparing for exams or homework • Professionals protecting deep work blocks • People with ADHD who need stronger focus boundaries • Anyone reducing phone addiction, doomscrolling, or social media overuse • Night owls who want to stop scrolling before bed • Parents who want a clear app blocking routine on their own device Core Time is not another reminder app. It is a strict app blocker, screen time blocker, app lock, focus timer, and digital detox tool for people who want their time back. Take back control of your phone. Download Core Time and start your next focus block today. ▶ USE CASES THAT MATCH REAL LIFE Use Core Time before a study session, during exam prep, while writing, when coding, during meetings, at the gym, or before sleep. If you keep opening the same apps without thinking, create a lock before the habit starts. ▶ WHY IT HELPS Core Time turns a vague intention into a real boundary. Instead of checking your phone, feeling guilty, and trying again tomorrow, you make one decision up front and let the app enforce it. ▶ BUILT FOR REPEAT ROUTINES The best results come from repeated locks: weekday work blocks, daily study sessions, lunch breaks without scrolling, and bedtime screen time limits. Start small, then make your focus routine automatic. ▶ SCREEN TIME CONTROL AND APP DETOX Use Core Time as screen time control when you need cold turkey blocking, app detox, a dopamine detox app, or a phone detox app. It works as a blocker for apps that interrupt study, deep work, sleep, and real life. Terms of Use (EULA): https://core-ground.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://core-ground.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Core Time at 5.0 against Focus App Blocker's 4.0. Core Time also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). 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. Focus App Blocker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days and Core Time sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Core Time holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.
Focus App Blocker ships an update every 2 weeks, Core Time every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Focus App Blocker | Core Time |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Paul Contreras | coreground |
Customer experience
Focus App Blocker
Core Time
In-app purchases
Focus App Blocker
- Pro Weekly Access3 Days trial$1.497 Days
- Pro Monthly Access$3.991 Month
- Pro Annual Access7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime Access$19.99
Core Time
- Core Time Pro (Monthly)$6.991 Month
- Core Time Pro (Annual)$49.991 Year





