Comparison

Loop vs Arc Lock

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

Head to head
About

Loop

Enhance focus and build healthier habits by controlling your phone usage. This app offers tools to limit distractions, track progress, and boost productivity through timed sessions and app blocking.

Highlights
  • Screen time limits
  • Study timer/Pomodoro mode
  • App blocker
  • Usage analytics
  • Habit tracking
  • Customizable intervals
Features
Read full description

Loop – Focus & Screen Time Control Stay focused, reduce distractions, and build better habits with Loop. Whether you're studying, working, or trying to break phone addiction, Loop helps you take control. Why Loop? Screen Time Control: Limit your daily or weekly phone usage Study Timer / Pomodoro Mode: Focus sessions + scheduled breaks App Blocker / Block Apps / App Lock: Temporarily disable distracting apps Stats & Analytics: Monitor usage trends, session durations, top apps Habit Tracker: Build consistent routines and keep streaks Boost Productivity & Focus: Transition into deep work mode Key Features Set custom limits per app or category Pomodoro-style intervals (e.g. 25 min focus / 5 min break) Temporarily lock social media, games, or any apps you choose Visual dashboards: screen time, focus ratio, app ranking Streaks, habit reminders, progress tracking Clean, intuitive UI with alerts, notifications & usage insights Who is Loop for? Students needing study focus Remote workers, freelancers Users wanting better time & screen time control Anyone seeking improved productivity and healthier phone habits “Loop helped me cut screen time and stay in flow during study sessions.” Download Loop now — focus more, waste less time, master your habits. To use this app, you must agree to our End User License Agreement(EULA), avaliable: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ To use this app you must agree to our Privacy Policy, avaliable at https://sites.google.com/view/focus-loop-privacy-policy/home

About

Arc Lock

Features
Read full description

Companies fight for every second of your time to keep you distracted. Taking control of your screen time should be a human right, not something locked behind a paywall. Arc Lock blocks the apps and websites that eat your day, and once a block starts, it stays on. Every feature is free for everyone: no subscription, no account, no ads, no in-app purchases. SCHEDULES Pick apps, app categories and websites, choose the hours and days, and they lock on their own. Overnight windows like 11 PM – 7 AM work too (up to 22 hours). DAILY LIMITS Allow yourself a set time each day, from 5 minutes to 8 hours. See exactly how many minutes are used and left. When the time is used up, those apps lock until the limit resets: at midnight, or at the time you pick (say 4:00 AM, for late nights). A heads-up comes 5 minutes before. TIME-OUTS Not a full block, a pause. After a stretch of use, the apps take a short break, then open again. For example: after 20 minutes of short videos, a 10-minute break. It repeats all day and starts fresh at its reset time. BLOCK NOW Lock distractions right away, from 15 minutes to 12 hours. The Block now button is always one tap away. PLACES Pick one or more places on the map, like the library, your school or the gym, and the apps lock when you arrive. Each place block ends when you leave, or after a set time, whichever you choose, and starts only on the days you pick. Location access is asked for only when you set up a place block, and Arc Lock never sends your location anywhere. STRICT LOCK Every block can have Strict lock, and it's on by default. While a strict block runs: • it can't be stopped, loosened or deleted in Arc Lock • the date and time can't be changed by hand • the block screen has a single button: Close Daily limits and time-outs are locked in until they reset: you can make one stricter once a day, but looser settings only start at its next reset. Want a gentler block? Switch Strict lock off for that block, and you can stop it whenever you like. Switching Strict lock off for the whole app works right away: a block that's running or counting stays strict only until its own reset, or until it ends. DELETION PROTECTION On by default: no app can be deleted from your iPhone, Arc Lock included. Switching it off waits only until your strict blocks reset or end. LOCK-IN Freeze every rule for 1 to 30 days, even between blocks: no loosening, no deleting rules, no deleting apps. Changes you queued before it wait until it ends. WEBSITES BY ADDRESS Type a site like youtube.com and it's blocked in Safari and every other browser, in schedules, daily limits, time-outs and Block now. APPLE'S OWN LOOK Native lists and a compact Liquid Glass tab bar: Home, Blocks and Settings. Names are optional: a block without one is shown by its first app. Five themes (Navy, Graphite, Forest, Plum and Paper), each with a matching app icon. The phone-and-lock mark in the app closes while something is blocked. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Arc Lock works through Apple's Screen Time. Apple keeps your activity on your iPhone; Arc Lock never learns which apps you use and sends nothing anywhere. No account, no analytics, no tracking. OPEN SOURCE The complete source code is on GitHub under the MIT license: github.com/WeldingArc/arc-lock

Screenshots

Loop4 screens
Arc Lock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Arc Lock at none against Loop's 3. Loop's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Loop sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Arc Lock asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Loop ships an update every 10 days, Arc Lock every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Loop versus Arc Lock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLoopArc Lock
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (4 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOnur UgurJUN HYUK CHOI

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Loop

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$49.991 Year
None

Arc Lock

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Loop free?
Loop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Arc Lock free?
Arc Lock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Loop or Arc Lock have ads?
Neither Loop nor Arc Lock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Loop or Arc Lock?
Loop ships an update every 10 days, and Arc Lock every 8 days. Most recently, Loop was updated on November 5, 2026 and Arc Lock on October 31, 2026.

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