TimeOut vs AppLock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
TimeOut
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TIMEOUT is the app blocker with no subscription, no account, and no mercy. Pick the apps that eat your day. Set a window. They're gone β shielded by iOS Screen Time until the window ends. Even if you never open TimeOut again, your blocks fire on schedule. BLOCKS β’ Daily schedules: 9β5 focus, overnight sleep, weekend detox β anything β’ Per-day control: weekdays, weekends, or any combination β’ Overnight windows that cross midnight just work β’ Block individual apps or whole categories ALLOWED TIME Give yourself 15 minutes of scrolling inside a block. When the minutes are used up, the shield slams shut for the rest of the window. Discipline, with a pressure valve. EXIT FRICTION β you choose how hard it is to quit β’ SIMPLE β pause anytime β’ REFLECT β 30 seconds of waiting before you can bail β’ DEEP β a 2 minute wait plus a password. For the serious. YOUR SHIELD, YOUR WORDS Write the message your blocked apps throw back at you when you cave. HOME SCREEN WIDGETS See your blocking status at a glance without opening the app. NO NONSENSE No account. No ads. No subscription. No tracking. Blocking runs entirely on-device through Apple's Screen Time framework β nothing ever leaves your phone. Time out. Go do something real.
AppLock
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This is a smart focus and digital wellbeing app that helps you cut distractions and stay in flow. With flexible time-based rules, you can automatically limit access to distracting apps during work, study or sleep. β Focus Control β’ Manual Mode β Quickly enable or disable focus rules for selected app groups with a single tap. Perfect for on-demand focus sessions. β’ Time Mode β Schedule focus sessions (e.g., 09:00β12:00 on weekdays) and let the app automatically restrict distracting apps at those times. Rules run in the background even when the app is closed. β’ Schedule-based Restrictions β Set specific time windows when apps are automatically locked. Ideal for work hours, study sessions, or sleep time. β’ Daily Usage Limits β Set daily time limits for app groups. Once the limit is reached, apps are automatically restricted for the rest of the day. β SafeBox β Private Storage β’ Encrypted Photo & Video Albums β Safely store your private photos and videos in encrypted albums. Create custom albums and organize your memories with complete privacy protection. β’ Private Contacts β Keep important contacts secure and separate from your regular address book. Import contacts and manage them privately. β’ Local Encryption β All SafeBox data is encrypted and stored locally on your device. No data is uploaded to servers. β System Control Tools β’ Block App Deletion β Prevent apps from being deleted from your device. β’ Block App Installation β Control which apps can be installed on your device. β’ Block Payments β Require password authentication for all App Store purchases and block in-app purchases. β’ Block Account Changes β Lock account settings to prevent unauthorized modifications. β’ Block Date & Time Changes β Prevent tampering with device date and time settings. β’ Game Center Controls β Block multiplayer gaming and prevent adding Game Center friends. β’ Content Filtering β Block explicit content and set age rating restrictions for App Store downloads. β’ Siri Control β Disable Siri access when needed. β Intruder Detection β’ Auto-capture photos when incorrect password is entered, helping you monitor unauthorized access attempts. β How it works This app uses Apple's Screen Time / Family Controls framework: β’ You pick the apps or categories you want to manage with FamilyActivityPicker. β’ The app applies Screen Time restrictions through the official ManagedSettings APIs. β’ A Device Activity extension allows time-based rules to run even when the main app is closed. All changes are fully under your control: you can edit, pause or delete any rule at any time. β Privacy β’ No user data is uploaded to servers. β’ No third-party analytics, ads or tracking SDKs. β’ All configuration data (groups, schedules, preferences, SafeBox content) is stored locally on your device with encryption. This app is designed purely to help you build better focus habits, reduce time-wasting app usage and improve your digital wellbeing.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: AppLock at fortnightly against TimeOut's every 13 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
TimeOut ships an update every 13 months, AppLock fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TimeOut | AppLock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | Fortnightly β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 β better | 17.4 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 1273 software ltd | ε°η§ ι |
In-app purchases
TimeOut
No in-app purchases
AppLock
No in-app purchases







