Comparison

Steps Unlock vs StepTower

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

Head to head
About

Steps Unlock

This app helps you stay focused by locking selected applications until you reach a set number of daily steps. It encourages physical activity and productivity by turning screen time into step time, promoting healthier habits.

Highlights
  • Set daily step goals
  • Choose apps to lock
  • Walk to unlock apps
  • Build healthy habits
  • Stay focused on tasks
Read full description

Tired of wasting time on distracting apps? With StepUnlock, your selected apps stay locked until you walk a certain number of steps. Stay active, stay productive — and turn your screen time into step time! Set your daily step goals Choose which apps to lock Walk to unlock them — simple as that! Build healthy habits while staying focused Move more. Unlock more. Become unstoppable. Terms of Use: https://litappslab.com/terms

About

StepTower

This app encourages physical activity by locking distracting applications behind a step-based unlocking system. Users place apps on different tower floors, with higher floors requiring more steps to access. Reaching daily step goals frees up all apps for the day.

Highlights
  • Lock distracting apps with steps
  • Place apps on tower floors
  • Unlock floors with 1,000 steps
  • Sync steps with Apple Health
  • Daily goal completion
  • 15-minute pause breaks
  • Home Screen widget
Read full description

Turn your steps into a tower. Every floor you reach unlocks the apps you placed there. Spending too much time on your phone? StepTower locks your most distracting apps behind real steps. Place each app on a floor of your tower. The higher the floor, the more steps it takes to unlock. Put casual apps on lower floors and your biggest distractions at the top. Every 1,000 steps unlocks the next floor and the apps on it. What you get: - Lock distracting apps until you walk - Place apps and categories on different tower floors - Unlock each floor with 1,000 steps - Unlock apps as soon as you reach their floor - Complete your daily goal to free everything for the day - Take a 15-minute pause when you need a quick break - Sync steps automatically with Apple Health - Build streaks - Add Home Screen widget for your tower and progress How it works: 1. Choose the apps you want to lock 2. Place them on StepTower floors 3. Walk 1,000 steps to reach the next floor 4. Apps unlock when their floor is reached 5. Reach the top to unlock everything for the rest of the day 6. Need a quick break? Use a 15-minute pause Built for privacy: No account needed. *All features described above require a subscription.* Terms of Service: https://steptower.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://steptower.app/privacy

Screenshots

Steps Unlock4 screens
StepTower4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Steps Unlock at free with in-app purchases against StepTower's subscription. Steps Unlock also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (127 vs 11). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Steps Unlock sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and StepTower sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Steps Unlock against 4.2 for StepTower. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Steps Unlock has 127 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Steps Unlock ships an update weekly, StepTower every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Steps Unlock versus StepTower: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSteps UnlockStepTower
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (127 ratings) — better4.2 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews5.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings127 — better11
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLit Apps LLC (Mobile)Andreas Losing

Customer experience

Steps Unlock

All ratings127 ratings
Positive75.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative21.3%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive5.3%
Neutral10.5%
Negative84.2%

StepTower

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.2%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Steps Unlock

Subscriptions5
  • Weekly Reference Subsctiption7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Yearly Reference Subsctiption$9.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$19.991 Year
5 purchases

StepTower

Subscriptions5
  • Pro$4.997 Days
  • Pro$19.991 Year
  • Pro$24.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Pro3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Pro3 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Steps Unlock free?
Steps Unlock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StepTower free?
StepTower is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Steps Unlock or StepTower?
Steps Unlock is rated higher. Steps Unlock averages 4.2 out of 5 from 127 ratings, while StepTower averages 4.2 from 11 ratings.
Do Steps Unlock or StepTower have ads?
Neither Steps Unlock nor StepTower shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Steps Unlock or StepTower?
Steps Unlock ships an update weekly, and StepTower every 3 weeks. Most recently, Steps Unlock was updated on October 30, 2026 and StepTower on October 31, 2026.

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