Comparison

PeerPause vs Deadbolt

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

Head to head
About

PeerPause

This app helps you stick to your screen time limits by involving a trusted friend. When your time is up, it blocks apps, and you must ask your 'Time Buddy' for more time, adding social accountability to break scrolling habits.

Highlights
  • App blocking that enforces limits
  • Real-time accountability with a Time Buddy
  • Request additional screen time
  • Approval required for limit changes
  • No easy self-override options
  • Private by design for user data
Features
Read full description

Screen time limits only work when you can't quietly undo them. PeerPause fixes that by putting one person you trust between you and the "just five more minutes" button. Set a daily limit for the apps that eat your day. When the time is gone, the app locks. If you genuinely need longer, you send a request to your Time Buddy — a friend, partner, or sibling who taps accept or deny. No secret override, no deleting the limit at 1am. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the app that distracts you most. 2. Set its daily limit. 3. Add a Time Buddy. 4. When you hit the limit, the app locks. 5. Ask for more time, with a note if you want. 6. Your Time Buddy decides. WHAT YOU GET • Blocking for social, video, game, dating, and shopping apps • Daily limits built on Apple's Screen Time • Time extension requests, answered by a real person • Buddy confirmation before a limit is changed or removed • Streaks and insights that show what's actually improving • No instant self-override when you hit the limit WHY A BUDDY BEATS WILLPOWER Every other blocker lets you turn it off. That is the whole problem — the moment you want to break the limit is exactly the moment you are least able to argue with yourself. Handing that one decision to someone else takes about two seconds and changes the outcome. Your Time Buddy is not a parent or a monitor. They see the app name, how much time you asked for, and any note you send. They cannot see your messages, your browsing, your photos, or what you do inside any app. Your Screen Time data stays on your device. BEING SOMEONE'S TIME BUDDY Answering requests for a friend costs nothing — install PeerPause, get added, and tap accept or deny when they ask. A PeerPause Pro subscription is what lets you create and manage your own limits. Pause first. Scroll less. Take your time back. TERMS OF USE https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Deadbolt

Features
Read full description

Your phone works for you now. Deadbolt locks away the apps that eat your day — Instagram, TikTok, whatever your poison is — for exactly as long as you choose. Turn the dial, tap "Bolt it", and they're gone until the timer runs out. NO WILLPOWER REQUIRED That's the point. When you try to open a blocked app, Deadbolt turns you away — with a dry one-liner instead of a lecture. STRICT MODE No early exit, no "just five minutes." Sessions end when they end. AN EMERGENCY EXIT THAT COSTS YOU Really need out early? Request an emergency exit — then wait out a 10-minute cooldown while Deadbolt asks if you're sure. Impulses don't survive ten minutes. Emergencies do. DAILY BLOCKS Lock the same hours automatically, every day. Nights, work mornings, study blocks — they run even when Deadbolt is closed. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Built on Apple's Screen Time framework. The apps you block and how you use your phone never leave your device — we can't see them, and we never track them. No account required. Deadbolt is free to start — bolt your apps for 15 minutes, twice a day, no account needed. Deadbolt Pro unlocks everything: sessions up to 8 hours, Strict Mode with its exit challenges, daily schedules, location locks, allow-only mode, and your full focus history. The exact price and billing period are shown in the app before you subscribe. Subscriptions are billed to your Apple ID and renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://trydeadbolt.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://trydeadbolt.app/privacy

Screenshots

PeerPause4 screens
Deadbolt4 screens

Verdict

The call

PeerPause and Deadbolt are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. PeerPause sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Deadbolt sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
PeerPause versus Deadbolt: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPeerPauseDeadbolt
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size100 MB15 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperAndrei TarceAkshit Kanaujia

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PeerPause

Subscriptions3
  • PeerPause Weekly$3.997 Days
  • PeerPause3 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • PeerPause3 Days trial$24.991 Year
2 purchases

Deadbolt

Subscriptions2
  • Deadbolt Pro$4.991 Month
  • Deadbolt Pro$29.991 Year

Questions

Is PeerPause free?
PeerPause is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Deadbolt free?
Deadbolt is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PeerPause or Deadbolt have ads?
Neither PeerPause nor Deadbolt shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PeerPause or Deadbolt?
PeerPause ships an update every 4 days, and Deadbolt every 4 days. Most recently, PeerPause was updated on October 15, 2026 and Deadbolt on October 14, 2026.

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