Comparison

Barrier vs Keelder

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

Head to head
About

Barrier

This app helps you regain control over your phone usage by creating a physical barrier to accessing distracting applications. Instead of simply closing apps, it requires you to wait a set amount of time with your phone face down before granting temporary access, prompting reflection on your digital habits.

Highlights
  • Select apps to limit
  • Automatic app locking
  • Face-down phone wait for unlock
  • Temporary app access
  • Customizable wait times (5-60 seconds)
  • Unlimited apps with paid version
Features
Read full description

Most blockers simply close apps. One tap and you’re back to scrolling. This app works differently. To open social media, you have to put your phone face down and wait. From 5 to 60 seconds — you choose. There’s no “cancel” button. You just sit there, staring at the back of your phone. In those seconds, your brain snaps out of autopilot. You remember that you actually had things to do. And you realize — is this feed really worth a minute of your life? Most of the time — it’s not. This isn’t blocking. It’s a physical barrier that brings back control. How Barrier works: 1. Choose apps → Select the apps you want to limit 2.Auto-blocking → Apps are locked automatically 3.Unlock → Put your phone face down for a set time 4.Temporary access → Apps become available for a limited time Paid features: - Unlimited apps and category (Free: 5 apps or 1 category) Privacy Policy: https://sabellus.github.io/portal/privacybarrier.html Terms of Use: https://sabellus.github.io/portal/termsbarrier.html

About

Keelder

Features
Read full description

You reach for your phone on autopilot. The app doesn't open. Instead, you meet one short line, written by you, for exactly this moment. That's all Keelder does. And the moment changes. Pick the apps that pull you in. In a calm minute, write one line in your own words: your anchor. From then on, a shield carries those words every time you reach for those apps. Under the words, a quiet count: "Today: open 3 · line 3". The line is yours. You decide how many opens a day is enough. Opening anyway is allowed, and counted. Past the line, the count just keeps climbing. The line is a mirror, not a wall. Each open unlocks the app for about 15 minutes. Then the shield returns, and your words are waiting. If you want a real wall, there is one: an optional hard stop at the line. Off by default. Your call. The Reflect tab keeps a quiet record of your opens: the time and the words you met, and the hours of day when you usually reach for your phone. No streaks, no scores, no shame. The apps are built to pull you back; you were never the problem. Keelder is not a blocker. It does not fight you for your phone. It gives you one honest moment before the feed, in the one voice that is hard to scroll past: your own. Keelder uses Apple's Screen Time permission to show the shield. There is no account, no server, and no analytics. Everything, including your words, stays on your phone.

Screenshots

Barrier4 screens
Keelder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Keelder at none against Barrier's 3. Keelder also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Barrier sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Keelder asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barrier ships an update every 2 weeks, Keelder every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Barrier versus Keelder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarrierKeelder
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSavelii VeprevIlya Liutsko

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Barrier

Subscriptions2
  • Premium for week$2.997 Days
  • Premium for month$4.991 Month
One-time1
  • Premium Forever$9.99
None

Keelder

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Barrier free?
Barrier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Keelder free?
Keelder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Barrier or Keelder have ads?
Neither Barrier nor Keelder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Barrier or Keelder?
Barrier ships an update every 2 weeks, and Keelder every 4 days. Most recently, Barrier was updated on October 30, 2026 and Keelder on October 31, 2026.

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