BarBlock vs DutyLock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BarBlock
This app helps reduce screen time by requiring users to scan a real-world barcode to unlock selected apps. It adds friction to app usage, encouraging conscious choices and breaking automatic habits. Setup is simple, with no subscriptions or in-app purchases required.
- Block apps by scanning real-world barcodes
- Unlock apps by rescanning the same barcode
- Reduces screen time and automatic phone use
- Privacy-first design, no accounts or sign-ups
- Works offline, all data stored locally
- Unlimited app blocking
Read full descriptionHide full description
BarBlock reduces screen time by adding real-world friction to app blocking. Instead of relying on willpower or screen time limits, you lock distracting apps by scanning a barcode you already have, like one on a book or a food package. Those apps stay blocked until you scan the same barcode again. Setup is super easy: choose the apps you want to block, scan any barcode, and they stay locked until you rescan it. No extra devices, nothing new to buy, no subscriptions, no accounts, no sign-ups. You can block unlimited apps, and the app works fully offline with all data stored locally. Nothing is tracked, collected, or sent to any server. BarBlock is built for people who want to cut screen time, anyone who's outgrown standard app blockers and screen time limits, and anyone looking for a simple, private, reliable focus tool without the complexity or cost.
DutyLock
Read full descriptionHide full description
Focus where it matters. DutyLock blocks your most distracting apps the moment you walk into a place you've chosen. Walk out, they unlock. No willpower required. WALK IN. APPS LOCK. Pick the places. Pick the apps. DutyLock takes the decision off your hands. WHO USES DUTYLOCK Knowledge workers who can't afford a five-minute Instagram detour every hour. They set a lock at their desk and the phone goes quiet while they're there. People reclaiming their evenings. The phone goes down when they sit at the dinner table. Their partner gets them back. Their kids notice. The doomscroll quitters. They turn bedtime into a zone. The TikTok rabbit hole stops existing between 9pm and 7am. People trying to actually sleep. The phone locks itself when they get into bed instead of becoming the thing that keeps them awake until 2am. Gym-goers who want their session. They walk in, the apps lock, the workout is the workout. People who want to read on the train again, or just sit and think on the bus. The commute becomes a real commute, not another scroll session. Movie-goers who go to watch the movie. Couples who want dinner without a phone face-down on the table. People on a date who would like to be on it. Students who turn the library into a study zone and don't see Reddit until they walk back outside. Managers and operators who run shifts on a warehouse floor, in a store, or anywhere phones are supposed to stay in pockets. DutyLock locks the named apps inside the named zones and time windows. Every lock event is logged. No quiet workaround. No restart trick. No Settings toggle that turns it off without somebody knowing. YOUR HISTORY. ON THE RECORD. Every lock and unlock is logged. Export it as a clean report whenever you want proof of where the time went. STAYS ON YOUR IPHONE No account. No cloud. No analytics. DutyLock is for people who want to focus and have tried everything else. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION DutyLock offers optional auto-renewing subscriptions and a one-time lifetime unlock. · DutyLock Pro (Weekly): $2.99/week · DutyLock Pro (Monthly): $4.99/month · DutyLock Pro (Annual): $49.99/year · DutyLock Pro (Lifetime): $99.99 one-time Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your device's App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://dutylock-828984049402-eu-west-2-an.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/legal/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use: https://dutylock-828984049402-eu-west-2-an.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/legal/terms-of-use.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: DutyLock at Free against BarBlock's $0.99. BarBlock's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On 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
DutyLock is free to download; BarBlock costs $0.99 up front. DutyLock sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. BarBlock asks for nothing beyond the download.
BarBlock ships an update every 2 weeks, DutyLock fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BarBlock | DutyLock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (15 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NAVON HAIM SOUSSAN | FAT FIRE APPS |
In-app purchases
BarBlock
No in-app purchases
DutyLock
- DutyLock Pro Weekly$2.997 Days
- DutyLock Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- DutyLock Pro Annual$49.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- DutyLock Pro Annual 50% First Year1 Year trial$49.991 Year
- DutyLock Pro Lifetime$99.99









