Comparison

Habit Doom vs ReadLock

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

Head to head
About

Habit Doom

Take back control of your device usage by locking distracting apps until you complete real-world habits. Earn screen time by building positive routines, and only then can you access your favorite apps. This system leverages your screen time addiction to become your greatest motivator.

Highlights
  • App blocker with earned screen time
  • Flexible habit tracking
  • Streak and progress tracking
  • Hard Mode for serious users
  • Vacation Mode for breaks
  • Alarm reminders
  • Widgets and Live Activity support
Features
Read full description

Your apps are using you. Take back control. Habit Doom locks your favorite apps - Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and more — until you earn screen time by completing real habits. No willpower needed. Just lock the apps, earn the time. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose which apps to block 2. Create habits you actually want to build 3. Complete habits to earn screen time 4. Use your earned time however you want 5. When time runs out, apps lock again FEATURES • App Blocker — Apps stay locked until you earn time by completing habits. No cheating, no workarounds. • Flexible Habits — Track anything: exercise, reading, meditation, water, journaling, studying. • Earn Screen Time — Every check-in earns minutes. Pause the timer, save time, or use it all at once. • Anti-Cheat Mode — Photo verify each habit with on-device AI. Photos never leave your phone. 100% secure. • Streaks & Progress — Build daily streaks. View weekly stats: completion rates, time earned, check-in history. • Hard Mode — Can't undo check-ins, delete habits, or remove apps. For those who are serious. • Vacation Mode — Unlock all apps without breaking streaks when you need a day off. • Alarm Reminders — Habit reminders ring like real alarms, even on silent mode. (iOS 26.1+) • Widgets & Live Activity — See habits and remaining time on your home screen, lock screen, and Dynamic Island. • Privacy First — All data stays on your device. No account. No servers. No data collection. • Block Adult Sites — Block adult website and apps system-wide. • Bedtime Lock — Lock apps at bedtime, no excuses. WHY HABIT DOOM? Most habit trackers rely on motivation. Motivation fades. Habit Doom uses something stronger: your screen time addiction. Lock the apps you crave behind real habits, and your biggest distraction becomes your biggest motivator. SOME INTERESTING GLOBAL STATS ON SCREENTIME: • The average American spends over 4 hours a day on their phone. Over a lifetime, that's more than a decade of waking life — gone to a screen. • Canadians average over 6 hours of daily screen time — most of it on apps designed to keep them scrolling. Habit Doom locks those apps until you earn the time back. • Australians spend an average of 5.5 hours a day on their phones — almost 17 years of a lifetime, gone to a screen (Reviews.org). Habit Doom locks those apps until you earn the time back. • European smartphone users average 3–4 hours a day on their phones — and the under-30s are well past 5. Over a lifetime, that's a decade of waking hours, scrolled away. Download free and take control of your screen time. ------------ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://habitdoom.com/privacy

About

ReadLock

This app requires users to read a page from a selected text before granting access to blocked apps, categories, or websites. It utilizes Apple's Screen Time system to enforce focus and offers a library of public-domain classics for reading material.

Highlights
  • Earn app access through reading
  • Block apps, categories, and websites
  • Schedule reading locks
  • Manual app locking
  • Built-in reader with public-domain classics
  • Track local reading progress
Features
Read full description

ReadLock makes you read before you scroll. If app blockers are too easy to ignore, ReadLock gives your phone a real forcing function: your selected apps, categories, and websites stay blocked until you read one page. Choose what you want to block, set your reading times, then let ReadLock hold the line. When it is time to read, ReadLock uses Apple's Screen Time and Family Controls system to shield your selected distractions. Finish one page in the built-in reader, and your apps unlock. Why people use ReadLock: - Earn access instead of relying on willpower - Block chosen apps, app categories, and websites - Schedule reading locks for morning, midday, or evening - Lock apps manually when you need a reset - Read bundled public-domain classics like Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, Crime and Punishment, and Sherlock Holmes - Track local reading progress in a simple library - Get optional reading reminders and unlock notifications ReadLock is for the moment when you catch yourself opening the same app again and again, even though you meant to do literally anything else. Instead of another dismissible reminder, it turns one page of reading into the key that gets you back in. Read first. Scroll later. Notes: - App blocking requires Screen Time permission and a selected app, category, or website. - Blocking behavior can vary based on iOS, device settings, and the selections you choose. - Full access requires an auto-renewing subscription. Trial, price, and renewal details are shown before purchase. - Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Habit Doom4 screens
ReadLock3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Habit Doom at free against ReadLock's free with in-app purchases. Habit Doom also leads on ratings volume (24 vs 2). ReadLock's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, update cadence, 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. Habit Doom sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and ReadLock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ReadLock holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Habit Doom has 24 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Habit Doom ships an update every 3 days, ReadLock every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Habit Doom versus ReadLock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHabit DoomReadLock
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (24 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings24 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size164 MB27 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRichard ThattilMATTHEW HENRY FOSTER

Customer experience

Habit Doom

All ratings22 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ReadLock

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Habit Doom

Subscriptions2
  • Habit Doom Pro$4.991 Month
  • Habit Doom Pro7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Habit Doom Pro$29.99
2 purchases

ReadLock

Subscriptions2
  • Read Lock Pro Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Read Lock Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Habit Doom free?
Habit Doom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReadLock free?
ReadLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Habit Doom or ReadLock?
ReadLock is rated higher. Habit Doom averages 4.8 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while ReadLock averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Habit Doom or ReadLock have ads?
Neither Habit Doom nor ReadLock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Habit Doom or ReadLock?
Habit Doom ships an update every 3 days, and ReadLock every 5 days. Most recently, Habit Doom was updated on November 5, 2026 and ReadLock on October 31, 2026.

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