Comparison

FocusLock vs Refrain

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

Head to head
About

FocusLock

Features
Read full description

Your phone is stealing 3 to 5 hours of your life every day. Willpower isn’t working. FocusLock is the solution. Not a polite reminder. Not a timer you can dismiss. FocusLock is a true system-level lock. When your session starts, Instagram, TikTok, games, and distractions are physically locked down. No cheats. No excuses. Real discipline. β—† WHY FOCUSLOCK ACTUALLY WORKS β€’ REAL APP BLOCKING (System-Level) Select any app or category. Once locked, Apple's Screen Time shields physically prevent you from opening them until your session is complete. β€’ THE CYBER GARDEN (High-Stakes Focus) Every focus session plants a digital tree. Stay focused and watch your cyber garden flourish. Give up or leave the app in Hardcore Mode: your tree withers and dies. Transform your discipline into living art. β€’ HARDCORE MODE (Zero Grace) For when you need absolute execution. Step out of the app for even one second, and your session fails instantly. Built for deep workers, founders, and students who play to win. β€’ FAMILY LOCK (Parental Control PIN) Tired of battling your kids over Roblox, YouTube, and TikTok? Lock addictive apps on your child’s device for study hours or bedtime behind a secure parental PIN. No account required, no tracking. β€’ BULLETPROOF PRIVACY BY DESIGN Unlike other screen time apps, FocusLock has: - ZERO user accounts - ZERO tracking or analytics - ZERO cloud servers storing your activity - ZERO ads, ever. What happens on your device stays on your device. β€’ DISCIPLINE TRACKER & SMART STREAKS - Monthly focus calendar tracking every minute of deep work - Custom session tags (Deep Work, Study, Coding, Detox) - Daily goals and streak protection reminders - Quick ritual shortcuts to launch your favorite session in 1 tap --- β—† START YOUR 3-DAY FREE TRIAL Unlock full access to FocusLock Elite with a 3-day risk-free trial: β€’ Unlimited system app blocking β€’ Hardcore Mode & Family Lock PIN β€’ Complete Cyber Garden & all tree species β€’ Advanced calendar analytics & scheduled sessions Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period in your App Store Account Settings. β€’ Privacy Policy: https://focuslockapp.vercel.app/privacy β€’ Terms of Service: https://focuslockapp.vercel.app/terms β€’ Standard Apple EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Refrain

Features
Read full description

Refrain is a private focus timer for people who want to start with intent and end with an honest reflection. Before each session, write what you are choosing to focus on. Run the timer. When you finish, rate the session and add a short note. Refrain turns those sessions into a quiet history of rescued time, recent intents, reflection notes, and weekly progress. WHY REFRAIN - Intent prompt before every focus session. - Flexible focus durations from quick resets to deep-work blocks. - Local focus rules for the distractions you want to avoid. - End-of-session reflection with rating and optional notes. - History and stats to review rescued time, sessions, and trends. - Private by design: no account, no ads, no location tracking, no analytics. FREE AND PRO The free version includes the core timer, intent journal, daily focus cap, and starter history. Refrain Pro is an auto-renewable subscription available monthly or yearly. Pro unlocks unlimited focus time, more focus rules, full history, richer reports, and advanced focus-session options. Refrain does not use system-level app blocking, ScreenTime permissions, HealthKit, or location tracking. It is built as a reliable private focus timer that keeps your data on device. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

FocusLock4 screens
Refrain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: FocusLock at 3 against Refrain's 1. FocusLock also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. FocusLock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Refrain sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
FocusLock versus Refrain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocusLockRefrain
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size45 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAli ZouaouiMitaanshu Agarwal

In-app purchases

1 purchases

FocusLock

One-time1
  • Lifetime PRO$2.99
2 purchases

Refrain

Subscriptions2
  • Refrain Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Refrain Pro Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is FocusLock free?
FocusLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Refrain free?
Refrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FocusLock or Refrain have ads?
Neither FocusLock nor Refrain shows ads.

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