Comparison

learn lock vs CardGate

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

Head to head
About

learn lock

Features
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learn lock – study before you scroll learn lock helps you build discipline by requiring you to study before unlocking distracting apps. Using Apple’s Screen Time technology, LearnLock blocks selected apps and lets you unlock them only after completing a short study session. Instead of mindless scrolling, you earn your screen time. How It Works β€’ Select the apps you want to restrict β€’ When you open a blocked app, LearnLock intervenes β€’ Tap β€œUnlock” to begin a study session β€’ Answer questions from your custom study set β€’ Get access once you complete your session You control how long apps stay unlocked and can customize the unlock duration. Pro Subscription Required All app blocking, study session unlocking, and customization features require a LearnLock Pro subscription. Pro includes: β€’ App blocking powered by Apple Screen Time β€’ Custom study question sets β€’ Unlock timer control β€’ Focus-based unlock sessions β€’ Emergency unlock access Subscription options may include a free trial. Pricing varies by region and is displayed in-app before purchase. Privacy Policy: https://candle-clarinet-5ad.notion.site/learn-lock-Privacy-Policy-31679e358984806d9e90fdcca883cfd0 Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

CardGate

Features
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CardGate turns your phone's distractions into study motivation. Pick the apps that waste your time, bring your flashcards (or let AI generate them), and your phone won't open those apps until you pass a quiz. BUILT FOR β€’ Students grinding Anki for exams (USMLE, MCAT, A-levels, Abitur, bar prep) β€’ Language learners building vocab in Spanish, Japanese, German, and more β€’ Anyone trying to cut screen time β€” but tired of apps that just nag HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps that distract you β€” Instagram, TikTok, games, anything 2. Add flashcards: import an Anki .apkg, paste a CSV, generate with AI, or use the built-in starter deck 3. Open a blocked app β€” tap "Take Quiz" on the shield. Pass to unlock the app 4. Track your streak and watch your screen time drop FLASHCARDS YOUR WAY β€’ Import Anki decks (.apkg) with full media β€” images, audio, cloze deletions, image occlusion, LaTeX/MathJax β€’ Paste CSV or TSV from Quizlet, Excel, or any spreadsheet β€’ Create cards directly in the app β€’ AI flashcard generator β€” paste your notes (or upload a .txt or .pdf) and get a deck back. Free with your own ChatGPT/Claude account using paste-back, or one-tap Direct AI with affordable credit packs (no subscription required) β€’ Built-in starter deck on first launch QUIZ MODES β€’ Flip β€” read the answer, self-grade β€’ Multiple Choice β€” AI-generated distractors or smart on-device fallbacks SMART STUDYING β€’ Card selection prioritizes cards you struggle with and haven't seen recently β€’ Wrong answers re-queue until you get them right EARN TIME MODE Don't want hard blocks? Switch on Earn Time β€” answer cards to bank screen-time minutes, then spend them on the apps you've blocked. PER-APP CONTROL β€’ Cooldowns so passing a quiz buys you 0–60 minutes of access before the shield returns β€’ Halfway and 1-minute-warning notifications before the shield comes back β€’ Set the card count required per app TRACK YOUR PROGRESS β€’ Daily streak β€’ Weekly and monthly study stats β€’ Recent quiz history FREE VS PREMIUM β€’ Free: 1 blocked app + 1 deck (up to 500 cards), Flip and Multiple Choice modes, paste-back AI generation, cooldowns, Earn Time mode, all stats β€’ Premium: unlimited blocked apps, unlimited decks, unlimited cards per deck, recurring AI credits each period β€’ Plus: pay-as-you-go AI credit packs for one-tap Direct AI generation β€” no subscription required PRIVACY FIRST All your data stays on your device. No accounts, no analytics, no ads, no tracking. AI generation only sends the text you choose to generate from β€” never your decks, browsing data, or anything else. ABOUT FAMILY CONTROLS (SCREEN TIME) CardGate uses Apple's official Family Controls / Screen Time APIs to block apps. You'll be asked to grant permission once during setup. Apps you select are tokenized by Apple β€” CardGate never sees the actual list of apps you've installed and never reads your screen. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Premium is offered as Weekly, Monthly, Yearly auto-renewable subscriptions and a one-time Lifetime purchase. Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel any time in Settings β†’ Apple ID β†’ Subscriptions. Privacy policy and terms linked below. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

learn lock4 screens
CardGate4 screens

Verdict

The call

learn lock and CardGate are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters β€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them β€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. learn lock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and CardGate sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
learn lock versus CardGate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterlearn lockCardGate
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyβ€”Every 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 β€” better16.4
Further details β€” not scored
Size44 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristopher AlonsoAdrian Scheibelhut

In-app purchases

2 purchases

learn lock

Subscriptions2
  • learn lock pro weekly$4.997 Days
  • learn lock pro yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
8 purchases

CardGate

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Premium$1.997 Days
  • Monthly Premium$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium$24.991 Year
One-time5
  • Extra App Slot$0.69
  • Extra Deck Slot$0.69
  • 10 AI Credits$0.99
Show 2 more
  • 100 AI Credits$4.99
  • Lifetime Premium$34.99

Questions

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

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