# Friction vs Unlocky

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Unlocky at none against Friction's 8. Friction's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Friction sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Unlocky asks for nothing beyond the download.

Friction ships an update every 6 days, Unlocky monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Friction | Unlocky |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (332 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friction-reduce-screen-time/id6758893858/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **332** | — |
| Positive reviews | 23.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TalkUp LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767264111) | [Oleg Korunov](https://appshunter.io/developer/6811071409) |

## What reviewers say

### Friction

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friction-reduce-screen-time/id6758893858)

This app helps you break free from mindless scrolling by requiring you to complete quick physical challenges before accessing distracting apps. Earn scrolling time through exercise and build healthier digital habits with a privacy-first approach.

**Highlights:** Complete physical challenges to earn screen time, Connect to Screen Time for app control, Track progress and build discipline, Privacy-first design with on-device detection, Breaks impulsive scrolling loops, Customizable app blocking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |


### Unlocky

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unlocky-training-app-blocker/id6816964621)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Friction free?

Friction is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Unlocky free?

Unlocky is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Friction or Unlocky have ads?

Neither Friction nor Unlocky shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Friction or Unlocky?

Friction ships an update every 6 days, and Unlocky monthly. Most recently, Friction was updated on November 5, 2026 and Unlocky on November 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*