Comparison

DrillLock vs PlainLock

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

Head to head
About

DrillLock

This app requires users to solve a math problem before accessing distracting applications, helping to create focused study sessions. It offers scheduled blocking, usage limits, and temporary unlocks for essential apps. A pro subscription unlocks advanced features for serious learners.

Highlights
  • Math challenge to unlock apps
  • Scheduled app blocking
  • Usage limit blocking
  • Temporary unlocks
  • Essential app exceptions
  • Multiple rule support (Pro)
Read full description

Your study hours and your sleep are too important to leave to willpower. DrillLock locks the apps that eat them, and nothing opens again until you solve a math problem. You choose the apps that pull you away, and the hours they stay shut. Reach for one anyway and the math is waiting. Your hand stops, and the moment passes. IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE YOU • You sit down to study, open one app for a second, and the next hour is gone • You get into bed on time and you're still awake at 1 a.m., scrolling • You have a deadline this week and keep drifting away from the work • You're studying for an exam, a license, or a degree while working full time • You've tried Screen Time and found it far too easy to tap right past WHAT YOU CAN DO Everyone starts with the same rule set: one lock — Instant or Schedule — the math challenge, and three ten-minute unlocks a day. • Start focusing right now (Instant) Choose 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour, and the noisy apps are out of reach for exactly that long. Made for the moment you finally sit down. • Decide once when the phone goes down (Schedule) Set the days and the time windows a single time. Your study block and your bedtime then hold on their own, so you're not renegotiating with yourself at midnight. • One question stands between you and the app (Math Challenge) Nothing opens until you solve a math problem and get it right. It's a small enough step to clear when you truly need the app, and just enough friction that most of the time you set the phone down instead. • Ten minutes, three times a day (Temporary Unlock) Get the challenge right and the app opens for ten minutes, then re-locks itself — no timer to watch, and one tap ends it early when you're done sooner. You get three a day. Once you've used the third one, the challenge stops appearing until tomorrow, and the lock simply holds. GOOD TO KNOW • DrillLock needs Screen Time permission to lock and release apps • Phone and other essential apps are never locked, so you can always reach help in an emergency • Locking runs on Apple's Screen Time system, so iOS decides part of how a blocked app looks and behaves • Every locking decision is made on your iPhone. DrillLock does not send your browsing history or the names of the apps you restrict. DrillLock collects anonymous usage data to improve the app. PRO: WRITE THE RULES YOURSELF • Run several locks at once, so your study block, your work hours, and your bedtime each get their own • Allowlist mode: shut everything except the handful of apps you name • Lock by usage instead of by the clock (Time Limit): give an app a daily allowance, and the moment you pass it, it closes for the rest of the day • Design the temporary unlock yourself: one to ten a day, at five, ten, twenty, or thirty minutes each • Hard challenges, with your own choice of digit count and number of questions • Typing and PIN challenges: type out a sentence exactly as shown, or enter a 4- to 8-digit PIN you set. Give the PIN to a family member, and unlocking is out of your hands While a lock is on, including during a temporary unlock, your rules and PRO settings are locked too. You can't add unlocks, make them longer, or switch to an easier challenge right when you want out. When nothing is locked, any change takes effect right away. PRO is about setting your own terms in advance, not about getting out of them later. PRO is an auto-renewing subscription, monthly or yearly. You can cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Deciding once is easier than deciding fifty times a day. Set the rule tonight, and take back the hours that were quietly going missing. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PlainLock

Features
Read full description

PlainLock is a deliberately simple screen-time self-control tool. TWO WAYS TO SET A LIMIT • Schedule blocks: choose days and times, then the selected apps are blocked. • Daily limits: after the minutes you set are used, the apps stay blocked until tomorrow. • Shared group limits: put distracting apps in one group so switching apps cannot bypass the limit. • Group app limit: each group supports up to 50 apps, with a clear message when the limit is exceeded. • Cooling-off period: when you really need temporary access, wait 5 seconds, then unlock for the short duration you chose. LANGUAGES • Available in Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, and Spanish. READ BEFORE YOU BUY • One purchase. No subscription. No in-app purchases. • Every rule stays on your device. The app makes no network requests and collects no app data. • This is a self-control tool, not a security tool. You can always remove restrictions by disabling its Screen Time permission in Settings. • Applying or clearing a block depends on iOS scheduling and can take one to two minutes. • Requires iOS 17.0 or later. Only iOS versions tested at release are supported; future compatibility and continuing updates are not guaranteed.

Screenshots

DrillLock4 screens
PlainLock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DrillLock at Free against PlainLock's $2.99. PlainLock's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

DrillLock is free to download; PlainLock costs $2.99 up front. DrillLock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. PlainLock asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DrillLock ships an update weekly, PlainLock every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
DrillLock versus PlainLock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrillLockPlainLock
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFRONTLINE LLCChang Jhih Yeh

In-app purchases

2 purchases

DrillLock

Subscriptions2
  • DrillLock PRO Monthly3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • DrillLock PRO Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
None

PlainLock

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DrillLock free?
DrillLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PlainLock free?
PlainLock costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do DrillLock or PlainLock have ads?
Neither DrillLock nor PlainLock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DrillLock or PlainLock?
DrillLock ships an update weekly, and PlainLock every 5 days. Most recently, DrillLock was updated on October 28, 2026 and PlainLock on October 25, 2026.

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