Comparison

Intentional vs AppTimeLock

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

Head to head
About

Intentional

This app helps you regain control of your phone usage by introducing a brief pause before opening distracting applications. Set time limits and lock apps automatically when your session ends, breaking autopilot behavior without relying on willpower.

Highlights
  • Brief pause before app opening
  • Set time limits for apps
  • Automatic app locking
  • Game mode during countdowns
  • Session reminders
  • Background enforcement
  • Distraction-free design
Features
Read full description

Your phone takes hours from you every day. Intentional gives them back. Instead of blocking your apps, Intentional adds one simple step — a brief pause before you open them. That moment is enough to break the autopilot and put you back in control. Pick the apps that waste your time. Set a time limit. Use them on your terms. When your session ends, they lock again — no willpower required. Features include game mode during countdowns, session reminders, background enforcement, and a clean distraction-free design. Subscription required for core app features. The average person spends over 4 hours a day on their phone. Intentional can help you reclaim over 400 of those hours this year.

About

AppTimeLock

Features
Read full description

Your app gets 30 minutes. Then it locks. Pick the app you open without thinking and choose how long it gets. When the time runs out, the app locks for a while, then the minutes start again. No account to make. Your settings stay on your iPhone or iPad. FOUR WAYS TO LOCK AN APP Time limit. Give the app 5 to 240 minutes. When they run out, it locks for 15 minutes to 12 hours, as you choose. Make me wait. The app stays within reach, but every open starts with a wait, and Close is the easy button. Wait it out and you get a Pass: 5 minutes in the app. The first wait of the day is 10 seconds, and each Pass makes the next one longer. Write one sentence about why you're doing this, and it shows while you wait. Always locked. The app stays closed until you change it. On a schedule. The app locks during the hours you pick, on the days you pick. STRICT MODE With Strict Mode on, you can't remove a lock, loosen one or turn Strict Mode off until a timer runs out. You set the timer, from 5 minutes to 4 hours, and get a notification when it's done. SEE IT WORKING The main screen counts the times a lock stopped you today. Under that are your streak and the hours your apps were locked this week. Progress shows a bar for each day of the week. Every 7 days in a row earns a streak freeze, which covers a missed day. A recap arrives on Sunday evening, and you can turn it off. You can share a card with your numbers. It never names your apps. PRIVATE No sign-up and no email. Apple's Screen Time hides your app choices from us, so we never see which apps you lock. We count anonymous events, like how many people finish setup, and nothing that identifies you. FREE AND PRO Free: one app with Time limit or Make me wait, your streak, this week's stats, the share card and 1 streak freeze. Pro: as many apps as you want, whole groups such as Social in one go, Always locked, On a schedule, Strict Mode, Passes of 1, 5, 15 or 30 minutes, Gentle, Standard or Firm waits, every past week of stats and up to 3 streak freezes. Pro is a weekly, monthly or yearly subscription. The yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial if you haven't had one before, and the app can remind you the day before it ends. Subscriptions renew automatically until you cancel them in Settings. Terms of Use: https://apptimelock.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://apptimelock.com/privacy

Screenshots

Intentional4 screens
AppTimeLock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Intentional at every 2 weeks against AppTimeLock's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Intentional sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month and AppTimeLock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Intentional ships an update every 2 weeks, AppTimeLock monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Intentional versus AppTimeLock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIntentionalAppTimeLock
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNicholas KneafseyMuhammad Farhan Almasyhur

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Intentional

Subscriptions1
  • Intentional Monthly1 Month trial$2.991 Month
3 purchases

AppTimeLock

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Pro Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Intentional free?
Intentional is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AppTimeLock free?
AppTimeLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Intentional or AppTimeLock have ads?
Neither Intentional nor AppTimeLock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Intentional or AppTimeLock?
Intentional ships an update every 2 weeks, and AppTimeLock monthly. Most recently, Intentional was updated on October 24, 2026 and AppTimeLock on October 28, 2026.

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