Intentional vs Strict App Blocker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Brief pause before app opening
- Set time limits for apps
- Automatic app locking
- Game mode during countdowns
- Session reminders
- Background enforcement
- Distraction-free design
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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.
Strict App Blocker
This app helps you regain control of your screen time by setting daily limits or blocking specific applications during designated hours. Features include a countdown timer, a strict "hard mode" for complete blocking, and a grayscale option to discourage usage. It offers a ten-day training period to build new habits.
- Daily time limits for apps
- Scheduled app blocking (Hard Mode)
- Grayscale mode for usage deterrence
- Strict training mode to lock settings
- Sixty-day usage history
- No account required, data stays on device
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Set a daily time limit on the apps that eat your day, or shut them off completely between the hours you choose. When the time is gone, it's gone. Free. No account, no subscription, no trial that runs out. DAILY BUDGET Pick your worst apps and give them a limit. The timer counts down while you use them and resets each morning. Open a blocked app and you see how long is left, not a wall with no explanation. HARD MODE Schedule a window and the apps simply don't open. 9 to 5. 11pm to 7am. Whatever you need. No countdown, no bargaining. GREYSCALE Turn the screen black and white the moment you open something you're trying to cut down on. It sounds like a gimmick. It works better than it should. STRICT TRAINING Ten days to get used to it, then you can lock the settings so the version of you at 1am can't undo what you decided at 10am. WHY IT'S FREE Every other blocker wants forty dollars a year to help you use your phone less. This one doesn't. There's a tip jar in Settings if you want to, and that's the whole business model. No account means there's nothing to leak, and your data never leaves your phone. Dark mode, a sixty day history of the days you left your rules alone, and Otto, who tells you where you're at without nagging.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Strict App Blocker at free against Intentional's subscription. Strict App Blocker also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). Intentional's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Intentional sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month and Strict App Blocker sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Intentional against 5.0 for Strict App Blocker. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.
Intentional ships an update every 2 weeks, Strict App Blocker every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Intentional | Strict App Blocker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nicholas Kneafsey | Casebuddy Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
Intentional
Strict App Blocker
In-app purchases
Intentional
- Intentional Monthly1 Month trial$2.991 Month
Strict App Blocker
- A small tip$1.99
- A good tip$4.99
- A generous tip$9.99
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- A very generous tip$19.99
Questions
Is Intentional free?
Is Strict App Blocker free?
Which has better reviews, Intentional or Strict App Blocker?
Do Intentional or Strict App Blocker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Intentional or Strict App Blocker?
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