Comparison

ZoneBlock vs NoStim

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

Head to head
About

ZoneBlock

Features
Read full description

Stop relying on willpower. ZoneBlock automatically blocks distracting apps and websites the moment you arrive at work, school, the gym or anywhere you want to focus. HOW IT WORKS 1. Create a zone on the map - office, library, gym, home desk. 2. Choose the apps, app categories and websites to block. 3. Optionally limit the zone to certain days and hours. 4. Walk in - distractions are blocked. Walk out - they're back. LOCATION-BASED BLOCKING - Set a custom radius for each zone (50 m to 1 km) - Block mode: block selected apps inside the zone - Allow Only mode: only selected apps are available inside the zone - Works in the background, even when the app is closed WEBSITE BLOCKING Block distracting websites in Safari and other browsers while you're in a zone. Add any domain or pick from presets: - Social media - Video streaming - News - Shopping - Gaming SCHEDULES Make a zone active only when you need it - for example, weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00. Outside the schedule, nothing is blocked. BUILT-IN COMMITMENT - Active zones can't be edited, so you can't quietly bypass your own rules - Turning off or deleting a zone takes effect after 3 hours, with a live countdown - Changed your mind? Cancel the pending change anytime - Need it right now? Use Immediate Action for a one-time purchase STRAIGHT MODE Instant focus without a location. Pick the apps to block and turn it on with one tap from the home screen. Turning it off follows the same 3-hour delay. DRIVING MODE (Premium) Automatically blocks distracting apps while you drive. Music and navigation stay available. MEETING FOCUS (Premium) Blocks distractions during your calendar meetings automatically. INSIGHTS Track zones entered, apps blocked and your focus streak. Premium unlocks detailed charts and analytics. FREE VS PREMIUM Free: 1 zone, app and website blocking, schedules, Straight Mode. Premium: unlimited zones, Driving Mode, Meeting Focus, advanced insights. Monthly and yearly plans with a 7-day free trial. PRIVACY FIRST - Everything stays on your device - No accounts, no tracking, no analytics - App and website blocking use Apple's Screen Time framework - Your location is never sent anywhere PERFECT FOR - Students who need distraction-free study time - Professionals who want deep work at the office - Anyone building healthier phone habits Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings. Terms: https://zone-block-web.vercel.app/terms.html Privacy: https://zone-block-web.vercel.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

NoStim

This app helps you regain control of your screen time by blocking addictive app features while preserving essential functions like direct messages. It offers customizable blocking, a unique portal to websites with distractions removed, and flexible modes for different needs.

Highlights
  • App feature blocking
  • Website portal with distractions removed
  • Customizable blocking budgets
  • Ratchet mechanism for stricter settings
  • Comfort, Driving, and Vacation modes
  • Optional social accountability circles
  • Partner lock feature
Features
Read full description

NoStim blocks the parts of your apps that pull you back, and keeps the parts that are about people. Scroll free. Open Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Twitch inside NoStim with the addictive parts taken out: no Reels, no endless feed, no Shorts. You choose what's hidden on each one. Log in once and stay logged in. Posts your friends send you still open. Chats. Read and answer your Instagram and Reddit messages without going near the feed. Post. Go straight to writing a post on X, Reddit or YouTube, with no feed on the way. Real blocking. Apple's own Screen Time shields on the apps you pick, with limits that mean something: opens per day, minutes per open, opening odds if you want the dice to decide, locked hours, and a waiting room that offers you something else to do instead of a lecture. Modes and schedules. Lock things down for studying, the gym or winding down at night, by hand or on a schedule that starts and ends by itself. Driving Mode. It starts when your iPhone's Driving Focus turns on and frees the apps you need in the car, like Maps, Messages and music. No lock ever holds it back. A ratchet, not a cage. Making NoStim stricter is instant. Making it looser waits out a delay you chose ahead of time. Lock your settings for a weekend, a week, or with no end date at all, and if you want out early, the price is one you set when you were thinking clearly. Kind where it counts. Comfort Mode for chronic illness bad days, with no guilt and no questions. Vacation mode you book a day ahead. Streaks that measure commitment, not abstinence: using your whole budget still counts as a day held. Together. An optional circle of a few people who care, sharing only your streak and your stumbles, person to person through your own iCloud. A partner lock where someone you trust holds the key. YouTube inside NoStim keeps playing when you leave the app or lock your phone, and it can play in picture in picture. The blocker is free, forever. No ads and no account. NoStim Pro adds Circles, partner unlock codes, your full history and extra themes. Nothing that blocks is ever behind the paywall. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sashalawrence13.github.io/NoStim/privacy.html

Screenshots

ZoneBlock4 screens
NoStim4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: NoStim at every 3 days against ZoneBlock's every 2 weeks. 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. ZoneBlock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and NoStim sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZoneBlock ships an update every 2 weeks, NoStim every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
ZoneBlock versus NoStim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZoneBlockNoStim
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPavlo HurkovskyiWilliam Lawrence

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ZoneBlock

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Immediate Action$0.99
8 purchases

NoStim

Subscriptions2
  • NoStim Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • NoStim Pro (Yearly)$19.991 Year
One-time6
  • Tip the developer$0.99
  • Tip the developer$4.99
  • Tip the developer$9.99
Show 3 more
  • Tip the developer$14.99
  • Tip the developer$19.99
  • NoStim Pro — Forever$39.99

Questions

Is ZoneBlock free?
ZoneBlock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NoStim free?
NoStim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ZoneBlock or NoStim have ads?
Neither ZoneBlock nor NoStim shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZoneBlock or NoStim?
ZoneBlock ships an update every 2 weeks, and NoStim every 3 days. Most recently, ZoneBlock was updated on October 31, 2026 and NoStim on November 8, 2026.

Other comparisons