Comparison

lockwork vs OnLock

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

Head to head
About

lockwork

Features
Read full description

Lockwork is a study timer and app blocker for students who need their phone to stop negotiating. Start a study session, choose the distracting apps you want blocked, and stay locked in until the work is done. Then earn those apps back with quiz questions generated from your own notes, pasted text, or study material. Lockwork is built for exam prep, daily study routines, and students who need more than a timer to stay honest. What you can do in Lockwork: - Block distracting apps during a study session - Set a session length for focused study time - Unlock with time, quiz answers, or both - Turn notes into quiz-ready study material - Organize study material by subject - Track streaks, completed sessions, and time studied Why students use Lockwork: - It combines a study timer with real app blocking - It gives you a clear finish line for each session - It turns your own notes into quizzes for active recall - It helps you stay focused during exam prep instead of just planning to focus If you need a study app for exam prep, a focus timer that blocks apps, or a tougher way to protect your study sessions, Lockwork is built for you. Some features require Screen Time / Family Controls access on iPhone. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Full access to all features and the 66-day program requires a Victus subscription (Monthly/Yearly). Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew from your iTunes Account settings. Your iTunes Account will be charged for renewal when the purchase is confirmed. Privacy policy: https://www.getvictus.com/privacy Terms: https://www.getvictus.com/terms

About

OnLock

This app enforces focus by locking distracting applications at the operating system level. It uses AI to verify study sessions with photos, ensuring your progress is genuine and building an earned streak. Features include scheduled blocks, intent journaling, and focus intelligence insights.

Highlights
  • OS-level distraction blocking
  • AI-verified study sessions
  • Streak building
  • Scheduled recurring blocks
  • Intent journaling
  • Focus intelligence insights
  • Home screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Studying doesn't fail because you're lazy. It fails because Instagram is one swipe away, and willpower is not a strategy. OnLock is the block you can't talk yourself out of. When a session starts, OnLock locks your distractions at the operating system level using Apple's Family Controls. No "5 more minutes." No uninstall trick. The shield holds until you finish. But blocking is the easy part. The hard part is proving the work was real. Before any session counts toward your streak, OnLock's AI reviews a photo of what you did. No proof, no credit. THE SHIELD • Un-bypassable OS-level enforcement built on Apple's Family Controls • Locks the apps that derail you: social, games, browsers, anything • Holds through restarts, app deletion, and panic uninstalls • Schedule recurring blocks for the hours you always slip AI PROOF • Submit a photo of your notes, work, or finished problem set • AI verifies the session was genuine study before your streak counts • Catches the "I just sat there" sessions you'd rather forget • Builds a streak you actually earned THE INTERVENTION • A quiet pause before every session to ask if this is really study time • Journal your intent so distraction has to argue with your own words • Reflect after to see what is actually working THE WHY ON A TIMER • Plot your exams on a real countdown • Every session lands against the clock • See what each lost hour costs you FOCUS INTELLIGENCE • Learns your peak hours, worst blockers, and patterns • Tells you when to study and when to stop pretending • Your data, your insight, never shared ALWAYS ON • Home screen widgets in three sizes • Lock screen complications for glanceable streaks • Quick Study: one tap and you're locked in THE AESTHETIC A calm, editorial interface designed to feel nothing like the apps it replaces. No infinite scroll. No screaming notifications. No dopamine arcade. Just focus. PRIVACY • Screen time data stays on your device • Built on Apple's native Family Controls and Screen Time APIs • Photos for AI proof are reviewed and discarded • No tracking, no sale, no leak FREE Every feature above is included, free. No subscription, no upsells, no locked tools. Stop trying harder. Start being unable. OnLock. The focus you can't undo. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://onlock-api.joshuawang2048.workers.dev/legal/privacy

Screenshots

lockwork4 screens
OnLock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OnLock at none against lockwork's 2. OnLock also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price 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. lockwork sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. OnLock asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
lockwork versus OnLock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterlockworkOnLock
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYou Can Just Do Things LimitedTing Ting Xu

In-app purchases

2 purchases

lockwork

Subscriptions2
  • Lockwork Pro Weekly$9.997 Days
  • Lockwork Pro Annual$29.991 Year
None

OnLock

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is lockwork free?
lockwork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OnLock free?
OnLock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do lockwork or OnLock have ads?
lockwork shows ads; OnLock does not.

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