Comparison

TaskLock vs TaskGate

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

Head to head
About

TaskLock

This app helps you complete tasks and build habits by blocking distracting applications. Schedule events, create to-do lists, and set up focus sessions to stay on track with your goals.

Highlights
  • Create and manage tasks
  • Build daily habits
  • Organize calendar events
  • Block distracting apps
  • Reduce social media distractions
  • Improve productivity
Features
Read full description

TaskLock is a to-do list, habit tracker and calendar for iPhone and Apple Watch with a built-in app blocker. Choose the apps that distract you, and they stay locked until you finish the task, complete the habit or the event ends. No timer to wait out, no "ignore limit" button: you stay focused until the work is actually done. HOW IT WORKS 1. Add a task, habit or event, or sync your Apple Calendar. 2. Pick the apps, categories or websites to lock: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, games, anything you choose. 3. Opening a locked app shows a shield with the tasks still keeping it locked. 4. Check the task off on your iPhone or Apple Watch and the apps unlock. Locks are optional. Without one, TaskLock is a simple, fast to-do list. APP LOCKING • Lock until a task or habit is done, or for the length of an event, such as "Study" from 2 to 4 pm. • Lock single apps, whole categories like Social or Games, and websites. • Lock groups: save sets like "Social media" and assign them in one tap. • Start a lock later in the day. • Stay honest: a confirmation countdown before completing or removing a lock, and a daily limit on lock changes. Set it to "no changes" for strict mode. TASKS • One daily card with today's tasks, events and habits, other days a swipe away. • Timeline of everything past and upcoming, with filters. • Move missed tasks to today in one tap. Move or copy any task to another day. • Saved task lists for things you add often. • Reminders, notes, links with previews, locations, search and Control Center quick add. HABITS • Every day, chosen weekdays or every N days, up to several times a day. • Streaks, a history strip and a progress page with rings. • Skip a day, change today only, or edit from today on while past records stay intact. • Habit lists such as "Morning routine". CALENDAR • Two-way sync with Apple Calendar, including iCloud, Google and other accounts on your iPhone. • Private calendars that live only in TaskLock. • Timed and all-day events, repeat rules from daily to custom, reminders, locations and meeting links. APPLE WATCH, WIDGETS AND LIVE ACTIVITIES • Watch app: see today's plan, add tasks and events, and check off a task to unlock apps on your iPhone. Complications and Smart Stack widgets included. • Home Screen widgets, plus Live Activities on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. DESIGN • Minimalist, one main screen. Light and dark themes, nine accent colors or your own, alternative app icons. Available in 47 languages. PRIVACY • No account, no sign-up. Your data stays on your iPhone, and the app works offline. Optional backup to your own iCloud Drive. • App blocking runs on Apple's Screen Time framework. TaskLock cannot see what you do in other apps. PRICE Free to download. The free version limits how many tasks, habits and events you can create. TaskLock Premium removes those limits. Made for students, remote workers and anyone who wants their phone to wait until the work is done. Questions or ideas: info@tasklockapp.com Terms of Use: https://tasklockapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://tasklockapp.com/privacy

About

TaskGate

Features
Read full description

TaskGate locks your most distracting apps behind a gate. The gate opens when today's tasks are done — and not a moment earlier. No timer you can dismiss. No screen you can swipe past. TaskGate uses Apple's own Screen Time controls, so when an app is blocked, it is blocked. HOW IT WORKS 1. Write down what you want to get done today. 2. Choose the apps that steal your time. 3. They stay locked until every task is checked off. At midnight the gate closes again, whether you open TaskGate or not. Tomorrow is a fresh contract. REAL APP BLOCKING Powered by Apple Screen Time. A blocked app shows a TaskGate screen telling you how many tasks are still left today. STRICT MODE For the days you mean it. While the gate is locked, today's tasks can't be deleted or pushed to tomorrow, and blocking can't be switched off. One emergency pass a day opens your apps for 15 minutes after a 10-minute wait — enough for something urgent, not enough to skip the day. FOCUS TIMERS Give a task a duration — study for an hour, read for thirty minutes. Start the timer and the task checks itself off when the time is up. Closing the app doesn't stop the clock. ROUTINES Tasks that repeat every day, on weekdays, or on the days you pick. They appear on your list each morning, automatically. PLAN AHEAD Schedule tasks for future days. When that day arrives, the gate arms itself. Tap any task to change it, and drag to reorder. STREAKS Every day you finish your list adds to your streak. Days without tasks are rest days and don't break it. Tap the number for a calendar of the days you kept and the days you missed. WIDGETS Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show whether the gate is open, how many tasks remain, and how long your streak is. IPHONE, IPAD AND IPHONE DUO On a big screen, Today and Planned sit side by side. REMINDERS An optional evening nudge, plus a reminder time on any individual task. PRIVACY TaskGate collects nothing. There is no account, no sign-up, no analytics, and no ads. Your tasks stay on your device. The apps you choose to block are handled by iOS itself — Apple's Screen Time API hands apps opaque tokens rather than names, so TaskGate never learns which apps you picked or what you do in them. LANGUAGES English, Turkish, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Dutch, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Arabic and Indonesian. TaskGate needs Screen Time permission to block apps. Unless Strict mode is on, you can turn blocking off at any time.

Screenshots

TaskLock4 screens
TaskGate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TaskGate at none against TaskLock's 4. TaskLock's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). On price, 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

Both are free to download. TaskLock sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. TaskGate asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TaskLock ships an update every 3 days, TaskGate monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
TaskLock versus TaskGate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTaskLockTaskGate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (17 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMUSTAFA CALISKANBilal Karadeniz

In-app purchases

4 purchases

TaskLock

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription$6.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • TaskLock Premium$79.99
None

TaskGate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TaskLock free?
TaskLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TaskGate free?
TaskGate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TaskLock or TaskGate have ads?
Neither TaskLock nor TaskGate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TaskLock or TaskGate?
TaskLock ships an update every 3 days, and TaskGate monthly. Most recently, TaskLock was updated on October 28, 2026 and TaskGate on October 24, 2026.

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