Deep Work vs Intent Lock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Deep Work
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FOCUSGOLD — BRUTAL FOCUS FOR HIGH PERFORMERS The strict productivity app for entrepreneurs, founders, and high-performers who refuse to lose another hour to digital distractions. Most focus apps are soft. They suggest. They remind. They beg. FocusGold is different. It enforces. Powered by Apple Family Controls, FocusGold makes your most distracting apps physically untappable during deep work sessions. No willpower required. No exceptions. WHAT MAKES FOCUSGOLD DIFFERENT - STRICT APP BLOCKING Apple Family Controls integration. Selected apps become genuinely unavailable during sessions. Not a suggestion, a system-level block. - GOLDEN HOUR MULTIPLIER Earn 2x XP for deep work completed during your most productive morning hours (5 to 9 AM). Front-load your day. - RPG GAMIFICATION Climb the ranks: FOUNDER, MANAGER, EXECUTIVE, MOGUL. Watch your golden mascot evolve as you build your focus empire. - STREAK ENFORCEMENT Daily focus streaks. Loss-aversion psychology that keeps you accountable. - DEEP WORK SESSIONS 15, 30, 60, 90, or 120-minute focus blocks. Choose your battle. - BRUTAL LUXURY DESIGN Midnight Navy and Gold. Premium aesthetics for premium operators. WHO FOCUSGOLD IS FOR - Founders building startups - Entrepreneurs scaling businesses - Engineers shipping product - Writers, creators, and knowledge workers - Anyone who measures their day in deep work hours, not Instagram scrolls HOW IT WORKS 1. Define your ultimate goal, your "why" 2. Select the apps that distract you 3. Choose your session length 4. Tap Start Deep Work 5. Selected apps are shielded by Apple Family Controls 6. Complete the session, earn XP, build your streak, climb the ranks SUBSCRIPTION FocusGold is yours for CHF 89 per year (just CHF 1.71 per week) after a 7-day free trial. No hidden upsells. No subscription tiers. One commitment. PRIVACY FIRST - Zero data collection off your device - No analytics SDKs, no advertising IDs, no tracking - Your goals, sessions, and selected apps stay on your iPhone - Powered by Apple's privacy-respecting Family Controls API REQUIREMENTS - iOS 17 or later - Apple Family Controls authorization - A serious commitment to deep work READY TO OWN YOUR TIME? Download FocusGold. Set your goal. Start your session. Build your empire, one Golden Hour at a time. Privacy Policy: https://arytec.ch/focusgold/privacy Terms of Service: https://arytec.ch/focusgold/terms Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in iOS Settings then Apple ID then Subscriptions.
Intent Lock
This app locks your phone each morning until you set your daily intentions and goals. It helps you focus on your priorities before engaging with distractions, tracks your progress, and builds streaks for completed tasks.
- Phone and app blocking until goals are set
- Daily goal and intention setting
- Progress dashboard with visual tracking
- Streak counter for consecutive days
- Home screen widgets for goal completion
- Live Activities for lock screen progress
- Flexible wake hour configuration
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Most mornings, the first thing you do is check your phone. Notifications. Social media. News. And just like that, your day has already started without you. Intent Lock flips that script. Your phone stays locked until you set your intentions for the day. No scrolling. No distractions. Just you and your goals before anything else gets your attention. HOW IT WORKS Every morning, Intent Lock activates during your wake hours. Your phone is blocked from your usual apps until you open Intent Lock and write down what you actually want to accomplish today. Set your goals. Hit submit. Your phone unlocks. That's it. Throughout the day, come back to your dashboard to check off goals as you complete them. Watch your progress bar fill. Keep your streak alive. End the day knowing exactly what you did and did not do. FEATURES - Phone and App Blocker: Keeps your phone locked each morning until your daily goals are set, using Apple's Screen Time FamilyControls framework. - Daily Goals and Intentions: Set a drag-to-reorder list of intentions each morning. Clear, simple, no system to learn. - Progress Dashboard: Check off goals throughout the day. Visual progress bar shows how your day is going at a glance. - Streak Counter: Build a consecutive day streak displayed on a full-screen weekly calendar so every day counts. - Home Screen Widgets: Interactive goal checkboxes right on your home screen via WidgetKit. See and complete your goals without opening the app. - Live Activities: Persistent goal progress visible on your lock screen and Dynamic Island throughout the day. - Flexible Wake Hours: Configure your own blocked hours. Whether you wake at 5am or 9am, Intent Lock adapts to your schedule. WHY INTENT LOCK IS DIFFERENT Most app blockers just block apps. Most goal trackers just track goals. Intent Lock connects the two. Your phone access is the incentive. You don't get your apps until you have decided what today is for. This is not about restriction. It is about intention. Your phone is a tool, not a default. Intent Lock makes sure you pick it up on purpose. WHO IT IS FOR Intent Lock is for anyone who has ever picked up their phone in the morning and lost 30 minutes without meaning to. If you have tried habit trackers, goal apps, or app blockers and nothing has stuck, it is because none of them had a real consequence. Intent Lock does. Start your first intentional day. Download Intent Lock and wake up tomorrow ready to start with intention. (Note: Intent Lock requires an active subscription. No features are available without one.) Terms of Use: https://intentlock.noctavelabs.com/terms Privacy: https://intentlock.noctavelabs.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: Intent Lock at 3 against Deep Work's —. Intent Lock also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price 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. Deep Work sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per year and Intent Lock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Deep Work | Intent Lock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | — | Every 2 days |
| Ads | — | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Subscription |
| Devices | — | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 92 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Liridon Tahiraj | NOCTAVE LABS PTE. LTD. |
In-app purchases
Deep Work
- FocusGold Yearly Premium7 Days trial$7.991 Year
Intent Lock
- Weekly3 Days trial$1.997 Days
- Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month









