Comparison

Habit Lock vs Deny

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

Head to head
About

Habit Lock

This app locks your phone until you complete a chosen habit, requiring a photo as proof of completion. It uses on-device AI for verification, ensuring privacy and encouraging consistent habit formation.

Highlights
  • Phone locking with AI photo verification
  • On-device AI for privacy
  • Flexible habit scheduling
  • Streak tracking
  • Customizable lock duration
  • Multiple habit support (Premium)
Features
Read full description

Goals first, screen time later. Habit Lock is the accountability app that locks your phone and won't let you back in until you take a photo as proof. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose a habit (exercise, reading, healthy eating, prayer, family dinner, or custom) 2. Set your schedule - daily or weekly 3. When the time comes, your phone locks 4. Take a photo as proof 5. AI verifies the photo instantly 6. Phone unlocked. Streak extended. Keep going. BUILT FOR REAL HABITS • Exercise - gym, run, workout, or any physical activity • Reading - open book with visible text • Healthy Eating - your meal, verified by AI • Room Cleaning - your tidy room after cleaning • Prayer - Bible, Siddur, or any book of prayer • Family Dinner - photo of the after-dinner table, phone-free time enforced • Custom - define your own habit and what counts as proof WHY IT WORKS Most habit apps are easy to ignore. Habit Lock isn't. When your phone is locked and the only way out is to do the thing - you do the thing. PRIVACY FIRST All AI verification runs entirely on your device - no internet connection required. No accounts. No habit tracking. Your photos and habits stay private. FEATURES • App blocker with AI scene recognition (no facial recognition) • On-device AI verification — fully private, no internet required • Flexible scheduling • Streak tracking to keep momentum going • Activity history • Configurable lock window (15 minutes to 24 hours) • Multiple habits and multiple slots (Premium) terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ privacy policy: https://www.notion.so/Privacy-Policy-Habit-Lock-334bbd2d6f3e80f0ada7dd23943b6f2c

About

Deny

This app helps you regain focus by blocking distracting applications. It requires a friend's approval to unlock apps, fostering accountability and making screen time limits stick. Take back your attention with a collaborative approach to digital well-being.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps and sites
  • Schedule app blocking
  • Daily time limits for apps
  • Friend approval required for unlocks
  • Temporary unlock with countdown
  • Collaborative progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Deny locks the apps that waste your time — and puts a friend in charge of the key. Most screen-time apps fail for one reason: the moment you want back in, you just tap "ignore limit." Deny removes that escape hatch. Block your most distracting apps, and when you want to unlock them, you have to ask a friend to approve it. HOW IT WORKS • Build block groups — pick the apps and sites to lock, on a schedule or a daily time limit. • Stay locked. Blocked apps are shielded by iOS, so there's no sneaking past them. • Allow temporary unlocks — give yourself a set number of minutes, with a live countdown showing exactly when apps re-lock. • Bring in friends. Connect with an invite code, then ask a friend for screen time. They approve or deny — you stay accountable. • See each other's progress and keep one another honest. WHY DENY • Friends make it stick. Accountability beats willpower. • Honest by design — no one-tap "ignore." • Private. Your data is yours; we never sell it or use it for ads. Deny uses Apple's Screen Time (Family Controls) features to block apps on your own device. Take back your attention — together.

Screenshots

Habit Lock4 screens
Deny4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Deny at none against Habit Lock's 3. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Habit Lock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Deny asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Habit Lock against 5.0 for Deny. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Habit Lock versus Deny: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHabit LockDeny
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size207 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRadoslaw KotowskiStepAI K.K.

Customer experience

Habit Lock

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Deny

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Habit Lock

Subscriptions3
  • Habit Lock Premium$2.997 Days
  • Habit Lock Premium$7.991 Month
  • Habit Lock Premium$49.991 Year
None

Deny

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Habit Lock free?
Habit Lock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Deny free?
Deny is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Habit Lock or Deny?
Habit Lock and Deny are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Habit Lock or Deny have ads?
Neither Habit Lock nor Deny shows ads.

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