Linggen vs PhoneJail
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Linggen
This app uses a unique cultivation system to gamify focus sessions and habit building. Track your progress, earn rewards, and gain insights to make focusing a rewarding journey of visible growth.
- Pomodoro focus timer
- Custom session length
- Distraction-free experience
- Visual progress tracking
- Rewards system
- Focus time statistics
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Cultivation Pomodoro — every focus session is a step toward immortality. Test your spiritual root, choose your method, cultivate your world, break through realms, collect artifacts: Linggen turns the pomodoro technique and habit tracking into a visible path of cultivation. When growth becomes visible, persistence follows naturally. ▸ Why Linggen? · Not a cold countdown timer, but a journey of cultivation · Spiritual Root Test identifies your five-element talent and matches your cultivation system · Method timers: dedicated methods for work, study, reading, and exercise · Realm breakthroughs: from mortal to immortal, every focused minute counts · Artifact collection: rare treasures from the Pavilion — Azure Bamboo Sword and more ▸ Cultivation, but practical · Pomodoro / stopwatch / seclusion mode — stay away from distractions · Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly stats with AI insights into your focus patterns · Ambient sounds and white noise to help you settle in · Habit check-ins and goal management make discipline a daily routine ▸ Privacy Your focus data stays in your own iCloud — we cannot read it. AI insights only receive anonymous statistics (no name, email, or Apple ID) and are never used for AI training. No signup required. ▸ Free to start Spiritual root test, cultivation systems, method timers, realm growth, stats — the core experience is completely free. True Disciples unlock AI insights, custom methods, and exclusive cultivation worlds. For exam prep, self-study, work, or reading — Linggen helps you settle in. Even a mortal can ascend. Start cultivating today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
PhoneJail
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Put your iPhone or iPad in an AR jail on your real desk, then give your attention to studying, working or reading. PhoneJail combines a focus timer with app blocking to make putting your device down a deliberate part of your routine. A REAL PLACE TO PUT YOUR DEVICE Set your session length, then use your camera to scan a flat surface and place a virtual jail. Confirm the location and put your device down to begin. Your desk becomes a visible reminder of the time you chose to spend away from your screen. FEWER DISTRACTIONS WHILE YOU FOCUS With Screen Time permission, PhoneJail temporarily restricts apps and websites during your session. Choose a 5-minute session or work up to 2 hours; a 1-minute option lets you try the flow first. PICK UP TO PAUSE, PUT DOWN TO CONTINUE While PhoneJail is active on screen, lifting your device pauses the focus timer with a jailbreak warning. Put it back down and keep it steady to continue. Normal mode includes an emergency release option. OPTIONAL STRICT MODE Strict Mode is off by default and can be enabled in Settings before starting a session. It removes the emergency release button for that session. Picking up your device pauses the timer; putting it down resumes it. Complete the selected amount of focus time to finish. An unfinished strict session is preserved when you reopen the app. SEE THE TIME YOU HAVE SET ASIDE Review your focus history, streaks and trends. New failed or interrupted sessions remain in your history but do not count toward focus statistics. Existing history and its statistics are preserved. Library Mode keeps vibration alerts quiet when you are sharing a space. POWER-SAVING FOCUS AND WIDGETS Power-saving mode is on by default and respects your device’s Auto-Lock setting. Focus time continues while the screen is locked or the app is in the background, with pickup detection suspended until you return to PhoneJail. A Home Screen widget opens session setup, and a Live Activity shows remaining time on supported devices. The completion label appears at the next system refresh. Reopen the app after time expires to finish the session and remove restrictions. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, ads or tracking SDKs. Focus records and settings stay on your device, with no cloud account to maintain. Camera and motion data are processed on your device to support AR placement and pickup detection. BEFORE YOU START Requires an ARKit-capable iPhone or iPad with iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 or later. AR placement needs camera access, a flat surface and enough light. Screen Time authorization is required to start a protected focus session. Restrictions depend on iOS and your authorization settings. If iOS suspends or terminates the app, reopen PhoneJail to update the session and remove restrictions when it is complete. Available in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Italian and Indonesian.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Linggen at Free against PhoneJail's $4.99. PhoneJail's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On 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
Linggen is free to download; PhoneJail costs $4.99 up front. Linggen sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. PhoneJail asks for nothing beyond the download.
Linggen ships an update every 3 weeks, PhoneJail weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Linggen | PhoneJail |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 德博 闫 | Shanghai Infinite Imagination Information Technology Co., Ltd |
In-app purchases
Linggen
- Prime (Monthly)$1.991 Month
- Prime$9.991 Year
- Prime(lifetime)$29.99
PhoneJail
No in-app purchases









