Comparison

MonkeyLock vs DoomShield

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

Head to head
About

MonkeyLock

This app helps you regain control of your phone usage by requiring physical activity or brain games to earn screen time. It locks distracting apps until you complete tasks like push-ups or walking, making screen time a reward for movement.

Highlights
  • Earn screen time through workouts
  • Unlock apps with physical activity
  • Camera-tracked exercise detection
  • Integrates with Apple Health steps
  • Brain game challenges for credits
  • Habit tracking and gamification
Features
Read full description

Your phone locks the apps you choose. Your body opens them. Pick the apps that eat your day. When your minutes run out, MonkeyLock locks them — really locks them, using Apple's Screen Time system. To open them again, you move: push-ups, squats, sit-ups, lunges, jump rope. Your camera counts the reps on device. Every rep buys minutes back. That's the whole idea. No willpower required, because willpower is the thing that keeps failing. FREE TO USE The wall works free. Block as many apps as you like, earn as many minutes as you like, keep your streak, keep your history. There is no trial timer and nothing expires. HOW IT WORKS • Choose the apps to put behind the wall • When your balance hits zero, they lock • Do the reps — your camera counts them, nothing is recorded or uploaded • Minutes go back in the bank and your apps open • Brain games and Apple Health steps earn a little on the side THE WALL IS HONEST ABOUT ITSELF An app you add to the wall goes on instantly. Taking one off waits until the next morning. That delay is deliberate: it means the wall does not move at the exact moment you most want it to. And when you genuinely need in — an airport, a wedding, a message that will not wait — Break Glass gives you five minutes for a ten-second hold. Three a day. No reps, no cost, nothing owed tomorrow. A blocker that only ever says no is a blocker people delete. BUILT TO STAY OUT OF YOUR WAY • Everything happens on your device. No account, no sign-up, no servers. • Camera frames are processed live and thrown away. Nothing is saved or sent. • No ads. No tracking. WHAT YOU GET FOR SHOWING UP Ranks, streaks with a couple of mercy days, and a Sunday page that shows the week you actually had — how many days the wall held, and what changed. Requires iPhone with iOS 17 or later. Screen Time permission is needed for blocking to work; MonkeyLock asks for it during setup and explains why.

About

DoomShield

Features
Read full description

Stop losing hours to the scroll. DoomShield locks the apps that hijack your attention—Instagram, TikTok, X, and more—until you earn them back with real push-ups. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps that drain you. 2. Open one and DoomShield's shield blocks it. 3. Do your push-ups—the AI camera counts every rep. 4. Earn a timed unlock. When it's up, the shield comes back. It's a simple trade: move your body, get your time. No willpower required—just a rule you can't swipe away. REAL, UN-BYPASSABLE BLOCKING DoomShield uses Apple's Screen Time technology to block apps at the system level. This isn't a timer you can dismiss—it's a real shield. EARN IT WITH EFFORT Turn doomscrolling into reps. Every unlock costs a few push-ups, so the more you reach for your phone, the stronger you get. SQUAD: STREAKS WITH FRIENDS Add friends, build daily streaks, and keep each other honest. Nudge your squad when they slack—accountability is the cheat code. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See your push-ups, unlocks, and streaks over time. Watch wasted hours turn into reps. DOOMSHIELD PRO Upgrade for unlimited blocked apps, unlimited daily unlocks, custom rep and session targets, and full stats. Beat the doomscroll. Build the habit. Get your time back—one rep at a time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

MonkeyLock4 screens
DoomShield4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: MonkeyLock at none against DoomShield's shown. DoomShield's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 10 days). On price, in-app purchases, 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. MonkeyLock sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $64.99 per year and DoomShield sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MonkeyLock ships an update every 10 days, DoomShield every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
MonkeyLock versus DoomShield: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonkeyLockDoomShield
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB143 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRYAN DAVID BURNSMichael Aubry

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MonkeyLock

Subscriptions1
  • MonkeyLock Pro Annual7 Days trial$64.991 Year
3 purchases

DoomShield

Subscriptions3
  • DoomShield Pro Weekly$6.997 Days
  • DoomShield Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • DoomShield Pro Annual3 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is MonkeyLock free?
MonkeyLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DoomShield free?
DoomShield is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MonkeyLock or DoomShield have ads?
DoomShield shows ads; MonkeyLock does not.
Which is updated more often, MonkeyLock or DoomShield?
MonkeyLock ships an update every 10 days, and DoomShield every 4 days. Most recently, MonkeyLock was updated on October 6, 2026 and DoomShield on October 2, 2026.

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