Comparison

MonkeyLock vs Earned

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

Earned

Features
Read full description

Tired of losing hours to endless scrolling? Earned flips it around. You earn your screen time by doing real things first, then scroll guilt-free. HOW IT WORKS • Do a real activity — a quick workout, a walk, a breathing session, or an AI-verified photo challenge • Earn Juice — your screen-time currency • Spend Juice on guilt-free scroll sessions for the apps on your list • Build the habit: real stuff first, scrolling second WHY IT WORKS Earned puts a moment of friction between you and the doomscroll: before you open a distracting app, you earn it by doing something real first. An AI checks your photo (and video) proof, so you can't fake it. It's a commitment tool — you set the rules, Earned keeps score. FEATURES • Earn screen time through real-world activities • AI-verified photo, video, and journaling challenges • Daily goals and streaks to keep you consistent • See how much time you've reclaimed • English, Spanish, and Arabic Take back control of your attention — one earned minute at a time. FREE & PREMIUM Earned is free to download and use: the full earn-and-spend loop, easy daily wins, 5 AI proof checks a day, and up to 3 apps on your list (with ads). Earned Premium (optional auto-renewable subscription) unlocks the full challenge library, 50 AI proof checks a day, unlimited apps, AI coaching, and removes ads: • Premium Monthly — $4.99/month • Premium 6 Months — $19.99/6 months • Premium Yearly — $29.99/year Each plan starts with a 3-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple ID; the subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store settings. Terms of Use: https://earned-legal-app.netlify.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://earned-legal-app.netlify.app/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

MonkeyLock4 screens
Earned4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: MonkeyLock at none against Earned's shown. Earned's advantage is update cadence (every 2 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 Earned sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MonkeyLock ships an update every 10 days, Earned every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
MonkeyLock versus Earned: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonkeyLockEarned
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRYAN DAVID BURNSKhaled Alhashmi

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MonkeyLock

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

Earned

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Premium 6 Months3 Days trial$19.996 Months
  • Premium Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is MonkeyLock free?
MonkeyLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Earned free?
Earned is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MonkeyLock or Earned have ads?
Earned shows ads; MonkeyLock does not.
Which is updated more often, MonkeyLock or Earned?
MonkeyLock ships an update every 10 days, and Earned every 2 days. Most recently, MonkeyLock was updated on October 31, 2026 and Earned on November 10, 2026.

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