Comparison

AppBlock vs HourLimit

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

Head to head
About

AppBlock

Features
Read full description

Block the apps that waste your time, by schedule, by daily limit or by location. AppBlock uses Apple's Screen Time system, so a blocked app shows a shield screen when you open it. Pick the apps that distract you, then choose how to block them. CHOOSE HOW TO BLOCK • Quick Block: choose your apps and start a focus session in one tap. A countdown shows how long is left. • Schedules: block apps during work, study, dinner or bedtime. Set the days and the time ranges. • Usage limits: set how long you can use an app each day. When your time is up, the app is blocked. • Open limits: allow only a few opens per day. The blocked screen shows how many opens you have left. • Location blocking: block apps when you are at a place you choose, like school, the library or the office. You can also block them when you are away from it. SEE WHERE YOUR TIME GOES Start by guessing your daily screen time, then see the real number. Insights show your screen time and your most used apps by day for free. Weekly and monthly views come with Premium. BUILT FOR REAL LIFE Stop doomscrolling at night. Study without your phone pulling you away. Keep dinner phone free. Switch off work apps when you get home. PRIVACY The apps you choose stay private. Apple's Screen Time system keeps your list hidden from us, and your schedules and limits are stored on your device. HOW IT WORKS 1. Allow Screen Time access once 2. Pick the apps that distract you 3. Start Quick Block, or set a schedule, a limit or a place 4. Get your time back FREE AND PREMIUM AppBlock is free to start. The free plan includes 4 hour Quick Block sessions, schedules on one day, a few usage, open and location rules, and daily Insights. Premium adds more rules, longer usage limits, schedules on several days, 24 hour Quick Block sessions, and weekly and monthly Insights. Try Premium free for 7 days, then choose monthly or yearly. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS • Premium is an auto-renewing subscription, billed monthly or yearly • Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase • The subscription renews automatically unless you turn it off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period • Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings • Any unused part of a free trial is lost when you buy a subscription Privacy Policy: https://o9tech.com/appblocker/privacypolicy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: support@o9tech.com

About

HourLimit

Features
Read full description

Daily screen time limits are easy to break. You burn the whole allowance before lunch, and the rest of the day has no guardrails at all. HourLimit works in hours instead. Give an app 15 minutes per hour, and when those 15 minutes are gone the app is blocked — until the top of the next hour, when the limit resets and you get a clean slate. Every hour, all day. It turns "I've blown it for today" into "I'll get another shot in 20 minutes." HOW IT WORKS • Pick the apps that pull you in • Give each one a limit between 1 and 60 minutes per hour • HourLimit blocks the app the moment its limit is spent • At the top of the hour, every limit resets automatically WHAT YOU GET • Hourly limits, not daily ones — a fresh start every 60 minutes • Real blocking through Apple's Screen Time, so it works even when HourLimit is closed • A calm dashboard showing what's left this hour for each app • A heads-up notification when a limit is reached • An optional reminder at the start of each new hour • Quiet hours, so nothing buzzes while you sleep • Adjust or remove any limit at any time — changes apply immediately BUILT TO BE CALM No streaks, no scores, no shaming graphs. HourLimit blocks an app and tells you when it's coming back. That's the whole product. PRIVACY Your limits and Screen Time usage stay on your iPhone. There is no account and no analytics. HourLimit uses Apple's Screen Time framework, which never reveals which apps you limit or how you use them. Purchases are processed by Apple and managed through RevenueCat. FREE AND PRO Free covers up to 3 apps. Pro removes the cap so you can limit as many apps as you like, as a monthly subscription or a one-time purchase. REQUIREMENTS HourLimit needs Screen Time (Family Controls) permission to block apps. iPhone, iOS 17 or later. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

AppBlock4 screens
HourLimit4 screens

Verdict

The call

AppBlock and HourLimit are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. AppBlock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and HourLimit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
AppBlock versus HourLimit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAppBlockHourLimit
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSaif Ur RehmanSercan PASPAL

In-app purchases

2 purchases

AppBlock

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium$49.991 Year
2 purchases

HourLimit

Subscriptions1
  • HourLimit Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • HourLimit Pro Lifetime$14.99

Questions

Is AppBlock free?
AppBlock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HourLimit free?
HourLimit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do AppBlock or HourLimit have ads?
Neither AppBlock nor HourLimit shows ads.

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