Comparison

AppBlock Screen Time Control 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 Screen Time Control

Features
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AppBlock is a simple app blocker for real screen time control. Block apps by schedule, by daily app time limit, by number of opens or by location, and stop scrolling without relying on willpower. Pick the apps that pull you in, like social media, Reels, short videos or games, then choose how to block them. AppBlock uses Apple's Screen Time system, so a blocked app shows a shield screen when you try to open it. WAYS TO BLOCK • Quick Block: start a focus session in one tap. A countdown shows how long is left. • Schedules: block apps during work, study, dinner or bedtime. Pick the days and the times. • Daily limits: set how long you can use an app each day. When the time is up, the app is blocked. • Open limits: allow only a few opens a day. The blocked screen shows how many you have left. • Location blocking: block apps when you are at school, the library or the office, or when you are away from a place you choose. SEE YOUR SCREEN TIME Guess your daily screen time, then see the real number. Insights show your screen time and your most used apps each day for free. Weekly and monthly views come with Premium. MADE FOR REAL LIFE • Stop doomscrolling at night • Study or work without your phone pulling you away, with an app blocker that stays on • Keep dinner and family time phone free • Switch off work apps when you get home PRIVACY The apps you pick stay private. Apple's Screen Time system keeps your list hidden from us, and your schedules and limits are stored on your device. 11 LANGUAGES English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal), German, French, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese. 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 Save as many apps as you like. Free lets you keep up to 3 app limits active at once. Pro lets you activate every saved limit, with 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

AppBlock Screen Time Control4 screens
HourLimit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HourLimit at weekly against AppBlock Screen Time Control's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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 Screen Time Control 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AppBlock Screen Time Control ships an update every 3 weeks, HourLimit weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
AppBlock Screen Time Control versus HourLimit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAppBlock Screen Time ControlHourLimit
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSaif Ur RehmanSercan PASPAL

In-app purchases

2 purchases

AppBlock Screen Time Control

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 Screen Time Control free?
AppBlock Screen Time Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HourLimit free?
HourLimit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do AppBlock Screen Time Control or HourLimit have ads?
Neither AppBlock Screen Time Control nor HourLimit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AppBlock Screen Time Control or HourLimit?
AppBlock Screen Time Control ships an update every 3 weeks, and HourLimit weekly. Most recently, AppBlock Screen Time Control was updated on October 24, 2026 and HourLimit on October 24, 2026.

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