Comparison

AppBlock vs Ransom

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

Head to head
About

AppBlock

Features
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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 โ€ข Quick Block: choose your apps and start a focus session in one tap. A countdown shows how long is left. โ€ข Schedules: block apps during work, study, dinner or bedtime. Set the days and the time ranges. โ€ข Usage limits: set how long you can use an app each day. When your time is up, the app is blocked. โ€ข Open limits: allow only a few opens per day. The blocked screen shows how many opens you have left. โ€ข 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 โ€ข Premium is an auto-renewing subscription, billed monthly or yearly โ€ข Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase โ€ข The subscription renews automatically unless you turn it off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period โ€ข Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period โ€ข Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings โ€ข 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

Ransom

Features
Read full description

Get your evenings back. Keep your apps. Ransom locks Instagram, TikTok and whatever else eats your day, and asks for push-ups, squats or steps before it opens them. Most of the time you'll decide it isn't worth ten push-ups. That is the whole trick. WHAT CHANGES You stop opening apps by reflex. A set standing between you and the feed makes you notice your hand reaching for the phone, and noticing is most of the battle. The hour before bed comes back. Set a wind-down rule and scrolling takes twice the reps right when you'd normally lose the evening to it. You get a bit stronger without meaning to. Ten push-ups a few times a day adds up faster than you'd think. You watch the number drop. The Progress tab shows today against this time yesterday, and your whole week. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps that eat your day. 2. Rex, a buff T-rex with tiny arms, locks them. 3. Do a set. The front camera counts push-ups and squats. The pedometer counts steps. 4. A set earns coins, and coins are minutes, one for one. 15 coins opens your apps for 15 minutes. Spend them on whatever you like. When they run out, your apps lock again until your next set. NOTHING LEAVES YOUR PHONE No account, no sign-up. Your screen time never leaves your phone. The camera looks at your form on the device and never records, saves or uploads a frame. Your screen time is your business. EVERY DAY IS A FRESH START Coins clear at midnight, so unspent minutes never pile up. Had a bad day and scrolled through all of it? Tomorrow starts at zero, and Rex is not going to bring it up. REX COUNTS PROPERLY Half a push-up is not a push-up. The camera looks for real depth, so a bounce doesn't earn a minute. It also means the minutes you do earn actually feel earned. RULES FOR THE HOURS THAT MATTER Name an hour. Dinner, gym time, wind down. During it, opening your apps takes twice the reps. You still can, it just takes more work. PICK YOUR LEVEL Chill, Standard or Beast. Start easy. Move up when ten push-ups stops being a reason to put the phone down. WHAT IT DOESN'T DO It doesn't delete your apps. It doesn't shame you. It doesn't nag. Full access is a subscription that renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before it ends. Manage it in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Terms: https://lucascoles.github.io/ransom/terms/ Privacy: https://lucascoles.github.io/ransom/privacy/

Screenshots

AppBlock4 screens
Ransom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ransom at every 5 days against AppBlock's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. AppBlock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Ransom sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AppBlock ships an update every 2 months, Ransom every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
AppBlock versus Ransom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAppBlockRansom
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size46 MB78 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSaif Ur RehmanLucas Coles

In-app purchases

2 purchases

AppBlock

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

Ransom

Subscriptions2
  • Ransom Pro Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Ransom Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is AppBlock free?
AppBlock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ransom free?
Ransom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do AppBlock or Ransom have ads?
Neither AppBlock nor Ransom shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AppBlock or Ransom?
AppBlock ships an update every 2 months, and Ransom every 5 days. Most recently, AppBlock was updated on October 14, 2026 and Ransom on October 9, 2026.

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