AppBlock vs Ransom
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
AppBlock
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AppBlocker - Take Back Control of Your Screen Time Tired of mindlessly scrolling? AppBlocker helps you break the cycle and reclaim your focus. Block distracting apps, set smart schedules, and watch your screen time drop โ one tap at a time. WHY APPBLOCKER? Built on Apple's Screen Time framework, AppBlocker gives you real, system-level control. When an app is blocked, it's truly blocked - no workarounds, no half-measures. KEY FEATURES โ Quick Block - Need to focus right now? Pick your distracting apps and block them for 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 4 hours. One tap. Done. โ Smart Schedules - Build custom blocking schedules for work hours, study time, family dinners, or bedtime. Choose any apps, any days, any time ranges. โ Screen Time Insights - See where your hours go with beautiful daily, weekly, and monthly reports. Track your top apps, categories, and trends. โ Long-Term Impact - Visualize how much time you'll save in a year. Small changes, massive results. โ Strict Mode - For when you really mean it. Make blocks harder to disable so your past self can't sabotage your future self. โ Custom Shield - A friendly reminder appears when you try to open a blocked app, helping you stay on track without shame. โ Home Screen Widgets - Track your blocking status and active focus sessions right from your Home Screen and Lock Screen. HOW IT WORKS Grant Screen Time permission (one-time setup) Pick the apps that distract you most Set a schedule or hit Quick Block Stay focused. Repeat. Win. PRIVACY FIRST Your screen time data never leaves your device. We don't sell your data. We don't share it. Your habits are yours. PREMIUM Unlock unlimited schedules, advanced insights, Strict Mode, and more with AppBlocker Premium. Try it free, then choose monthly or yearly. Cancel anytime in Settings. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS โข Payment charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase โข Subscription auto-renews unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the period โข Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID Settings โข Privacy Policy: https://o9tech.com/appblocker/privacypolicy.html โข Terms of Service: https://o9tech.com/appblocker/terms-conditions.html SUPPORT Questions? Feedback? Email us at support@o9tech.com - we read every message. Stop scrolling. Start living. Download AppBlocker today.
Ransom
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Ransom at every 5 days against AppBlock's every 3 weeks. 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
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.
AppBlock ships an update every 3 weeks, Ransom every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AppBlock | Ransom |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 5 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad โ better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 78 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Saif Ur Rehman | Lucas Coles |
In-app purchases
AppBlock
- Monthly Premium$4.991 Month
- Yearly Premium$49.991 Year
Ransom
- Ransom Pro Weekly$3.997 Days
- Ransom Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year









