Comparison

App Block vs Block&Read

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

Head to head
About

App Block

Features
Read full description

Make distraction earn its place in your day. Read to Unlock blocks the apps that usually win your attention, and gives them back only once you have read for them. Every page is worth 1 minute. Pass a short quiz to prove you understood it, and those minutes go into your balance — spend them on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube whenever you want. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps to block — the ones that usually get the first tap 2. Read inside the app — every page you read earns 1 minute 3. Pass the quiz — answer 3 questions, get 2 right, and the minutes are banked 4. Spend your balance — activate minutes whenever you want your apps back There is no daily goal and no minimum. Read as much or as little as you want. Your balance carries across days, so nothing you earned is ever lost at midnight. FEATURES • Blocks distracting apps through iOS Screen Time • 1 page = 1 minute, with a balance that carries over between days • A built-in book library, so you can start reading in the first minute • Import your own EPUB and PDF files (Pro) • A 3-question comprehension quiz written by AI from the pages you just read • Track pages read, minutes earned and your reading streak • Fully translated into 25 languages, switchable at any time FREE AND PRO Free gives you one blocked app, one book from the library and the full earning loop. Pro unlocks every distracting app, the whole library, EPUB and PDF imports, and one shared minute balance across everything you read. From $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year. Works on iPhone with iOS 17 or later. Reading is the price of the feed. Download Read to Unlock and read first. Privacy Policy: https://readtounlock.org/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Block&Read

This app replaces distracting apps with reading material to help you achieve your daily page goals. It offers a built-in e-reader and blocks selected applications until you meet your reading targets, promoting focus and time management.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps
  • Read to meet page goals
  • Built-in e-reader
  • Public domain classics library
  • Import your own EPUBs
  • Reading insights
  • Strict mode for focus
Features
Read full description

Trade the scroll for a chapter. Block&Read locks the apps that eat your evenings and opens a book in their place. Reach your page count, and the lock lifts. A real e-reader and a real app blocker, in one app. No willpower required, just a page or two. HOW IT WORKS • Set your blocklist: social, video, news, whatever burns your day • Reach for one of them and a book opens instead • Read to your daily goal, and the lock lifts • Keep the streak alive and win your time back FREE • Block one app, forever free • Bring one of your own books • A shelf of public-domain classics in English and Spanish • Streaks, stats and daily reminders • Strict mode, no easy way out PREMIUM • Block unlimited apps • Import your own EPUBs and search 75,000+ classics • Blocking schedules and extra reader themes • Reading insights, see how you read • Private iCloud backup of your library • Monthly or yearly, or pay once with Lifetime Privacy is total. There is no account to create, nothing is measured, and nothing is sent anywhere. Your library and your reading stay on your device, or in your own private iCloud. Earn the scroll. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://dezeo.lat/blockandread/privacypolicy/

Screenshots

App Block4 screens
Block&Read4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: App Block at 17.0 against Block&Read's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. App Block sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Block&Read sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

App Block ships an update every 4 weeks, Block&Read every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
App Block versus Block&Read: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterApp BlockBlock&Read
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB37 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAskhat BakitovNicolas Gula

In-app purchases

2 purchases

App Block

Subscriptions2
  • Read to Unlock Pro$4.991 Month
  • Read to Unlock Pro$29.991 Year
4 purchases

Block&Read

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$39.99

Questions

Is App Block free?
App Block is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Block&Read free?
Block&Read is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do App Block or Block&Read have ads?
Neither App Block nor Block&Read shows ads.
Which is updated more often, App Block or Block&Read?
App Block ships an update every 4 weeks, and Block&Read every 2 weeks. Most recently, App Block was updated on November 5, 2026 and Block&Read on November 10, 2026.

Other comparisons