Comparison

OnLock vs DeskTabby

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

Head to head
About

OnLock

This app enforces focus by locking distracting applications at the operating system level. It uses AI to verify study sessions with photos, ensuring your progress is genuine and building an earned streak. Features include scheduled blocks, intent journaling, and focus intelligence insights.

Highlights
  • OS-level distraction blocking
  • AI-verified study sessions
  • Streak building
  • Scheduled recurring blocks
  • Intent journaling
  • Focus intelligence insights
  • Home screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Studying doesn't fail because you're lazy. It fails because Instagram is one swipe away, and willpower is not a strategy. OnLock is the block you can't talk yourself out of. When a session starts, OnLock locks your distractions at the operating system level using Apple's Family Controls. No "5 more minutes." No uninstall trick. The shield holds until you finish. But blocking is the easy part. The hard part is proving the work was real. Before any session counts toward your streak, OnLock's AI reviews a photo of what you did. No proof, no credit. THE SHIELD • Un-bypassable OS-level enforcement built on Apple's Family Controls • Locks the apps that derail you: social, games, browsers, anything • Holds through restarts, app deletion, and panic uninstalls • Schedule recurring blocks for the hours you always slip AI PROOF • Submit a photo of your notes, work, or finished problem set • AI verifies the session was genuine study before your streak counts • Catches the "I just sat there" sessions you'd rather forget • Builds a streak you actually earned THE INTERVENTION • A quiet pause before every session to ask if this is really study time • Journal your intent so distraction has to argue with your own words • Reflect after to see what is actually working THE WHY ON A TIMER • Plot your exams on a real countdown • Every session lands against the clock • See what each lost hour costs you FOCUS INTELLIGENCE • Learns your peak hours, worst blockers, and patterns • Tells you when to study and when to stop pretending • Your data, your insight, never shared ALWAYS ON • Home screen widgets in three sizes • Lock screen complications for glanceable streaks • Quick Study: one tap and you're locked in THE AESTHETIC A calm, editorial interface designed to feel nothing like the apps it replaces. No infinite scroll. No screaming notifications. No dopamine arcade. Just focus. PRIVACY • Screen time data stays on your device • Built on Apple's native Family Controls and Screen Time APIs • Photos for AI proof are reviewed and discarded • No tracking, no sale, no leak FREE Every feature above is included, free. No subscription, no upsells, no locked tools. Stop trying harder. Start being unable. OnLock. The focus you can't undo. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://onlock-api.joshuawang2048.workers.dev/legal/privacy

About

DeskTabby

This app uses a charming virtual cat to help you stay focused using the Pomodoro technique. It offers a gentle, non-judgmental approach to productivity, rewarding your progress with in-game growth and customization options. Enjoy offline functionality and privacy-focused features.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro focus sessions
  • Live Activity on Dynamic Island and Lock Screen
  • Cat growth and customization
  • Offline functionality
  • Daily goals and streaks
  • Optional cosmetic in-app purchases
Read full description

Make a little time for one thing, with a cat beside you. DeskTabby keeps you company while you read, study, write, or work on something of your own. · Meet your cat: Bring it home, then start when ready. You can also choose a one-minute trial. Naming your cat and choosing a personality can wait. · One thing at a time: Choose a task or start a simple focus session. Pause and return when you need to. · Pick up again: Leave a short progress note or a next step, then find it when you come back. · A shared history: Look back on focused time, completed sessions, and the things you did together. Your cat grows with your focus. · A look of your own: Choose coat colors, patterns, and eyes. Try hats, glasses, scarves, little companions, and desk or sleep scenes together. · Optional gift packs: Some cosmetic choices are available as in-app purchases. They do not buy focus time or growth. · Private by default: No DeskTabby account, ads, analytics, or tracking. Task names and notes are stored locally and excluded from the optional iCloud progress backup. Local file backup and optional private iCloud progress backup are separate choices. Bring one thing. Leave a line. Come back whenever you are ready.

Screenshots

OnLock4 screens
DeskTabby4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OnLock at none against DeskTabby's 9. DeskTabby's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. DeskTabby sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. OnLock asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for OnLock against 5.0 for DeskTabby. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OnLock ships an update every 5 weeks, DeskTabby every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
OnLock versus DeskTabby: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOnLockDeskTabby
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB130 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTing Ting Xu军 郭

Customer experience

OnLock

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

DeskTabby

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

OnLock

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

DeskTabby

One-time9
  • Eyewear Pack$3.99
  • Headwear Pack$3.99
  • Patterns Pack$3.99
Show 6 more
  • Neckwear Pack$3.99
  • Sleep Scene Pack$3.99
  • Desk Scene Pack$3.99
  • Pastel Coat Pack$5.99
  • Sidekicks Pack$5.99
  • Everything, Forever$24.99

Questions

Is OnLock free?
OnLock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DeskTabby free?
DeskTabby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, OnLock or DeskTabby?
OnLock and DeskTabby are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do OnLock or DeskTabby have ads?
Neither OnLock nor DeskTabby shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OnLock or DeskTabby?
OnLock ships an update every 5 weeks, and DeskTabby every 4 days. Most recently, OnLock was updated on October 24, 2026 and DeskTabby on October 24, 2026.

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