Comparison

Anchor vs Focus Lab Blocker

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

Head to head
About

Anchor

Features
Read full description

Anchor helps you focus on what actually matters. Start a timed focus session, automatically block the apps that distract you, and prove you really showed up by tapping an NFC tag at your desk or study spot. Anchor turns intention into a habit you can see. FOCUS SESSIONS • Choose a simple countdown or the Pomodoro method. • Set your own duration and daily focus goal. • Stay locked in until your session ends. BLOCK DISTRACTIONS • Pick the apps you want to shield during a session. • Opening a blocked app shows a calm reminder until you finish. • Get back to work without the pull of notifications. TAP TO BEGIN • Scan an NFC tag to verify you're physically where you meant to be. • A small ritual that makes starting feel intentional. SEE YOUR PROGRESS • Track focus streaks, focus hours, and a daily focus score. • Review your history and weekly trends. • Get personalized AI insights and smart suggestions on when you focus best. STAY ON TRACK • Optional reminders to start a session and protect your streak. • Sync sessions to your calendar so focus time lives alongside your day. Anchor is built for students, professionals, and anyone who wants to reclaim their attention. Stay anchored to what matters.

About

Focus Lab Blocker

This app introduces a moment of friction before accessing distracting applications, requiring users to complete a small ritual to earn entry. It offers various unlock methods and a virtual pet that thrives on self-control, encouraging users to reduce screen time.

Highlights
  • Customizable unlock rituals (breathe, timer, intention, math, exercise, photo, NFC, PIN)
  • Virtual pet that grows with self-control
  • Daily app open/time budget
  • On-device processing for privacy
  • No account or sign-up required
  • Ad-free experience
Features
Read full description

Focus Lab Blocker puts a moment of friction between you and the apps that pull at you — so opening them becomes a choice, not a reflex. Most blockers are just a wall with an "off" switch. Focus Lab Blocker is different: when you hit a blocked app, you have to earn your way in with a small ritual. By the time you're done, the urge has usually passed. CHOOSE YOUR FRICTION Every app gets its own unlock ritual: • Breathe — a few slow breaths before you go in • Cooldown — wait out a short timer • Intention — type why you need this app right now • Math — solve a few quick problems • Sweat — pushups, squats, or jumping jacks, counted live by the camera • Photo quest — go photograph grass, a book, the sink… something real • NFC tag — tap a physical tag you left in another room • Guardian PIN — a trusted person sets a PIN you don't know • Daily budget — a fixed number of opens, or minutes, per day A COMPANION THAT LIVES OFF YOUR WILLPOWER Adopt a pet that hatches from an egg and lives off your self-control. Every urge that hits a shield dings one of its meters — and every urge you resist earns the care item that heals it. No urges means a healthy pet and nothing to do: it never nags you into opening the app. But let its meters sit empty and it gets sick, and eventually leaves. BUILT TO RESPECT YOU • No account, no sign-up. • No ads. • Nothing leaves your phone. Photo and exercise checks run entirely on-device with Apple's Vision framework. No servers, because there's no network. Focus Lab Blocker uses Apple's Screen Time to enforce blocking, so it's as reliable as iOS itself. Reclaim the ten seconds before the scroll. That's usually all it takes.

Screenshots

Anchor4 screens
Focus Lab Blocker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Anchor at every 4 days against Focus Lab Blocker's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Anchor ships an update every 4 days, Focus Lab Blocker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Anchor versus Focus Lab Blocker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnchorFocus Lab Blocker
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNourin AwadSzu-Yu Wang

In-app purchases

None

Anchor

No in-app purchases

None

Focus Lab Blocker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Anchor free?
Anchor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Focus Lab Blocker free?
Focus Lab Blocker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Anchor or Focus Lab Blocker have ads?
Neither Anchor nor Focus Lab Blocker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Anchor or Focus Lab Blocker?
Anchor ships an update every 4 days, and Focus Lab Blocker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Anchor was updated on October 5, 2026 and Focus Lab Blocker on October 15, 2026.

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