Comparison

Gulp vs Thrive

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

Head to head
About

Gulp

Features
Read full description

Gulp turns your water goal into a screen-time gate: drink first, scroll later. Meet Axel, the axolotl who guards your apps. Open something you've gated and Axel is there instead, waiting for you to drink. Choose the apps that usually pull your attention away, set a daily hydration goal, and let Gulp keep those distractions blocked until you make progress. Log a glass, unlock your apps, and get back to your day with a simple habit loop that is easy to understand. How Gulp works: 1. Set your daily water goal 2. Pick apps and categories with Apple's Screen Time picker 3. Log water as you drink 4. Unlock selected apps when you hit your hydration target or active unlock window What you can do with Gulp: - Block distracting apps until your water goal is done - Select individual apps or whole categories - Track daily hydration progress and streaks - Review your unlock history and weekly trends - Add Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets - Get reminders when you are falling behind - Use light, dark, or system appearance - Keep app selections private on device Gulp is built for people who want real accountability without a complicated habit system. Drink water, unlock your apps, and move on. Some features require Apple Screen Time authorization. Health sync is optional and uses Apple Health only with your permission. Gulp is not a medical app and does not provide medical advice. Gulp Pro is a one-time purchase that unlocks the full experience forever. No subscription or recurring charge. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://randyventures.github.io/GulpSite/privacy/

About

Thrive

Features
Read full description

Earn your screen time. Build your health. Thrive turns the apps that drain your day into a reward for taking care of yourself. Pick the apps you want blocked โ€” Instagram, TikTok, X, news, games, anything. They stay locked until you've completed the health tasks you set: drinking water, moving, taking your medications, eating. The phone earns its place in your day. Free to download, with an optional Pro upgrade for unlimited blocks and full customization. FOUR ACTIVITIES, ONE STREAK โ€ข Hydration โ€” log glasses or sync from Apple Health โ€ข Movement โ€” minutes or steps, your call โ€ข Medications & supplements โ€” schedule recurring doses with custom colors โ€ข Nutrition โ€” three tracking styles from "tap to confirm" to full meal logging with barcode scans THE PHONE EARNS ITS PLACE Choose the apps you want blocked. The moment you hit your daily goals, the shields lift and the apps unlock โ€” automatically, no manual switch. Miss a goal and the apps stay locked. FOCUS SESSIONS Lock in for deep work or deep rest with dedicated focus blocks, separate from your daily goals. GET EMERGENCY SKIPS PER WEEK Real life happens. Use a skip when you need to. Every skip is journalled so you can review your patterns and notice when you're slipping. APPLE WATCH APP INCLUDED Log a glass of water, mark a medication taken, check off a meal โ€” straight from your wrist. Your ring on the watch matches the ring on the phone. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No tracking. No server. Your health data never leaves your phone or your private iCloud. Friends share their streaks via iCloud, but no health data is ever shared with anyone. VACATION MODE Headed out of town? Pause every block for the dates you pick. The streak doesn't break, the phone doesn't fight back. FRIENDS + STREAKS Share your streak with a friend or two. Keep each other honest. Private by design. FREE โ€ข 1 app block, any activity type โ€ข Preset times, meals & water container sizes โ€ข Up to 2 medications THRIVE PRO โ€ข Unlimited blocks โ€ข Custom times, meals & water container sizes โ€ข Unlimited medications โ€ข Focus Sessions โ€ข Weekly $9.99 with 7 days free โ€ข Monthly $19.99 โ€ข Yearly $99.99 (best value) โ€ข Lifetime $299.99 (one-time, no renewals) Subscriptions auto-renew until cancelled. Cancel anytime in Settings โ†’ Apple ID โ†’ Subscriptions. Terms: apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: thrivelock.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

Gulp4 screens
Thrive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Gulp at none against Thrive's shown. On price, update cadence, 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. Gulp sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Thrive sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Gulp versus Thrive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGulpThrive
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch โ€” better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size12 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRandy TorresEverett Bostwick

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Gulp

Subscriptions5
  • Gulp Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Gulp Pro Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Gulp Pro Annual Offer$19.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Gulp Pro Yearly$24.991 Year
  • Gulp Pro Annual$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Gulp Pro Lifetime$4.99
7 purchases

Thrive

Subscriptions6
  • Weekly Plan7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Weekly Plan7 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Monthly Plan$19.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$79.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Plan$299.99

Questions

Is Gulp free?
Gulp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Thrive free?
Thrive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Gulp or Thrive have ads?
Thrive shows ads; Gulp does not.
Which is updated more often, Gulp or Thrive?
Gulp ships an update weekly, and Thrive weekly. Most recently, Gulp was updated on October 24, 2026 and Thrive on October 18, 2026.

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