Comparison

LockHour Pro vs Arc Lock

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

Head to head
About

LockHour Pro

Features
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Optimized for iPhone Duo. Built with the latest SDK, the app fills the entire inner display and automatically adjusts its layout whether the device is folded or open. Lock distracting apps and websites until your timer ends β€” then they come back on their own. Pick a mode and tap once: Study Mode runs Pomodoro-style cycles, Deep Work protects a full block, and Sleep Wind Down helps you put the phone down at night. Turn on Hard Mode and stopping early takes a 60-second cooldown plus a typed confirmation, so you quit on purpose, not on impulse. WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT β€’ One tap to focus β€” start a session and your chosen apps are shielded instantly β€’ A beautiful countdown that makes focused time feel rewarding β€’ Build streaks and watch your reclaimed hours add up FOCUS MODES FOR EVERY MOMENT β€’ Quick Focus β€” a short lock to get started β€’ Deep Work β€” protect a serious work block β€’ Study Mode β€” Pomodoro-style cycles with breaks β€’ Sleep Wind Down β€” stop late-night scrolling β€’ Morning Reset β€” start your day before the scroll β€’ Custom β€” set your own length HARD MODE Add a calm moment of friction before you can stop early β€” a cooldown and a confirmation that help you choose intentionally. INSIGHTS THAT MOTIVATE See today’s focused time, weekly charts, streaks, and how many hours you’ve reclaimed. WIDGETS & LIVE ACTIVITY Glance at your progress from the Home and Lock Screen, and watch your session count down in the Dynamic Island. PRIVATE BY DESIGN β€’ No account, ever β€’ No ads β€’ No tracking, no third-party analytics β€’ Your data never leaves your device PAY ONCE. FOCUS FOREVER. One simple purchase unlocks everything. No subscription. No hidden fees. Your attention is worth protecting. Start your first focus session today. Optimized for iPhone Duo.

About

Arc Lock

Features
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Companies fight for every second of your time to keep you distracted. Taking control of your screen time should be a human right, not something locked behind a paywall. Arc Lock blocks the apps and websites that eat your day, and once a block starts, it stays on. Every feature is free for everyone: no subscription, no account, no ads, no in-app purchases. SCHEDULES Pick apps, app categories and websites, choose the hours and days, and they lock on their own. Overnight windows like 11 PM – 7 AM work too (up to 22 hours). DAILY LIMITS Allow yourself a set time each day, from 5 minutes to 8 hours. See exactly how many minutes are used and left. When the time is used up, those apps lock until the limit resets: at midnight, or at the time you pick (say 4:00 AM, for late nights). A heads-up comes 5 minutes before. TIME-OUTS Not a full block, a pause. After a stretch of use, the apps take a short break, then open again. For example: after 20 minutes of short videos, a 10-minute break. It repeats all day and starts fresh at its reset time. BLOCK NOW Lock distractions right away, from 15 minutes to 12 hours. The Block now button is always one tap away. PLACES Pick one or more places on the map, like the library, your school or the gym, and the apps lock when you arrive. Each place block ends when you leave, or after a set time, whichever you choose, and starts only on the days you pick. Location access is asked for only when you set up a place block, and Arc Lock never sends your location anywhere. STRICT LOCK Every block can have Strict lock, and it's on by default. While a strict block runs: β€’ it can't be stopped, loosened or deleted in Arc Lock β€’ the date and time can't be changed by hand β€’ the block screen has a single button: Close Daily limits and time-outs are locked in until they reset: you can make one stricter once a day, but looser settings only start at its next reset. Want a gentler block? Switch Strict lock off for that block, and you can stop it whenever you like. Switching Strict lock off for the whole app works right away: a block that's running or counting stays strict only until its own reset, or until it ends. DELETION PROTECTION On by default: no app can be deleted from your iPhone, Arc Lock included. Switching it off waits only until your strict blocks reset or end. LOCK-IN Freeze every rule for 1 to 30 days, even between blocks: no loosening, no deleting rules, no deleting apps. Changes you queued before it wait until it ends. WEBSITES BY ADDRESS Type a site like youtube.com and it's blocked in Safari and every other browser, in schedules, daily limits, time-outs and Block now. APPLE'S OWN LOOK Native lists and a compact Liquid Glass tab bar: Home, Blocks and Settings. Names are optional: a block without one is shown by its first app. Five themes (Navy, Graphite, Forest, Plum and Paper), each with a matching app icon. The phone-and-lock mark in the app closes while something is blocked. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Arc Lock works through Apple's Screen Time. Apple keeps your activity on your iPhone; Arc Lock never learns which apps you use and sends nothing anywhere. No account, no analytics, no tracking. OPEN SOURCE The complete source code is on GitHub under the MIT license: github.com/WeldingArc/arc-lock

Screenshots

LockHour Pro4 screens
Arc Lock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Arc Lock at none against LockHour Pro's 1. LockHour Pro's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 days) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. LockHour Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Arc Lock asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LockHour Pro ships an update every 4 days, Arc Lock every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
LockHour Pro versus Arc Lock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLockHour ProArc Lock
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days β€” betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size9 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGuan Feng LaiJUN HYUK CHOI

In-app purchases

1 purchases

LockHour Pro

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$4.99
None

Arc Lock

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LockHour Pro free?
LockHour Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Arc Lock free?
Arc Lock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do LockHour Pro or Arc Lock have ads?
Neither LockHour Pro nor Arc Lock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LockHour Pro or Arc Lock?
LockHour Pro ships an update every 4 days, and Arc Lock every 8 days. Most recently, LockHour Pro was updated on November 5, 2026 and Arc Lock on October 31, 2026.

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