# OpenAppLock vs PenPal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenAppLock at none against PenPal's 1. OpenAppLock also leads on ads (none vs shown). PenPal's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PenPal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. OpenAppLock asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for OpenAppLock against 5.0 for PenPal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

OpenAppLock ships an update every 2 weeks, PenPal every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OpenAppLock | PenPal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openapplock/id6780259647/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penpal-ai-voice-transcriber/id6784370028/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 13 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **26.0** | 26.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brendan Chen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1610821430) | [Steven Bui](https://appshunter.io/developer/6784370030) |

## What reviewers say

### OpenAppLock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openapplock/id6780259647)

This app helps you regain control of your screen time by blocking specific applications. You can set schedules, time limits, or open limits for apps, and even create custom rules to prevent unwanted usage.

**Highlights:** Block apps on a schedule, Set time or open limits, Preset and custom rules, Lock rule edits

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### PenPal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penpal-ai-voice-transcriber/id6784370028)

This app records your voice, transcribes it into text, and automatically generates summaries, to-do items, and calendar events. It allows you to search your notes and sync events to your existing calendar. Your data remains private on your device.

**Highlights:** Live audio transcription, Automated summaries, To-do item extraction, Calendar event creation, Sync with Apple Calendar, Searchable notes, Private by design

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PenPal: AI Voice Transcriber | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OpenAppLock free?

OpenAppLock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PenPal free?

PenPal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, OpenAppLock or PenPal?

OpenAppLock and PenPal are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do OpenAppLock or PenPal have ads?

PenPal shows ads; OpenAppLock does not.

### Which is updated more often, OpenAppLock or PenPal?

OpenAppLock ships an update every 2 weeks, and PenPal every 3 days. Most recently, OpenAppLock was updated on November 10, 2026 and PenPal on November 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*