Comparison

MathLock vs Lyceum

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

Head to head
About

MathLock

This app transforms screen time into educational math practice. It uses quick math games to unlock distracting apps, helping users reduce mindless scrolling and improve their math skills. Features adaptive difficulty and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Math game app lock
  • Reduces distracting app usage
  • Five different math games
  • Adaptive difficulty levels
  • Streak tracking and XP
  • Emergency unlock option
Features
Read full description

MathLock turns screen time into math time. It is a math app lock that guards your most distracting apps behind a quick math game, so a few minutes of math practice take the place of the mindless scroll. Before Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or any app you choose can open, MathLock asks you to solve a quick challenge. Pick your apps, set your lock times, and the lock does the work. No willpower required. HOW MATHLOCK WORKS MathLock uses Apple Screen Time (Family Controls) to lock only the apps you choose. You select them with Apple's private picker, so MathLock never sees the other apps on your phone. When a locked app opens at a locked time, MathLock's shield appears. Tap Solve, finish a quick math game, and continue to your app. FIVE MATH GAMES, ONE TAP AWAY Math Duel: a fast mental math race against a rival bot. Mini Sudoku: a compact sudoku you can finish in a minute or two. Cross Math: balance the equations in a little math crossword. Math Maze: walk the number grid to reach the target. KenKen: crack the cages in the classic KenKen, also known as Ken Ken or mathdoku. A MATH WORKOUT, NOT JUST AN APP BLOCKER Most app blockers only block. MathLock turns every unlock into math learning: arithmetic, mental math, logic and number puzzles that keep your brain sharp. It is great for students who want daily math practice, for adults who want smarter screen time and better focus, and for anyone trying to doomscroll less and learn more. DIFFICULTY THAT ADAPTS TO YOU Start at Chill, Standard or Genius, and MathLock quietly tunes every game to your level. Easy mental math to warm up, or hard logic puzzles that make you think. You always finish and you always get through to your app. Winning just earns more. STREAKS, XP AND A CHEERFUL PI Keep your daily streak alive and watch it grow. Earn streak freezes to protect it on a busy day. Collect XP, level up, and let Pi, the orange mascot, celebrate with you. LIFE HAPPENS A clearly marked emergency unlock can pause the lock when you truly need it. It is deliberately a little slower than solving, because the easiest path should always be the math. PRIVACY FIRST MathLock locks only the apps you pick, chosen through Apple's private picker, so the app never sees your full list of apps. No account is needed, nothing is collected, and nothing is shared. Everything stays on your device, and you can change or remove Screen Time access at any time in Settings. Requires iOS 16 or later. Turn scrolling time into math time. Install MathLock and make every open count. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://reel.money/mathlock/privacy

About

Lyceum

Features
Read full description

Lyceum is a place for people who love knowledge. Inspired by the school Aristotle founded in Athens, it carries that spirit on through journal pages, conversations, books, essays, and classes held in person and online. The app is in Vietnamese. SỔ TAY (NOTEBOOK) Each day the Notebook opens with a small question, such as "How is the sky where you are today?". Answer it, or write something else on today's journal page: a passage from a book worth keeping, a few lines jotted down before they slip away. Every page carries its date and can hold a photo; if you allow location access, the app also notes the city. Pages are arranged by month, and each one can stay private ("Chỉ mình tôi", only me) or be shared with everyone. Now and then the Notebook brings back an old journal page, such as one written three months ago. The "Hôm nay" (Today) widget on the Home Screen opens the day's page straight away. ĐỐI THOẠI (DIALOGUE) Something you keep coming back to? A question still without an answer? A view you would like to talk through? Start a discussion. Others can reply right below it, or carry on from one particular reply. Discussions and replies can include photos, with a source if you wish. BÀI VIẾT (ARTICLES) Read essays and series from the Editorial Board and members, from a reading of Plato's Republic to a translation on the technical debt AI creates for mathematics. Articles have footnotes: tap a number to read the note, then return to the exact paragraph you were on. SÁCH (BOOKS) Keep track of the books you want to read, are reading and have read. Give them stars, note a few lines of thought and see what others make of the same book. Save the passages you like to the Notebook so you can find them again. SỰ KIỆN (EVENTS) See the schedule of classes, discussions and writing sessions at Lyceum, or join the ones held online. Sign up in the app. Paid events can be paid with a VietQR code. E-tickets carry a code scanned at the door, work with Apple Wallet and remind you before the start. NOTIFICATIONS Know when someone replies to you or mentions you, and when there is a new article or event. Notifications about articles and events can be turned on or off in Settings. GETTING STARTED Sign in with Apple, Google or email. Articles and discussions are open to everyone, signed in or not.

Screenshots

MathLock4 screens
Lyceum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lyceum at none against MathLock's 3. Lyceum also leads on update cadence (daily vs weekly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. MathLock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Lyceum asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MathLock ships an update weekly, Lyceum daily. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
MathLock versus Lyceum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMathLockLyceum
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB29 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHamid Mahmood SiddiquiTri Tin Pho

In-app purchases

3 purchases

MathLock

Subscriptions2
  • MathLock Pro$2.997 Days
  • MathLock Pro Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • MathLock Pro Lifetime$39.99
None

Lyceum

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MathLock free?
MathLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lyceum free?
Lyceum is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MathLock or Lyceum have ads?
Neither MathLock nor Lyceum shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MathLock or Lyceum?
MathLock ships an update weekly, and Lyceum daily. Most recently, MathLock was updated on November 5, 2026 and Lyceum on November 6, 2026.

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