Comparison

Locus vs Earned Time

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

Head to head
About

Locus

Features
Read full description

Locus blocks the apps that break your focus โ€” for real. Pick a focus mode, choose the apps and websites that distract you, and start. For the whole session they're actually closed. No nagging, no streaks, no detox score โ€” just a calm shield between you and the scroll. Locus is built for people who are serious about focus: students and exam-takers who need to study, and professionals who do deep work. If you've ever said "I just want my phone to be quiet while I work," this is for you. WHY LOCUS IS DIFFERENT Most screen-time apps either show a gentle "take a breath" screen you tap past in seconds, or block so loosely you bypass them in one move. Locus removes the decision entirely. Once a session starts, the block is real. FOCUS MODES โ€ข Timed session โ€” set a duration, block your distracting apps, and focus until time's up. โ€ข Pomodoro โ€” work and break cycles (25/5 or your own). Apps stay blocked while you work and open on breaks. โ€ข Scheduled focus โ€” recurring weekly blocks for study hours, work hours, or exam week. Focus turns on automatically. STRICT MODE Make quitting harder. Ending a session early takes a deliberate confirmation step, so a moment of weakness doesn't cost you your focus. CALM, NOT JUDGMENTAL A simple summary shows your total focus time and completed sessions. No guilt-tripping analytics and no gamified badges โ€” just quiet feedback that respects your attention. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Locus works offline and needs no account. Your app selection stays on your device. Blocking is built on Apple Screen Time (Family Controls), so it's enforced by iOS itself. Truly focus. Start your first session today. Note: Locus uses Apple's Screen Time permission to block apps and websites. It does not collect or share your usage data. Legal Terms of Use (EULA): https://locus-indol.vercel.app/en/terms Privacy Policy: https://locus-indol.vercel.app/en/privacy

About

Earned Time

Features
Read full description

Earned Time flips the deal on screen time. Instead of guilt-tripping you with a weekly usage report, it pauses your distracting apps until you've done something that actually matters to you. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose the apps you want paused โ€” social, games, whatever pulls you in. 2. Set up goals from the activities you want to do more of: reading, studying, language practice, anything. 3. Pick which apps count as productive for each activity. 4. Time you spend in those apps is tracked automatically and converts into unlock minutes. 5. Spend your earned minutes whenever you want. Your paused apps come back for exactly that long, then lock again on their own. WHY IT'S DIFFERENT No shaming. No arbitrary limits you'll disable in a weak moment. You set the exchange rate between effort and freedom, and the app just holds you to it. FEATURES โ€ข Automatic tracking โ€” productive app time becomes unlock minutes with no timers to start and no sessions to remember โ€ข Focus sessions for offline work that no app can measure โ€ข Roll over unused minutes so a strong day can fund a slow one โ€ข See exactly how you earned: which activity, which apps, how many minutes โ€ข Anti-bypass controls โ€” confirmation delays, a daily cap on manual unlocks, or hide the escape hatch entirely โ€ข Streaks and achievements โ€ข Daily or weekly goals PRIVATE BY DESIGN There is no account, no sign-up, and no server. Earned Time makes no network connections at all. Your Screen Time data and your goals never leave your iPhone.

Screenshots

Locus4 screens
Earned Time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Earned Time at none against Locus's 3. Earned Time also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Locus sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Earned Time asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Locus ships an update every 2 months, Earned Time fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Locus versus Earned Time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLocusEarned Time
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad โ€” better
Requires iOS17.0 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size8 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBAHADIR SOFUOGLUPayam Khaninejad

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Locus

Subscriptions2
  • Locus Pro โ€” Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Locus Pro โ€” Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Locus Pro โ€” Lifetime$39.99
None

Earned Time

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Locus free?
Locus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Earned Time free?
Earned Time is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Locus or Earned Time have ads?
Neither Locus nor Earned Time shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Locus or Earned Time?
Locus ships an update every 2 months, and Earned Time fortnightly. Most recently, Locus was updated on October 15, 2026 and Earned Time on October 24, 2026.

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