Comparison

Luma vs Do Instead

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

Head to head
About

Luma

Features
Read full description

Do real life before you scroll. Tired of losing 4+ hours every day to doomscrolling? Willpower alone is no match for social media algorithms. Luma flips the script: screen time is no longer a defaultβ€”it’s a reward you earn through real-life action. Protect your focus on a schedule With Scheduled Blocks in Luma Plus, choose the apps, days, and start and end times for your focus routine. Create a daily plan, repeat it on selected weekdays, or choose a specific date. Luma automatically blocks your selected apps during that window. Make separate plans for study, work, or winding down. Edit the hours, pause a plan when you need to, and optionally receive notifications when a scheduled block starts and ends. Requires Screen Time access. How Luma works: 1. Choose Distracting Apps: Pick the social, video, and gaming apps you want to protect. 2. Complete Real-Life Quests: Do push-ups, stretch, read, study, or finish a focus session. 3. Earn Screen Time Credits: Your camera or timer verifies your effort and awards time credits. 4. Unlock & Enjoy: Spend your earned minutes guilt-free. When time runs out, Luma locks them automatically. What makes Luma different: β€’ Camera and Pose Tracking: Real-time tracking counts your push-ups and guides your stretching sessions. No cheatingβ€”earn your screen time through real movement! β€’ Interactive Daily Quests: Express gratitude in a 3-point journal, take a 3-minute rhythm dance break, or take a photo touching grass outside. β€’ Focus Timer & Pomodoro: Need deep work or study time? Start a focus block and stack minutes for later. β€’ 1-Minute Unlock Warning: Never get cut off mid-scroll without notice. β€’ Streak Freeze & Star Quests: Build daily momentum without fear of losing your streak on busy days. Block distractions, not your life: β€’ Native Screen Time Integration: Built strictly on Apple’s Screen Time controls. β€’ 100% Private: Luma never reads your messages, browsing history, or personal data. Everything stays on your device. β€’ Friction That Works: Break impulsive phone pickups with intentional pause and physical action. Built for: β€’ Students aiming to study before opening social media β€’ Professionals looking to eliminate workday distractions β€’ Anyone struggling with doomscrolling, attention, or phone habits β€’ People who want to replace passive screen time with real-world habits Your phone does not have to be the enemy. Do real life. Earn your scroll. Luma Plus: Luma Plus unlocks full access through flexible auto-renewable subscriptions. Pricing may vary by territory and is clearly displayed before confirmation. Eligible plans may feature free trials or introductory offers as detailed on the paywall. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account upon purchase confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current billing cycle. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store Account Settings. Privacy Policy: https://luma-yasinertekin.web.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://luma-yasinertekin.web.app/terms

About

Do Instead

Features
Read full description

Block distracting apps. Make room for what you'd rather do. You open a social app to check one thing. Half an hour later, you're still scrolling. Do Instead helps you set a boundary and bring your real tasks back into view. CHOOSE YOUR BOUNDARIES In Custom mode, give Social and Work their own apps, websites and allowed times. Add optional reminders before your windows open or close. Turning off protection or widening allowed times takes ten minutes; tightening protection applies immediately. Or start a digital detox: 14 days with a daily 30-minute window, or 21 days without regular windows. Choose your apps and review the editable website list. New programs pause Custom protection while keeping your saved setup. Track program days, streaks and milestones, then continue with your own rhythm when the program ends. TEMPORARY ACCESS WITH A PURPOSE In Custom mode, link a protected app to its English name, then say something like "Unblock Instagram for five minutes." Voice access pauses protection for that one app for 1-30 minutes, without a ten-minute wait. Switch to the app yourself; protection returns when time is up. Each session needs a fresh spoken request. Voice access is unavailable during digital detox or a protected focus session and requires microphone permission and on-device English speech recognition. You can also choose one app or website, a purpose, and 5 or 10 minutes of access. This option has a ten-minute daily budget and a ten-minute pause between sessions. Digital detox uses its own temporary-access rules. DO SOMETHING INSTEAD Bring tasks from Apple Reminders into view, or connect Todoist with Pro. Keep your next task nearby with Home and Lock Screen widgets. Start a 25-minute focus session around a task, take a guided breathing break, or try a short desk workout with a 3D coach. Complete tasks and watch your oak grow from an acorn into a tree. Quiet days don't erase its growth. With Pro and Screen Time permission, focus sessions can keep selected apps and sites blocked even during allowed windows. Completing a task does not unlock blocked apps. FREE AND PRO Free: Apple Reminders, widgets, focus timers, oak growth, breathing, desk workouts and the gentler Shortcuts route. Shortcuts needs an automation that opens Do Instead when you open a chosen app. Pro: Screen Time blocking, separate Social and Work schedules, digital detox programs, temporary access, protection during focus sessions and Todoist integration. Subscription prices and eligible trials are shown before purchase. HOW PROTECTION WORKS Blocking requires Screen Time permission. Website coverage varies by browser and iOS version. You can add domains or import a browser history export; imported domains stay on your device. Added websites may show Apple's restriction page instead of the task shield. With Pro, the Safari extension defers to Screen Time; without Pro, it uses its own website list. On iOS 26.5 and later, open your task manager from the shield through Do Instead. Earlier versions offer a notification shortcut when enabled. Screen Time permission can be revoked, and uninstalling removes protection. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No Do Instead account, ads, analytics or tracking. Task integrations connect to the services you choose. Voice recognition runs on your iPhone; audio and transcripts are not saved. Program progress and access reasons stay on your device. Privacy Policy: https://groei.dev/do-instead/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Luma4 screens
Do Instead4 screens

Verdict

The call

Luma and Do Instead are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters β€” price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them β€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Luma sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Do Instead sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Luma ships an update every 6 days, Do Instead every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Luma versus Do Instead: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLumaDo Instead
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 5 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.217.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size126 MB19 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperYASIN ERTEKINGroei BV

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Luma

Subscriptions4
  • Luma Plus Weekly7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Luma Plus Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Luma Plus Annual Offer7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Luma Plus Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
2 purchases

Do Instead

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Pro7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Luma free?
Luma is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Do Instead free?
Do Instead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Luma or Do Instead have ads?
Neither Luma nor Do Instead shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Luma or Do Instead?
Luma ships an update every 6 days, and Do Instead every 5 days. Most recently, Luma was updated on October 31, 2026 and Do Instead on November 10, 2026.

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