Comparison

HoldON vs Ransom

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

Head to head
About

HoldON

Features
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Your thumb opens the app before you've decided to. HoldOn catches that automatic reach and creates a moment to choose before the scroll starts. BREAK THE AUTOPILOT Choose the apps and websites that pull you in most. The next time you try to open one, HoldOn interrupts the automatic pattern and asks you to make the decision consciously. No hard lock. No guilt. Just a moment between impulse and action. HOLD TO WAKE HoldOn's signature intervention makes continuing an active choice. Press and hold for 8 seconds while HoldOn brings your attention back to the decision. Change your mind? Just let go. If you still want the app, finish the hold and continue intentionally. CHOOSE HOW MUCH TIME YOU ACTUALLY NEED If you decide to continue, choose a session from 1 to 10 minutes. When that time ends, HoldOn protects the app again. Need more time? You can choose again. The goal isn't to stop you from using your phone. It's to stop 10 intentional minutes from becoming 45 unconscious ones. OTHER WAYS TO PAUSE Different moments call for different interventions: โ€ข Hold to Wake โ€” actively hold before continuing โ€ข Breathing โ€” slow down with a guided breathing pause โ€ข Reflection โ€” notice the urge before reacting โ€ข Intention Check โ€” reconnect with why you're opening the app Choose the experience that works best for you. SEE YOUR PROGRESS HoldOn helps you see what happens when you interrupt autopilot: โ€ข Conscious decisions โ€ข Attempts interrupted โ€ข Time reclaimed โ€ข Current and longest streaks โ€ข Weekly progress Over time, the goal is simple: less automatic scrolling, more intentional use. YOU'RE ALWAYS IN CONTROL HoldOn creates friction without taking away your freedom. You always have a way to stop protection, change your settings, or consciously continue. Your attention is your life. Take it back. HoldOn is free to try. Premium unlocks the full intervention library and Insights. Privacy Policy: https://www.getholdon.com/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Ransom

Features
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Get your evenings back. Keep your apps. Ransom locks Instagram, TikTok and whatever else eats your day, and asks for push-ups, squats or steps before it opens them. Most of the time you'll decide it isn't worth ten push-ups. That is the whole trick. WHAT CHANGES You stop opening apps by reflex. A set standing between you and the feed makes you notice your hand reaching for the phone, and noticing is most of the battle. The hour before bed comes back. Set a wind-down rule and scrolling takes twice the reps right when you'd normally lose the evening to it. You get a bit stronger without meaning to. Ten push-ups a few times a day adds up faster than you'd think. You watch the number drop. The Progress tab shows today against this time yesterday, and your whole week. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps that eat your day. 2. Rex, a buff T-rex with tiny arms, locks them. 3. Do a set. The front camera counts push-ups and squats. The pedometer counts steps. 4. A set earns coins, and coins are minutes, one for one. 15 coins opens your apps for 15 minutes. Spend them on whatever you like. When they run out, your apps lock again until your next set. NOTHING LEAVES YOUR PHONE No account, no sign-up. Your screen time never leaves your phone. The camera looks at your form on the device and never records, saves or uploads a frame. Your screen time is your business. EVERY DAY IS A FRESH START Coins clear at midnight, so unspent minutes never pile up. Had a bad day and scrolled through all of it? Tomorrow starts at zero, and Rex is not going to bring it up. REX COUNTS PROPERLY Half a push-up is not a push-up. The camera looks for real depth, so a bounce doesn't earn a minute. It also means the minutes you do earn actually feel earned. RULES FOR THE HOURS THAT MATTER Name an hour. Dinner, gym time, wind down. During it, opening your apps takes twice the reps. You still can, it just takes more work. PICK YOUR LEVEL Chill, Standard or Beast. Start easy. Move up when ten push-ups stops being a reason to put the phone down. WHAT IT DOESN'T DO It doesn't delete your apps. It doesn't shame you. It doesn't nag. Full access is a subscription that renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before it ends. Manage it in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Terms: https://lucascoles.github.io/ransom/terms/ Privacy: https://lucascoles.github.io/ransom/privacy/

Screenshots

HoldON4 screens
Ransom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ransom at every 5 days against HoldON's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. HoldON sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Ransom sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HoldON ships an update monthly, Ransom every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
HoldON versus Ransom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHoldONRansom
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.617.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size18 MB78 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRonald Radhames Santana FrancoLucas Coles

In-app purchases

3 purchases

HoldON

Subscriptions3
  • HoldON Premium$9.991 Month
  • Premium Annual โ€” Win-Back$29.991 Year
  • HoldON Premium7 Days trial$59.991 Year
2 purchases

Ransom

Subscriptions2
  • Ransom Pro Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Ransom Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is HoldON free?
HoldON is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ransom free?
Ransom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HoldON or Ransom have ads?
Neither HoldON nor Ransom shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HoldON or Ransom?
HoldON ships an update monthly, and Ransom every 5 days. Most recently, HoldON was updated on October 8, 2026 and Ransom on October 9, 2026.

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