Comparison

Shield vs Dopamine Detox

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

Head to head
About

Shield

This app helps you regain control of your digital habits by blocking distracting applications until you complete real-world goals. Set daily objectives and earn access back to your chosen apps by achieving them.

Highlights
  • Goal-based app blocking
  • Set daily real-world objectives
  • Earn access to blocked apps
  • Temporary break option
  • Social accountability circle
  • Uses Screen Time technology
Features
Read full description

Shield blocks your most distracting apps until you finish your goals for the day. HOW IT WORKS Each morning, write down at least three goals for the day: go for a run, finish your reading, call your grandma. You choose which apps get blocked. They stay blocked until every goal is checked off, and then they open for the rest of the day. You can add daily habits too, and those count as well. FRIENDS Goals are easier to keep when your friends can see them. Your friends see your goals for the day and which ones you've finished, and you see theirs, along with how many days in a row you've each kept it up. Add people you know by their handle. Nothing is shared until you've both accepted, and there's no feed to scroll. BEDTIME AND QUIET HOURS Set a bedtime and a wind-down hour, and your apps close on schedule, whether or not your goals are done. FOCUS BLOCKS Start a timer for something you're working on, and your apps stay closed until it runs out. WHEN YOU NEED A BREAK You can lower the shield for fifteen minutes, up to three times a day. It's there for the times you really need an app. SHIELD FAMILY Pair your kid's iPhone and set their goals, habits, bedtime and a daily limit from your own phone. Their apps open once they've finished what you set. Shield Family is an optional subscription, and the first week is free. PRIVACY Shield is built on Apple's Screen Time. Apple doesn't tell us which apps you block, and your usage data stays on your phone. There are no ads, and we don't sell your data. Shield is free to use. You'll need a free account, which takes about twenty seconds and keeps your goals and friends when you switch phones. Terms of Use: https://shieldblocker.netlify.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://shieldblocker.netlify.app/privacy

About

Dopamine Detox

Features
Read full description

Dopamine Detox is the simplest way to break the habits that drain your focus and stay consistent with the ones that rebuild it. IN-APP PURCHASE REQUIRED: Dopamine Detox is free to download. Tracking habits and the other features described below require Dopamine Detox Pro, a separate in-app purchase offered as an auto-renewing subscription or, where available, a one-time lifetime purchase. The price, the plan length, any introductory offer, and the renewal terms are shown on the purchase screen before you confirm. Nothing is charged automatically, subscriptions renew until you cancel them in your App Store account settings, and earlier purchases can be restored from Settings. Endless scrolling, junk food, skipped workouts - none of them feel like a big deal in the moment. Together they set your baseline. A dopamine detox isn't about quitting everything forever. It's about proving to yourself, one day at a time, that you're in control. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the habits you want to hold - quit scrolling, no junk food, daily walk - across three areas: Screen, Body, and Mind. 2. Answer a short self-assessment to set your starting Focus score, then let two weeks of real days replace the estimate. 3. Check your habits off each day. One honest yes or no per habit, nothing to measure or type. 4. Watch your Focus score (0 to 100) respond. Your daily performance and your worst days set where you stand; covering all three areas is the only way to raise your ceiling. WHAT DOPAMINE DETOX PRO INCLUDES (separate purchase) - A daily habit checklist across Screen, Body, and Mind, with a 7-day strip to log or fix any of the last seven days - The Focus score and the three drivers behind it: performance, worst days, and coverage - Three rings that show which area you're avoiding - eight screen habits can't outvote the one mind habit you keep skipping - A 6-month consistency grid, plus daily, weekday, and per-habit stats over 30 days, 90 days, or all time - Streaks, achievements, and weekly challenges - Goal and week-start settings you can change whenever your routine does DATA AND PRIVACY No account, no sign-up, no ads. Your habits and history are stored on your device. Dopamine Detox is a self-improvement tool, not medical advice. That's it. A minute to set up, one honest check-in a day, and a number that tells you the truth about your week. Questions or ideas? Hit the contact link in Settings and I'll get back to you fast. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://makerbox.notion.site/Dopamine-Detox-Privacy-Policy-3b4d30b69c44812eabdbf1383e4230d6

Screenshots

Shield4 screens
Dopamine Detox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Shield at 16.0 against Dopamine Detox's 18.6. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Shield sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Dopamine Detox sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shield ships an update fortnightly, Dopamine Detox every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Shield versus Dopamine Detox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShieldDopamine Detox
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZak RiesenDenis Kulkov

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Shield

Subscriptions2
  • Shield Family7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Shield Family7 Days trial$59.991 Year
4 purchases

Dopamine Detox

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly7 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Shield free?
Shield is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dopamine Detox free?
Dopamine Detox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shield or Dopamine Detox have ads?
Neither Shield nor Dopamine Detox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shield or Dopamine Detox?
Shield ships an update fortnightly, and Dopamine Detox every 10 days. Most recently, Shield was updated on November 5, 2026 and Dopamine Detox on October 26, 2026.

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