smartLLM vs Arc Lock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
smartLLM
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smartLLM runs a real large language model entirely on your iPhone. Your chat messages are never sent anywhere โ every answer is generated by your phone's own chip. โข Fully on-device inference (powered by llama.cpp) โข Chat messages never leave your phone โ no server, no account, no sign-up โข smartLLM Pro (one-time purchase): search and download additional GGUF models from Hugging Face, inside the app โข Checks your device's memory before downloading, so you don't end up with a model your phone can't run โข Streaming responses, multi-turn chat history, stop generation anytime โข Downloading the default model and chatting are free. No ads and no subscription ABOUT "OFFLINE" Chatting is fully offline. The app only uses the internet when you search for or download a model from Hugging Face, and for in-app purchase features through the App Store (StoreKit), such as loading the price, purchasing, and restoring. A NOTE ON AI CONTENT Answers are generated by a language model and may be inaccurate or inappropriate. Please verify anything important yourself, and don't rely on it for critical decisions.
Arc Lock
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Companies fight for every second of your time to keep you distracted. Taking control of your screen time should be a human right, not something locked behind a paywall. Arc Lock blocks the apps and websites that eat your day, and once a block starts, it stays on. Every feature is free for everyone: no subscription, no account, no ads, no in-app purchases. SCHEDULES Pick apps, app categories and websites, choose the hours and days, and they lock on their own. Overnight windows like 11 PM โ 7 AM work too (up to 22 hours). DAILY LIMITS Allow yourself a set time each day, from 5 minutes to 8 hours. See exactly how many minutes are used and left. When the time is used up, those apps lock until the limit resets: at midnight, or at the time you pick (say 4:00 AM, for late nights). A heads-up comes 5 minutes before. TIME-OUTS Not a full block, a pause. After a stretch of use, the apps take a short break, then open again. For example: after 20 minutes of short videos, a 10-minute break. It repeats all day and starts fresh at its reset time. BLOCK NOW Lock distractions right away, from 15 minutes to 12 hours. The Block now button is always one tap away. PLACES Pick one or more places on the map, like the library, your school or the gym, and the apps lock when you arrive. Each place block ends when you leave, or after a set time, whichever you choose, and starts only on the days you pick. Location access is asked for only when you set up a place block, and Arc Lock never sends your location anywhere. STRICT LOCK Every block can have Strict lock, and it's on by default. While a strict block runs: โข it can't be stopped, loosened or deleted in Arc Lock โข the date and time can't be changed by hand โข the block screen has a single button: Close Daily limits and time-outs are locked in until they reset: you can make one stricter once a day, but looser settings only start at its next reset. Want a gentler block? Switch Strict lock off for that block, and you can stop it whenever you like. Switching Strict lock off for the whole app works right away: a block that's running or counting stays strict only until its own reset, or until it ends. DELETION PROTECTION On by default: no app can be deleted from your iPhone, Arc Lock included. Switching it off waits only until your strict blocks reset or end. LOCK-IN Freeze every rule for 1 to 30 days, even between blocks: no loosening, no deleting rules, no deleting apps. Changes you queued before it wait until it ends. WEBSITES BY ADDRESS Type a site like youtube.com and it's blocked in Safari and every other browser, in schedules, daily limits, time-outs and Block now. APPLE'S OWN LOOK Native lists and a compact Liquid Glass tab bar: Home, Blocks and Settings. Names are optional: a block without one is shown by its first app. Five themes (Navy, Graphite, Forest, Plum and Paper), each with a matching app icon. The phone-and-lock mark in the app closes while something is blocked. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Arc Lock works through Apple's Screen Time. Apple keeps your activity on your iPhone; Arc Lock never learns which apps you use and sends nothing anywhere. No account, no analytics, no tracking. OPEN SOURCE The complete source code is on GitHub under the MIT license: github.com/WeldingArc/arc-lock
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Arc Lock at none against smartLLM's 1. On price, update cadence, ads 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
Both are free to download. smartLLM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Arc Lock asks for nothing beyond the download.
smartLLM ships an update fortnightly, Arc Lock every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | smartLLM | Arc Lock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 8 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No โ better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad โ better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | YONONAKA LLC | JUN HYUK CHOI |
In-app purchases
smartLLM
- smartLLM Pro$5.99
Arc Lock
No in-app purchases





