ActionDash vs AppBlock (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AppBlock grades higher than ActionDash: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ActionDash grades higher on value for money and the free plan. AppBlock grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ActionDash
Android screen-time tracker with app limits and a focus mode
AppBlock
App and website blocker with schedules and a strict mode
Which one is for you
Pick ActionDash if
- Fits if you want to see and cap your phone use on Android
- Works for people who want a focus mode without paying up front
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use iPhone or a computer, because it is Android only
- Watch out: website blocking depends on Android's Accessibility Service
- Watch out: the cost of any paid tier is unconfirmed, as no pricing page exists
- Watch out: the email manager sends Gmail data to the vendor's servers, which the site says are encrypted
Pick AppBlock if
- Fits if you want Instagram shut every weekday from nine to five without lifting a finger
- Works for people who block by place, like the office Wi-Fi or the library
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free and need more than 2 or 3 schedules, or Strict Mode past 12 hours on iPhone
- Skip it if you want apps blocked on a Mac or Windows PC, as it's browser-only there
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $4.99 against $2.50 a month on the yearly plan
- Watch out: Allowlist mode, adult content blocking, backup and the Quick Block timer all need Premium
- Watch out: the free week is on the yearly plan only, and student and business prices aren't published
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAActionDashGood | 2.8GPAAppBlockGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to install from Google Play, which counts as free and substantial, but the site gives no pricing page and in-app prices are unconfirmed. | B$29.99 a year is $2.50 a month, inside the cheapest quarter of focus tools, which starts at $2.99 against a $3.99 middle. Paying monthly doubles it to $4.99. The $89.99 Lifetime is about two years of the category's middle price, so it pays off if you stay. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe app is free to install and use, though the listing does not say what paid in-app upgrades hold. | CFree blocking exists, but you'll meet the walls in week one: 2 schedules on iPhone or 3 on Android, Strict Mode cut off after 12 hours on iPhone or 24 on Android, and Quick Block capped. Allowlist mode, adult content blocking and backup are all Premium. |
| Features | CScreen time breakdown, app limits, focus mode, sleep mode and inbox cleanup. It covers Android only and no website blocking without Accessibility Service. | BFor a phone blocker it covers the job: apps, websites, single URLs and keywords, schedules that fire by time, day, location or Wi-Fi network, and a Strict Mode with a cooldown or another person's approval. Nothing in the listing points at missing blocking work. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but it is an app you install and open with nothing to set up. | B4.6 from about 6,700 App Store ratings, below the top of this category. Quick Block gets you blocking in a tap, before you've built a single schedule. |
| Platforms and integrations | DAndroid only, with no iPhone or desktop version. | BiPhone, Android and extensions for Chrome, Edge and Brave, so phone and computer are both covered. Only partly on the computer, mind: there's no Mac or Windows app, so the extension blocks websites while the apps on your desktop carry on. Nothing else connects to it. |
| Best for | screen time limits on Android | blocks that switch on by time, place or Wi-Fi |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ActionDash and AppBlock. How we grade
Price against what you get
ActionDash has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. AppBlock starts at $2.50 a month and scores 3.0.
AppBlock scores higher, and starts $2.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other focus apps on the chart, none scores higher than ActionDash for less, and 1 scores higher than AppBlock for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- AppBlock can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- ActionDash also covers habit tracking and reports.
- AppBlock also covers Pomodoro timer.
At a glance
| ActionDash | AppBlock | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $2.50 / month, billed yearly ($29.99) |
| Free plan | Free to install from Google Play; the site's own listing data states a price of $0. Whether the app has paid in-app upgrades could not be confirmed. | Free plan with limits that differ by platform: up to 2 schedules and 12 hours of Strict Mode on iOS, or 3 schedules and 24 hours of Strict Mode on Android. |
| Free trial | None listed | 1 week free on the yearly plan, for new subscribers only |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Sensor Tower | MobileSoft s.r.o. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | appblock.app |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ActionDash
- Android only; the vendor lists no iPhone or desktop version.
- No pricing page exists, and the Play listing does not show a price for the in-app items, so the cost of any paid tier is unconfirmed.
- Website blocking relies on Android's Accessibility Service, as the Play listing explains.
- The email manager sends Gmail data to the vendor's servers, which the site says are encrypted.
AppBlock
- Free limits differ by platform: iOS allows 2 schedules and 12 hours of Strict Mode, Android 3 schedules and 24 hours.
- Allowlist mode, adult content blocking, backup and the Quick Block timer need Premium on both iOS and Android.
- On a computer AppBlock runs only as an extension for Chrome, Edge and Brave; no Mac or Windows app is listed.
- The student discount and business licences are arranged through forms, and neither page states a price.
Key features
ActionDash
- Screen time breakdown
- Shows usage per app, notification counts and unlock frequency, with trends over days, weeks and months.
- Focus mode
- Pauses distracting apps in one tap, and can switch on by schedule for work, study or bedtime.
- App usage limits
- Sets a daily time limit for any app and notifies you as you approach it.
- Sleep mode
- Schedules a sleep window that disables apps, according to the Play listing.
- Inbox cleanup
- Connects to Gmail to show top senders, unsubscribe from newsletters and bulk-delete old mail.
AppBlock
- App and website blocking
- Block apps, websites, specific URLs and keywords. On Android, Premium can also block newly installed apps and browsers the app does not support.
- Schedules
- Profiles for work, study or sleep switch on by time, day, location or connected Wi-Fi network and then run automatically.
- Quick Block
- Starts a block right away without a schedule. Free use is capped at 4 hours on iOS or 3 apps and 3 sites on Android; Premium adds a timer.
- Strict Mode
- Makes blocks harder to bypass, with a cooldown and approval by another person. The free plan caps it at 12 hours on iOS and 24 hours on Android.
- Allowlist mode
- A Premium mode that blocks everything except a set of chosen apps, which the vendor describes as a dumbphone-like setup.
- Browser extensions
- Extensions for Chrome, Edge and Brave block websites and keywords on a computer, with Quick Block and Schedules.
Plans
ActionDash
Pricing could not be confirmed. See actiondash.com.
AppBlock
Free$0
Blocking within limits: 2 schedules on iOS or 3 on Android, schedule usage limits of up to 30 minutes a day and time-capped Strict Mode.
Premium (yearly)$29.99
per year ($2.50 / month), after a free week
Unlimited Quick Block, schedules and Strict Mode, plus Allowlist mode, adult content blocking and backup.
Premium (monthly)$4.99
per month
The same Premium features paid month to month, with cancellation at any time.
Premium (lifetime)$89.99
one-time payment
Premium features for a single payment with no subscription.
Ways to pay less
ActionDash
No public discounts listed.
AppBlock
- Annual discount
Yearly Premium costs about half of monthly
The pricing page lists Premium at $29.99 a year against $4.99 a month, which comes to $59.88 over twelve months.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Premium for a one-time payment
The pricing page lists a Lifetime Premium option at $89.99, paid once.
- Education
Student discount on Premium
Students who submit their university, field of study and academic year get a link that shows a student discount in the app. The page does not state the amount.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ActionDash or AppBlock?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ActionDash has no price we could confirm, and AppBlock starts at $2.50 / month, billed yearly ($29.99).
Which has a free plan, ActionDash or AppBlock?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ActionDash and AppBlock have a free plan.
Which platforms do ActionDash and AppBlock run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only AppBlock lists an iOS app and a browser extension. Both list an Android app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.