AppBlock vs Stay Focused

AppBlock

• Phone users who want blocks that start by time, place or Wi-Fi network
• People who need a block they cannot easily switch off
• Blocking the same sites on a phone and in a desktop browser

Stay Focused

• People who want blocks they cannot switch off on impulse
• Android users who want to block short videos but keep the app
• Students running timed study sessions with distracting apps locked

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.

Stay Focused

• Prices and the list of Premium features are not on the vendor's site; the dollar figures come from the US App Store, and Google Play shows $0.49 to $99.99 per item.
• Purchases are tied to one platform and one device: an Android purchase cannot be used on iOS.
• On iPhone and iPad, iOS caps blocking at 50 apps or websites at a time, and blocking Reels and Shorts is offered on Android only.
• There is no Mac or Windows app; on a computer it is limited to a Chrome extension that blocks websites and keywords.

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.

Stay Focused

App and website blocking with profiles

Pick the apps, sites and keywords to block and group them into profiles for sleep, work or study. Each profile can work as a blocklist or as a whitelist of what stays allowed.

Schedules, daily limits and goals

Block during set days and hours, after a daily usage limit is used up, or until you have spent a set amount of time in apps you class as productive.

Location-based blocking

Block apps automatically while you are at a place you choose, such as a school, office or library, or while you are away from it.

Strict Mode

Locks your blocks until a timer runs out. Turning it off can require a PIN, an expiry date, a QR code scan or typing a randomly generated text.

Pomodoro sessions and Focus Sounds

Timed focus sessions with planned breaks keep all but a few chosen apps blocked. Rain, ocean waves, brown noise and other sounds can be mixed into a background track.

Reels and Shorts blocking

On Android, hide YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and Stories or Snapchat Spotlight while keeping the rest of each app usable.

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.

Stay Focused

• Free$0

  The app is a free download. What the free version leaves out is not published.

• Monthly$3.99

  per month, US App Store in-app purchase

  Premium features paid month to month. The listing does not itemize what the subscription unlocks.

• Quarterly$9.99

  per 3 months, US App Store in-app purchase

  The same subscription billed every three months.

• Yearly$24.99

  per year, US App Store in-app purchase

  The same subscription billed once a year. A purchase named Yearly Discounted is listed at the same $24.99.

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.

Stay Focused

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing costs about 48% less than monthly

  The US App Store lists the Monthly purchase at $3.99 and the Yearly purchase at $24.99, so a year paid at once costs about 48% less than twelve monthly payments.