---
title: "Apple Screen Time Alternative: Unlockr vs Screen Time Limits"
source: https://unlockr.space/compare/screen-time-alternative
---

Unlockr vs Screen Time · An honest comparison
vs
# Looking for a Screen Time alternative?
Unlockr is a Screen Time alternative for limits you set on yourself. Apple's Time Allowances are free and built in, but when one runs out, Ignore Limit gets you straight back in. Unlockr uses the same Screen Time framework and swaps that tap for 20 squats, a plank or a quick Math round.
Try Unlockr freeSee the comparison ↓ TT
Full disclosure: I make Unlockr, so I'm not neutral. I think Screen Time is a genuinely good app, and this comparison plays it straight. Where Screen Time is the better pick, I say so.
Tin, maker of Unlockr
## Unlockr vs Screen Time at a glance
| Feature | Unlockr | Screen Time |
| Price | Free for 1 app; Premium $34.99/yr | Free, built in |
| When a limit runs out | Finish a challenge | Ignore Limit, one tap |
| Limits | Up to 8 rules with their own hours and reward | Time Allowances by app or category |
| Earned time only counts while in the app | Yes | No |
| Detailed usage reports | Yes, by day, week and month | Yes |
| Parental controls | No, it's for your own phone | Yes (Family Sharing) |
| Exercise to unlock | Yes, counted on device | No |
Pricing and features checked November 2026. Sources: Apple iPhone User Guide: Set up Screen Time for yourself · Our guide: How to reduce screen time on iPhone.
## What Screen Time does well
- It is free and already on your iPhone. Nothing to install, nothing to pay.
- Detailed reports of where your time goes, app by app.
- With Family Sharing, a parent's passcode turns limits into real limits for a child.
### When Screen Time is the better choice
If you are setting limits for someone else, or someone else holds your Screen Time passcode, Apple's built-in tools are the better pick, and free. Unlockr is for limits you set for yourself, where one tap on Ignore Limit is the whole problem.
## Why try Unlockr
- Effort, not willpower — a set of squats, push-ups or a plank, or a Math or Memory round, stands between you and the app. Much harder to tap past on autopilot.
- Time that only counts while you use it — earned minutes tick down only while the app is open, so locking your phone never wastes them. They reset at midnight.
- Rules that follow your day — up to 8 rules for work hours, evenings or your own schedule, each with its own apps, challenge and reward.
- The camera stays on your iPhone — reps are counted on device. No frame is saved or uploaded, and Math, Memory and Breathe don't need the camera at all.
- Built and answered by one developer — Unlockr is made by Tin in Da Nang, Vietnam. When you email support, he answers.
## Frequently asked questions
**Q:** Does Unlockr replace Screen Time?
No. Unlockr is built on Apple's Screen Time framework and needs Screen Time permission. You can keep using Screen Time reports alongside it.
**Q:** Can I make Apple's limits stricter on my own?
One common trick is asking someone else to set the Screen Time passcode, so Ignore Limit needs their code. It works, but it means asking them each time.
## What people say about Unlockr.
★★★★★
> Really help me reduce screen time 🥹
★★★★★
> Very helpful app. Should use this to improve your health and reduce using your phone every day.
★★★★★
> This app is very useful. It offers different ways to improve your health, and it also helps curb overusing your phone for entertainment.
★★★★★
> Really suited to helping cut down daily phone use.
## Pricing
Free
$0
Free forever
Download free
- 1 rule protecting 1 app
- Every challenge, with your own target and reward
- Schedules, streak and stats
- Daily Breathe bonus
Premium Best value: yearly
$34.99/year
3-day free trial for eligible users · or $5.99/month, $2.99/week, $69.99 once
Start free trial
- Multiple apps, whole categories and websites
- Up to 8 rules for different times of day
- Everything in Free
- If Premium ends, your rules stay saved
Prices in US dollars. The App Store shows your local price before you buy.
## More comparisons
- Opal alternativeUnlockr vs Opal
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- ScreenZen alternativeUnlockr vs ScreenZen
- Brick alternativeUnlockr vs Brick
- Best app blockersSeven options side by side
## Ready to earn your screen time?
Start free with one protected app. It takes a minute to set up.
Download on theApp Store