Lagerland Lagerland

Movement-based · Private · On-device

Looking for a
ScreenZen alternative?

ScreenZen is a genuinely good, genuinely free tool — an escalating pause before each app, plus limits and schedules. If that's enough for you, keep it. But a pause is something you can wait out. EarnLock makes the cost concrete: the apps stay shielded until you actually move. Steps, active minutes, or active calories — measured by Apple Health. The shield shows a live progress ring with the exact count remaining. Free to start; $19.99 lifetime, one-time.

See EarnLock Compare side by side

How does EarnLock compare to ScreenZen?

Compared against ScreenZen's public App Store description and website. Re-verify before switching — competitor offerings change frequently.

Feature EarnLock ScreenZen
How blocked apps unlock Daily activity goal hit (steps / active minutes / active calories), measured by Apple Health Escalating pause (longer each reopen) + per-app time limits you can wait out
Hard block vs friction Hard block — app stays shielded until the goal is met Friction-first — designed to slow you down and build intention
Custom shield with live progress ring on the blocked app Yes — ShieldConfiguration extension paints a ring + "X steps until unlock" Pause/intention screen; no progress-to-unlock ring
Apple Watch app + complications Yes — Watch reads HealthKit on-wrist, count keeps running without the iPhone iPhone-focused
Price Free to start; $19.99 lifetime or $1.99/mo · $9.99/yr Completely free — no premium, no subscription, no IAP
Activity / fitness angle Yes — the unlock is movement; a small fitness nudge is built in No — purely a screen-time friction tool
Account or sign-up required No — no email, no Apple ID required No account required
Third-party tracking SDKs None — Apple verifies "Data Not Collected" Minimal — check current nutrition label
Platforms iOS + Apple Watch iOS + Android
Family Sharing eligible Yes — every paid tier; one purchase covers up to 5 family members N/A — it's free

Verified 2026-06-14 against ScreenZen's public App Store page and website. Mechanism descriptions reflect each app's own published documentation; re-verify before switching.

When should I pick ScreenZen instead?

Honest answer — ScreenZen is excellent, and for a lot of people it's the right call:

EarnLock is for the person who has waited out the pause one too many times and wants the unlock cost to be something real — movement, enforced by Apple's Family Controls, proven by Apple Health. If ScreenZen's friction already does the job for you, keep it with our blessing.

About EarnLock

EarnLock icon
EarnLock
Earn your screen time. Move, then scroll.
Lock Instagram, TikTok, X until you hit your daily step goal. Custom shield, Apple Watch, no account, no server. $19.99 lifetime — or free.
lifestyle iOS · watchOS

Questions

FAQ

What is the best alternative to ScreenZen?
EarnLock is a movement-based, privacy-first alternative to ScreenZen. ScreenZen is free and adds an escalating pause before distracting apps open, plus time limits and schedules. EarnLock instead shields your chosen apps through Apple's Family Controls until you hit a real daily activity goal — steps, active minutes, or active energy — measured by Apple Health, and paints a live progress ring on every blocked app. EarnLock is free to start, with a $19.99 lifetime tier. No account, no analytics SDK, no server.
How is EarnLock different from ScreenZen?
ScreenZen's mechanic is a pause that gets longer the more you reopen an app, plus per-app limits — friction you can wait out. EarnLock's mechanic is an enforced gate: the app stays shielded until your body hits a daily activity goal measured by Apple Health, so the unlock cost is movement. EarnLock also paints a live progress ring on each blocked app and makes the Apple Watch a first-class surface. ScreenZen is fully free and cross-platform; EarnLock is iOS and Apple Watch only.
Is ScreenZen really free?
Yes — ScreenZen is fully free with no premium tier, no subscription, and no in-app purchases, which is a real advantage. EarnLock is also free to start (steps-based blocking, custom shield, Apple Watch app, streaks, emergency unlock), and adds an optional Premium tier — $1.99/mo, $9.99/yr, or $19.99 lifetime — for active-minute and calorie goals, partial-progress windows, schedules, and insights. If a completely free pause-based tool is all you need, ScreenZen is an excellent pick.
Does EarnLock enforce a harder block than ScreenZen?
Yes. ScreenZen adds friction — an escalating delay and limits you can ultimately get past. EarnLock keeps the app shielded until your daily activity goal is met, with only one math-gated emergency unlock per day. If you've found pause-based tools easy to wait out, EarnLock's movement gate is a stronger commitment.
Is EarnLock private?
Yes. EarnLock has no account, no server, no analytics SDK, no advertising SDK, and no third-party SDKs of any kind. HealthKit data is read on-device only and never transmitted off the device. Apple's App Privacy nutrition label shows Data Not Collected for every release. Self-restriction only — never parental control.
Can EarnLock block the same apps ScreenZen can?
Yes. Both apps build on Apple's Family Controls / Screen Time APIs, so the picker that selects which apps to gate is the same iOS-provided UI. Any app or category ScreenZen can slow down, EarnLock can shield — the difference is that EarnLock keeps it locked until you move, rather than adding a pause you can wait out.

Start here

Try EarnLock.

Movement is the unlock. Apple Health is the proof. No account, no server, no analytics SDK.

Learn about EarnLock