Beyond Alarm vs AppBlock

AppBlock and Beyond Alarm both stop you opening the apps you lose hours to. The difference is what the strict version costs, and whether the blocker knows when your day starts.

The short answer

• Strict mode is free in Beyond Alarm. No stop button until the timer ends, unlocked by one short ad. Pro users get it with no ad.
• Alarm and blocker in one app. Morning Lockout begins the moment you beat your alarm, so the first minutes of the day stay off your phone.
• Whole-phone blocking on Android, with calls still allowed.
• Wake-up missions, including push-ups counted by the camera on the device.

Side by side

AppBlock's column comes from its own Play listing, App Store listing and website at the time of writing (27 October 2026). "—" means its listing doesn't mention it.

Where Beyond Alarm pulls ahead

Strict mode without a subscription

Phone Block runs from 5 minutes to 8 hours. Regular mode lets you leave early only after a short ad and a continuous five-second hold — long enough that leaving is a decision, not a reflex. Strict mode removes the stop button entirely. A free user turns it on by watching one short ad.

A block that knows when you woke up

A schedule guesses. Beyond Alarm knows. Morning Lockout starts the moment you finish your alarm's mission and keeps your chosen apps shut for the time you set, whether you were up at 6:10 or 6:40.

Hard to wriggle out of on Android

During a whole-phone block, every app is shut except calls. Beyond Alarm can stop itself being uninstalled, and blocks carry on after a restart.

Beyond Alarm

Beyond Alarm does this part for you: the alarm will not switch off until you have actually moved, and the apps you pick stay locked afterwards.

What AppBlock offers

At the time of writing, AppBlock's Play listing and website describe blocking apps and websites, schedules triggered by time, day, location or Wi-Fi network, a Strict Mode, keyword blocking, an allowlist mode, usage limits and Quick Block. Its website lists Android and iOS apps plus browser extensions for Chrome, Edge and Brave. The App Store listing shows it as free with in-app purchases and requires iOS 17 or later.

Switching from AppBlock

1. Install Beyond Alarm and give it the access it asks for — Accessibility on Android, Screen Time on iPhone.
2. Recreate your AppBlock profile as a saved block list. On iPhone, tick whole categories such as Social to catch apps you install later.
3. Start a Phone Block for your next study or work session. Try Strict mode once — one short ad turns it on.
4. Set your morning alarm, pick a mission, and turn on Morning Lockout for the same apps.
5. On Android, turn on Prevent app uninstall in Settings if you want the extra friction.

Sources

Checked on 27 October 2026. Listings and prices change, so check them before relying on any detail. Beyond Alarm's details are checked against its own code.

• AppBlock on Google Play
• AppBlock on the App Store
• AppBlock website