taskr vs. ChoreLocks

The short version

ChoreLocks, from Ingram Park LLC, is a chore game with a real lock behind it. Parents build each kid's list, an AI checks each photo against your standard, and apps stay locked until the list is done. Finished chores earn points for a rewards store, with levels, streaks and a spin-the-wheel bonus on top. taskr has none of the game. It has one rule: each chore has a due time, and if it passes, the apps you picked lock until you approve the photo.

• Pick ChoreLocks if your kid responds to points, levels and rewards, you want AI to take over checking photos, and you want apps locked every day until the list is cleared.
• Pick taskr if you want the phone to work normally unless a chore is actually late, and you'd rather have one simple rule than a game to run.

Where ChoreLocks is the better pick

Motivation. If your kid lights up at streaks and levels, ChoreLocks gives them something to chase, while taskr gives them nothing but their apps back. Its rewards store also lets kids spend points on things you approve, including screen time and treats.

Less checking for you. An AI that reviews photos means fewer notifications, and you can still override it. taskr asks you to look at every photo, which is the point for some parents and a chore of its own for others. ChoreLocks also starts free with its full chore system, and its school calendar relaxes locks on days off automatically.

Locked by default vs. locked when late

With ChoreLocks, the daily starting point is locked. You pick when locks begin, say after school, and from then on apps stay shut until the list is done. That's a strong rule, and it means your kid works through a list every day to get their phone back.

With taskr, the starting point is unlocked. Apps only lock when one specific chore passes its specific due time. A kid who does the job on time never meets the lock, so it doesn't feel like a daily gate. If the problem is that one chore keeps getting skipped, that's often all you need. If you want chores done before any screen time, every day, ChoreLocks' rule is the closer match.

Comparing others too?

See taskr vs. ChoreKey, Carrots&Cake, Chore Champ, ScreenTreat, ScreenCoach, Earn Screen Time, Screeni, ScreenChore, Piggy. Or read the full roundup of parental control apps that lock a phone until chores are done, or how taskr works.