Health, home and travel decision
Shutout
A technically capable developer can build a helper app that hides a passcode behind a tedious retrieval flow, but they cannot fully reproduce Shutout's claimed OS-level enforcement (disabling Forgot Password and creating dummy Apple IDs) without platform-level capabilities, so replacing the paid product completely is not realistic.
Visit website↗$4.99/mo
$60/yr
Read off the official pricing page.
$100one-off60 h to build
$0/mo3 h/mo upkeep
On cash alone, building overtakes the subscription at 2 seats.
No open-source build does this yet
Nothing published replaces this one, so a replacement starts from an empty file. Here is what it would have to cover.
What a replacement has to do
- Provide a flow that captures a Screen Time passcode without revealing it, stores it securely, and requires a tedious retrieval flow so the user won't bypass limits.
What it still won’t have
- True OS-level enforcement that prevents disabling or deleting the app (requires Apple platform-level integration)
- Automatic disabling of iOS 'Forgot Password' flows or automated dummy Apple ID creation
- App claimed workflow that appears to modify Screen Time recovery settings without user doing manual device/account steps
- The vendor's convenience and polish (e.g., cross-device recovery flows, user support, marketing)
What remains hard
- Product polish and ongoing maintenance
First-year cost
Keep paying
Paying is—cheaper in year one.
On cash alone, building overtakes the subscription at 2 seats.
Money you would actually spend
Time you would spend
—
What you would spend
What we assumed
The verdict above measures whether you could build it. This one is only about money.
Runnable build prompt
Build a minimal iOS app (Swift + UIKit or SwiftUI, store data in Keychain, optional CloudKit backup) that: 1) guides a user to set their Screen Time passcode and records the passcode into encrypted Keychain without displaying it in plain text; 2) implements a retrieval flow that requires typing/confirming a 100+ word randomized wordlist before revealing the passcode; 3) stores passcode retrieval attempts/audit in local persistent storage; 4) includes basic onboarding, privacy policy screen, and settings to enable/disable iCloud backup; exclude any attempt to programmatically modify Apple Screen Time system settings, automate Apple ID creation, or bypass iOS security APIs; include error handling, unit tests for encryption and retrieval logic, and CI for building and archive signing.
How we checked
How the score was reached
- Partly verdict base52
- Price verified on pricing page+3
- Evidence score55
The base comes from the verdict. Everything under it is a check that either happened or did not, and each one is a fact frozen in this record rather than a judgement made at render time - so the same evidence always produces the same number.
How scoring works →Integrity checks
What held up, and what did not.
