Gamban vs NoGambling.app (2026): Which App Actually Helps You Quit?
TL;DR
Gamban is the strongest pure blocker on the market — and it is subscription-only forever. If access is your only problem and you already have a recovery programme, install Gamban and stop reading. NoGambling.app is a full recovery stack — tracker, panic button, savings dashboard, and community — with a 3-day free trial and a one-time lifetime purchase option (unusual in this category, where almost every competitor is subscription-only). If you want one tool that does the daily work of recovery, not just a wall, start with NoGambling.app. Best defence of all: stack both. Gamban blocks the door. NoGambling.app helps you want to stop walking toward it.
At a glance
| Gamban | NoGambling.app | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | Gambling site and app blocker | Integrated recovery stack |
| Pricing model | Subscription only (~$30/yr, recurring) | 3-day free trial, then monthly / yearly / lifetime |
| Free trial | No | 3 days |
| One-time lifetime option | No | Yes |
| Block list | 60,000+ gambling sites | iOS Screen Time guidance |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | iOS only |
| Clean-day tracker | No | Real-time counter |
| Panic button | No | 5-step crisis flow |
| Savings dashboard | No | Yes |
| Debt paydown tools | No | Snowball method |
| Community | No | Anonymous peer |
| Relapse flow | Subscription continues | Compassionate 4-step modal |
| Offline-first | Block list cached | Yes |
| Account required | Yes (to pay) | No |
What Gamban does really well
Gamban has been in this space since 2015 and it shows. Their core value proposition is simple and well executed: install Gamban and the 60,000+ known gambling domains and apps are blocked at the device level across iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. You cannot get to the casino. You cannot open DraftKings. You cannot type a URL and route around it without significant effort. The block list is genuinely the largest in the consumer market.
Clinicians recommend Gamban because it has the longest track record and is deployed in UK residential treatment programmes. The installation process is hostile to bypass attempts by design — uninstalling is intentionally friction-heavy, a good thing for people who want their future self to have fewer exits.
Where Gamban shines
- Biggest block list in consumer gambling blockers (60,000+).
- Cross-device: phone, tablet, laptop, desktop.
- Long track record with clinicians and residential treatment programmes.
- Intentionally hard to uninstall on impulse.
- Works at the network / app level, not just browser level.
Where Gamban falls short
- Blocker only — no tracking, no savings view, no community.
- No panic button or crisis tools when urges peak.
- Relapse means your subscription keeps billing; no recovery response.
- Subscription only — no free trial before you commit, no one-time lifetime purchase option.
- Silent success: once installed, it is invisible — fine if you have a recovery plan, not fine if you do not.
What NoGambling.app does differently
NoGambling.app is not trying to out-block Gamban. We do not run a 60,000-site block list and we would be silly to pretend otherwise. What NoGambling.app does is the part Gamban leaves to you: the daily work of recovery. When Gamban is installed and the sites are blocked, you still have to get through the urge that lands at 11pm on a Friday. You still have to rebuild the money. You still have to figure out what to do with the hours you used to gamble. That is what we are built for.
Real-time clean counter and daily promise
A live counter that tracks every second gambling-free, paired with a daily promise loop: "Just for today, I will not gamble." One promise, kept, one day at a time. Unlike a silent blocker, NoGambling.app gives you visible evidence that something is working — which is what your brain needs when urges argue otherwise.
5-step panic button
When the urge peaks, one tap walks you through urge assessment, three cycles of 4-4-4 breathing, a financial reality check against your own tracked losses, urge-wave education (urges crest and pass within minutes, the neuroscience is clear), and optional SMS to a pre-set trusted contact. Gamban has nothing comparable. The panic button is the single feature people tell us saved them during a crisis moment a blocker alone would not have caught.
Savings and debt dashboard
Recovery reframed as wealth-building. Track debts with the snowball method, watch daily savings climb as you stay clean, and celebrate the first time in years that a number is going the right direction. This is the long-term motivator a block list cannot provide — once your bank balance starts recovering, relapse gets measurably harder.
Anonymous community
Moderated peer support. No profiles, no followers, no compare-and-despair. A feed where people share what is working and what is not, read each other's recovery wins, and know they are not alone. Gamban has no community. Most blockers don't.
Compassionate relapse handling
If you slip, NoGambling.app responds with a 4-step modal: log what happened, identify the trigger, reset the promise, keep your history intact. Slips are data, not failure. With Gamban, a relapse means your subscription keeps auto-renewing — there is no built-in response.
Pricing
Gamban: Approximately $2.50 per week, $24.99 per 6 months, or $29.99 per year depending on the plan and the currency. No free trial. Subscription auto-renews. Over five years of use you pay roughly $150 and own nothing.
NoGambling.app: 3-day free trial, no credit card required to start. After the trial, pick a monthly subscription, a yearly subscription, or — unusual in this category — a one-time lifetime purchase. The lifetime option means you pay once and the app never lapses because a card expired or a subscription auto-cancelled. Current prices are on the App Store listing.
Why lifetime matters for recovery: a subscription-only blocker creates a hidden risk. If the subscription lapses unintentionally (expired card, failed payment), the block is gone — often at exactly the worst moment. A lifetime-purchased app cannot lapse, which is a meaningful safety property when the tool in question is protecting you from relapse.
Platforms
Gamban: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. This is a real advantage if your gambling is desktop-based.
NoGambling.app: iOS only. iPhone and iPad. There is no Android version, no desktop version, and no web app. If your gambling is exclusively desktop, NoGambling.app alone will not help you — stack Gamban or another desktop blocker.
Who should pick Gamban?
- You already have a recovery programme (therapist, GA meetings, family support) and what you need is a pure technical wall.
- Most of your gambling is on a laptop or desktop.
- You have the budget for an annual subscription.
- You want the deepest block list available in the consumer market.
- You have tried NoGambling.app alone and realised you need stronger site-level blocking on top.
Who should pick NoGambling.app?
- You want one tool that replaces blocker + tracker + crisis line + community.
- You want to try before you commit — 3-day free trial, no card required.
- You prefer a one-time lifetime purchase to a subscription that renews forever.
- Most of your gambling is on your iPhone.
- You want recovery, not just a wall — you want to see progress, rebuild savings, and connect with people who get it.
- You have tried Gamban alone and realised a wall without a map was not enough.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gamban free?
No. Gamban costs roughly $2.50 per week or $29.99 per year depending on the plan. There is no free tier and no free trial. NoGambling.app is also paid, but includes a 3-day free trial and a one-time lifetime purchase option alongside monthly and yearly subscriptions.
Can I use Gamban and NoGambling.app together?
Yes, and many users do. Gamban handles blocking 60,000+ gambling sites and apps at the device level. NoGambling.app handles the daily recovery work — tracking, panic button, savings, community, relapse flow. They do not conflict.
Does Gamban work on iPhone?
Yes. Gamban supports iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. NoGambling.app currently supports iOS only.
What happens when my Gamban subscription ends?
When a Gamban subscription lapses, the block list stops being enforced. This is a known failure mode in recovery — many relapses happen during unintentional lapses (expired card, account issue). NoGambling.app's recovery features are not gated behind a subscription, so this failure mode does not apply.
Can Gamban be bypassed?
No blocker is fully bypass-proof. Determined users can factory-reset, use a secondary device, or route around it. This is why blockers alone rarely carry recovery on their own — the stack (blocker + tracker + community + crisis tools) is measurably stronger.
Does NoGambling.app block gambling sites like Gamban does?
NoGambling.app does not maintain its own 60,000-site block list. It guides users through iOS Screen Time and app-level controls to remove specific betting apps. If you need deep domain-level blocking across thousands of sites, stack Gamban alongside NoGambling.app.
What does NoGambling.app cost?
NoGambling.app is a paid app with a 3-day free trial (no card required to start). After the trial, pick a monthly subscription, a yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. The lifetime option is unusual in the gambling-recovery category — most competitors (Gamban included) are subscription-only. Current prices are on the App Store listing.
Which one should I pick in 2026?
If you want one tool that replaces the stack, pick NoGambling.app. If you want the deepest site-blocking and already have a recovery plan, pick Gamban. If you want the strongest possible defence, stack both.
Start the recovery stack, not just the wall
NoGambling.app — free trial, then monthly / yearly / lifetime. Offline-first. Anonymous. iOS only.
Start free trial on the App Store → iOS 15 or later · Free trial · Lifetime purchase option · Anonymous