StillTabs vs Nope: two free Reels and Shorts blockers compared
StillTabs and Nope are both free iPhone apps with no subscription, no in-app purchases and no ads, so the choice comes down to how you want to use Instagram and YouTube. Nope is mainly a Safari extension with 17 separate toggles for Instagram and YouTube, a Chrome extension for your computer and a "Data Not Collected" privacy label. StillTabs is its own app built to replace the Instagram and YouTube apps: it adds Facebook, X and Reddit (beta), Home Screen icons named after each platform, up to five accounts per platform, a natively drawn Instagram toolbar and one-tap modes up to Blackout.
Side by side
| StillTabs | Nope | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads | Free. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads |
| Account needed | No | No |
| How it works | Its own app with each platform inside, built to replace the official apps | A Safari extension you switch on for instagram.com and youtube.com in Settings; its website says the app can also open Instagram and YouTube itself |
| Networks | Instagram, YouTube; Facebook, X and Reddit in beta | Instagram and YouTube |
| Removes Reels, Shorts, Explore, suggested posts | Yes | Yes, each with its own toggle |
| Keeps DMs, search, subscriptions | Yes | Yes |
| How strict it gets | Four modes, all free: Off, Standard, Strict, Blackout (only search, profiles and DMs) | 17 separate toggles, plus grayscale and a five-second "mindful pause" |
| Home Screen icons named Instagram, YouTube… | Yes, no Screen Time permission needed | Not mentioned on its App Store page or website |
| Accounts | Up to 5 per platform | Not stated |
| Feel | Instagram toolbar drawn natively, every tab kept loaded, edge-swipe gestures | The Instagram and YouTube mobile websites with parts hidden |
| App Store privacy label | Data Not Linked to You | Data Not Collected |
| In-app analytics | Off until you turn them on | None |
| Other devices | iPhone only | iPhone, iPad, and a free Chrome extension |
| Requires | iOS 16.0 | iOS 17.0 |
| Latest App Store update | Version 1.3, 15 October 2026 | Version 1.0, 19 May 2026 |
| App Store ratings (US) | New, no ratings yet | 2.5 from 4 ratings |
What the two apps have in common
Both hide the parts of Instagram and YouTube built to keep you scrolling (Reels, Shorts, Explore, suggested posts, autoplay) and keep your messages, search and the accounts you follow. Both are completely free, with no subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads and no account, and neither runs your logins through its own servers.
On our pro-consumer checklist, which looks at pricing, tracking, terms and upkeep, StillTabs scores 14 out of 14, the only perfect score of the 18 apps checked. Nope scores 12: it passes every pricing, tracking and terms check, but has no App Store update since May 2026 and needs iOS 17.
Where StillTabs is better
- Five platforms instead of two. StillTabs covers Instagram and YouTube, plus Facebook (the Reels tab hidden), X (the "For you" tab hidden) and Reddit (recommendations and autoplay off), all in beta. Nope covers Instagram and YouTube only.
- Your habit still works. StillTabs adds Home Screen icons named Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Reddit that open StillTabs, so your thumb goes where it always did, with no Screen Time permission. With a Safari extension, you have to remember to open Safari and type the site instead. How the icons work.
- It feels like an app, not a website. StillTabs draws Instagram's bottom toolbar natively, keeps every tab loaded so switching is instant, and uses edge swipes to get around. A Safari extension works on the mobile websites, with Safari's address bar and tabs around them. What StillTabs looks like.
- Several accounts. Up to five sign-ins per platform, kept separately. How multiple accounts work.
- One tap instead of 17 toggles. Pick Standard, Strict or Blackout and everything is set. Blackout leaves only search, profiles and DMs, for Instagram only for messages. Nope's toggles are more granular, but you set each one yourself.
- No extension to set up. Install, open and sign in. Nope's App Store listing asks you to go to Settings, Apps, Safari, Extensions and allow it on instagram.com and youtube.com first.
- Runs on older iPhones. StillTabs needs iOS 16; Nope needs iOS 17.
- Updated more recently. Instagram and YouTube change their sites often, and blockers need updates to keep up. StillTabs' latest App Store version is from 15 October 2026; Nope's App Store page still shows version 1.0 from 19 May 2026.
Where Nope is better
- An even shorter privacy label. Nope's App Store label says "Data Not Collected" and it says it has no telemetry at all. StillTabs' label is "Data Not Linked to You", with analytics off unless you turn them on.
- Fine-grained control. 17 separate toggles, such as hiding Stories, comments, thumbnail previews or the YouTube home feed, plus grayscale and a five-second pause before a site opens.
- Works in Safari and on your computer. If you already use Instagram and YouTube in Safari, nothing changes in how you browse. It runs on iPad, and the same controls come as a free Chrome extension. StillTabs is iPhone only.
- A few ratings already. Nope has 4 ratings on the US App Store; StillTabs is new and has none yet.
Which one should you pick?
- Pick StillTabs if you want something that replaces the Instagram and YouTube apps: you tap the same icons, it feels like the app, you use Facebook, X or Reddit too, or you have more than one account.
- Pick Nope if you already use Instagram and YouTube in Safari, want to fine-tune each hidden part yourself, want the same blocking on your computer, or want an app whose label says "Data Not Collected".
Both are free, so you can try both. Our comparison overview covers 19 options, and this page lists every Reels blocker with no subscription.
What neither can do
Neither can change the official Instagram or YouTube app: iOS doesn't let one app alter another. Both work with the platforms' websites, so a few app-only features may be missing, and either can briefly miss something when a platform changes its site, until it's updated. Neither covers TikTok.
Common questions
Is Nope free?
Yes. Nope's US App Store page lists it as free with no in-app purchases, and its website says there are no subscriptions or ads. StillTabs is the same: free with nothing to buy.
What is a good Nope alternative?
StillTabs is a free Nope alternative that works as its own app instead of a Safari extension. It adds Facebook, X and Reddit (beta), Home Screen icons named after each platform, up to five accounts per platform and one-tap modes. If you want to stay in Safari or need a Chrome extension, Nope covers that and StillTabs does not.
Does Nope work in the Instagram app?
No. Like every blocker, Nope can't change the official Instagram app. Its Safari extension works on instagram.com, and its website says the Nope app can also open Instagram and YouTube itself. StillTabs shows Instagram inside its own app and adds a Home Screen icon named Instagram that opens it.
Which one collects less data, StillTabs or Nope?
Nope's App Store label says "Data Not Collected". StillTabs' label says "Data Not Linked to You", and its analytics stay off unless you turn them on. Neither needs an account, and neither runs your logins through its own servers.
Who wrote this comparison?
The makers of StillTabs. Every fact about Nope comes from its US App Store page, the App Store lookup data and nope-app.com, checked 8 November 2026. If something changed, tell us and we will fix it.
StillTabs is free on the App Store, for iPhone. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no account. iOS 16 or later.
Sources
- StillTabs on the US App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6761367777
- StillTabs App Store lookup data (version, date): https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=6761367777&country=us
- Nope on the US App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6768192042
- Nope App Store lookup data (version, ratings, iOS): https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=6768192042&country=us
- Nope website: https://nope-app.com/
- Nope privacy policy: https://nope-app.com/privacy