StillTabs vs SocialLite
StillTabs and SocialLite both remove Reels and Shorts on iPhone; StillTabs is free and SocialLite is a subscription. StillTabs has no in-app purchases, no account and no "Data Used to Track You" label, and leaves your other apps alone. SocialLite lists Pro up to $17.99 a month, tracks Identifiers per its App Store label, and blocks the native apps.
Price
StillTabs: free, no in-app purchases. SocialLite: free to download, with Pro listed from $6.99 to $17.99 a month or $19.99 to $47.90 a year and a Family plan at $12.99 a month. SocialLite's terms say subscriptions renew automatically and refunds are generally not given.
Privacy
StillTabs: "Data Not Linked to You", no tracking. SocialLite: "Data Used to Track You: Identifiers" on its App Store label; its privacy policy lists account sign-in, unique device identifiers and usage data kept up to 24 months.
StillTabs does not track you. Its App Store privacy label is "Data Not Linked to You", with nothing under "Data Used to Track You" or "Data Linked to You". Usage analytics are off by default and only start if you switch them on; even then they are tied to a random ID on your phone, never to your name or accounts, and never include what you watch, search or write. There are no ads and nothing is sold. Pages load straight from each platform: StillTabs runs no proxy, so it never sees your passwords, messages or what you browse. The privacy policy lists every event in full.
What its website does when you visit
SocialLite's website loads the Meta Pixel, a Google Ads tag and the Snapchat Pixel for every visitor, with its cookie banner switched off since 7 October 2026, according to its own consent script. The disabled banner says "Nothing is tracked unless you accept"; when it is on, the script records your page views before you choose and sends them to Meta and Google if you accept later. We checked on 8 November 2026 from the Netherlands. stilltabs.com loads no third-party requests at all. What 17 Reels blocker websites load.
How they work
Both load each platform's mobile website inside the app and hide short-form video. The difference is what happens outside the app. SocialLite blocks the native Instagram, YouTube and other apps on iPhone and unlocks them for 5 minutes in Post Mode. StillTabs never locks or changes your other apps.
What to check before you subscribe
- Phone number required to create an account; StillTabs has no account.
- "No ads. No data sales. Ever." on its site, while its App Store age rating lists "Advertising" under "Contains" and its label lists Advertising Data and a User ID used to track you.
- Binding arbitration, class actions waived, liability capped at what you paid or $50.
- Accounts can be closed for "Extended periods of inactivity".
- 23 of the 35 1–2 star reviews among its 500 most recent US reviews (28 October to 3 November 2026) were about the paywall or not finding a free version.
Control
StillTabs has four modes, Off, Standard, Strict and Blackout, which you switch whenever you like. SocialLite's terms say its Reels, Shorts and Explore blocks "cannot be disabled on any plan".
How it feels to use
StillTabs is built to feel like the Instagram app, not like a website in a frame. It draws Instagram's bottom toolbar natively, in Instagram's own style, and keeps Home, Search, messages and your profile each loaded in the background, so switching tabs is instant instead of a page reload. The feed runs full-screen under the top bar, as it does in the app.
Getting around is a gesture, not a button. In SocialLite, a floating button sits over the page and takes you back to its home screen (from our own use of the app, November 2026). StillTabs has nothing floating over the content: swipe in from the lower-left edge to go back to the launcher, or pull right from the left edge to go back a page.
Side by side
| StillTabs | SocialLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Up to $17.99 a month (Pro) |
| In-app purchases | None | Pro, Family |
| Tracking label | None | Identifiers |
| Account | Not needed | Apple, Google or phone sign-in |
| Locks native apps | No | Yes, on iPhone |
| Modes | Off, Standard, Strict, Blackout | Blocks always on |
| Accounts per platform | Up to five | Up to 10 Instagram accounts (subscribers) |
| Android | No | Yes |
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 App Store (price, privacy label): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stilltabs-block-reels-shorts/id6761367777
- StillTabs privacy policy: https://stilltabs.com/privacy
- SocialLite on the App Store (in-app purchases, privacy label): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6757661674
- SocialLite terms (renewal, refunds): https://sociallite.app/terms/
- SocialLite privacy policy: https://sociallite.app/privacy/
- SocialLite FAQ (platforms in beta, native app): https://sociallite.app/faq/
- SocialLite for iPhone (blocks the native apps, Post Mode): https://sociallite.app/for-apple/
- SocialLite, privacy and data page: https://sociallite.app/privacy-and-data/
- SocialLite App Store reviews: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sociallite-block-reels-shorts/id6757661674?see-all=reviews