Opal alternatives
Opal is the most polished software blocker, and its price is the most common reason people leave: $99.99 a year, or $399 once, for the full version. The other reason is that the off switch is on the same phone. Here are cheaper and physical options.
Checked 11 November 2026. We make moss, which is first on this list for that reason and no other. The rest are in no ranked order.
Why people look past Opal
- Pro costs $99.99 a year, and the strictest mode is part of Pro.
- The block and the way to end it are on the same screen.
- There is nothing for a household.
The full picture, including what Opal does well: moss vs Opal.
The alternatives
moss
moss is an iPhone app that comes with a small physical stone. You choose the apps that distract you, tap your phone on the stone, and those apps stay locked until you tap the stone again. People who live together can link their phones to share schedules and put their phones down at the same time, while each person keeps control of their own phone. Locking is free in the app, the stone is a one-time purchase, and the household features are a paid add-on.
Suits: people who want the key kept somewhere at home, and households who want to put phones down together.
ScreenZen
ScreenZen is free and supported by donations. It does not lock apps outright. It adds a pause before a chosen app opens, can lengthen the wait each time, limits how many times a day you open it and cuts sessions short. It runs on iOS, macOS, Windows and Android. ScreenZen also sells Halo, a $49 Bluetooth device with no subscription that blocks apps while your phone is within a set distance of it. Halo ships to the US only.
Suits: You want to open apps less without being locked out, or you want something free.
One Sec
One Sec shows a breathing exercise each time you open an app you chose, then asks whether you still want to continue. It delays access; it does not block it. It is free for one app. One Sec Pro is $6.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $99.99 for life. In a study published in PNAS in 2023, in which 280 people used it for six weeks, they closed the target app again after 36% of attempts and were opening those apps 57% less by week six. One of the study's authors is the app's developer, and the study had no control group.
Suits: Your problem is opening apps on autopilot, and a moment to think usually stops you.
Apple Screen Time
Screen Time is built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac, and it is free. It gives you usage reports, schedules and daily limits (called Downtime and App Limits up to iOS 26, and Screen Time Schedule and Time Allowances in iOS 27), and through Family Sharing a parent can manage a child's device. For your own phone its weak point is that you set the rules and you can lift them. Apple's iOS 26 guide says: "By default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached." A Screen Time passcode makes the block real, and it holds best when someone else sets the passcode.
Suits: You want usage reports, you want to try limits for free, or you are setting up a child's device.
Freedom
Freedom blocks websites and apps across Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, Chromebook and Linux, and one session can cover all your devices at once. There is a free plan. Premium is $8.99 a month or $3.33 a month billed yearly, with a one-time Forever option. Locked Mode, which stops you quitting a session, is part of Premium.
Suits: Your distraction is on your computer as much as your phone.
Brick
Brick is a $59 magnetic puck and a free app. You choose apps, tap your phone on the Brick to block them, and tap again to unblock. It has up to 10 modes, schedules and a Strict Mode, and it works on iPhone (iOS 18 or later) and Android (12 or later). It is the product that made this category, and its app is rated 4.9 on the App Store from roughly 60,000 ratings.
Suits: You or your household use Android, or you want the most proven option.
Bloom
Bloom sells a wallet-sized stainless steel card for $39, a magnetic pod for $59 and a set of both for $69. The app is free with no subscription. You tap to block and tap to unblock, or use schedules. It has 5-minute breaks, a Strict Mode, a friends leaderboard for focus streaks and a Child Mode in which only a parent's card can change settings. It works on iPhone and Android.
Suits: You want a card you carry, you use Android, you want parental control over a child's phone.
Foqos
Foqos is a free, open source iPhone app (MIT licence) that turns any standard NFC tag, QR code or barcode into a lock for your apps. It has profiles, schedules, breaks, website blocking, a Hard Mode and Shortcuts support, and a profile can be bound to one specific tag so that no other tag stops it. There is no subscription. The App Store listing offers optional tips. It needs iOS 17.6 or later, and it has no emergency unlock.
Suits: You are comfortable buying a tag and setting it up yourself, and you only need to lock your own phone.
moss is a stone that locks the apps you choose.
Tap to lock, tap to unlock. One price, and locking needs no subscription.
