moss vs Unpluq
A yellow keychain tag that works only with a paid Premium subscription.
Checked 11 November 2026 against Unplug Technology B.V.'s own pages. We make moss, so we have linked every source below.
What Unpluq is
Unpluq is a Dutch app with a yellow NFC keychain tag. Blocked apps sit behind a "distraction barrier": tapping the tag, or a digital task such as shaking the phone or tapping a pattern of buttons. The tag only works with Unpluq Premium. In Unpluq's store, a year of Premium with the tag is $80, and in the app Premium is $59.99 a year or $6.99 a month. A free tier blocks 2 apps on 1 schedule, without the tag. It works on iPhone and Android, and a separate Unpluq Family plan gives parents control of a child's phone.
What moss is
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.
Side by side
| Feature | moss | Unpluq |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$49 stone, free app | Tag $26.50, and it needs Premium. Premium with tag: $80 a year |
| Subscription | None to lock your own phone. Household features are a paid add-on | Yes, required for the tag. $59.99 a year or $6.99 a month in the app |
| Works on | iPhone only, iOS 17 or later | iPhone (iOS 16+) and Android |
| How you lock | Tap the stone, or start from the app, a Shortcut, the lock screen or the Action Button. Schedules by day of week | Schedules put apps behind a barrier |
| How you unlock | Tap the stone, in the app | Tap the tag, or complete a digital barrier |
| If you need back in | 3 emergency unlocks a month, refilled automatically | Emergency Mode: 5 minutes of full access once a day |
| Locking together as a household | Yes, as a paid add-on. Shared schedules, sessions others join in one tap, a view of whose phone is down, a streak. Nobody controls anyone else | Unpluq Family is parental control, sold as a separate yearly plan |
| Whose key opens your phone | Only your household's own stone, card and sprigs unlock your phones | Your tag, or a digital barrier |
Where Unpluq is better
- Works on Android.
- Digital barriers mean you are never fully locked out if the tag is elsewhere.
- A real parental control plan for children's phones.
- A free tier you can try without buying anything.
Where moss is better
- Locking needs no subscription. Over two years Unpluq costs several times what a one-time stone does.
- A hard lock. With Unpluq a few seconds of shaking the phone can stand in for the tag.
- Households can lock together, and nobody is in charge of anyone else.
Who should pick which
Pick Unpluq if
You want friction, not a lock, you carry your keys everywhere, or you need to manage a child's phone.
Pick moss if
You want to pay once and you want the lock to mean a walk to the stone.
Sources
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
moss is a stone that locks the apps you choose.
Tap to lock, tap to unlock. One price, and locking needs no subscription.
