Opal is one of the best-known screen time apps on iPhone. It has an Editors’ Choice badge on the App Store and a 4.7 rating from about 91,000 reviews as of November 2026. People still look elsewhere, usually for one of three reasons: the price, the account, or wanting a different kind of friction.
The short answer. If you want something cheaper with a firm daily limit, try Bricked. If you want a pause before every open, try one sec. If you want free, try ScreenZen. If you want a strict mode that locks your rules for days, look at Jomo. If you want physical distance, look at the Brick device. And if you just need the basics, Apple Screen Time is already on your phone.
What to look for in an Opal alternative
Most app blockers on iPhone use the same Apple framework, so they all block apps well. What differs is everything around the block:
- How you get back in. One tap, a wait, a hold, an exercise, or a device in another room. This decides whether the limit holds at 11 p.m.
- What it costs over a year. Free, a subscription, a one-time purchase or hardware.
- Whether you need an account, and what the App Store privacy label says.
- Where it runs. iPhone only, or also iPad, Mac and Android.
Opal alternatives compared
| App | Price (US, Nov 2026) | How you get back in | Strictest option | Account | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opal (for reference) | Free (1 rule). Pro $19.99/mo, $99.99/yr, $399 lifetime | Depends on the block’s difficulty | Hard Mode, Deep Focus | Required | iPhone, Android, Mac |
| Bricked | Free (3 apps). Bricked+ $39.90/yr or $59.99 lifetime | 5-minute peeks behind a hold or wait that grows each time | Strict mode for focus sessions | None | iPhone |
| one sec | Free (1 app). Pro $19.99/yr, $99.99 lifetime | Finish a short intervention, then choose | Block mode and schedules | Log-in used to sync devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, browsers |
| ScreenZen | Free, optional tips | Wait out a pause that can grow; limited opens | Lock mode, can prevent uninstalling | Not stated | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows |
| Jomo | Free (1 session). $29.99/yr or $99.99 one-time | An exercise before breaks; earn time with routines | Strict Mode locks rules for days | Not stated | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Brick (device) | $59 device, app free | Tap your phone to the device | Strict Mode against deleting the app | Not stated | iPhone, Android |
| Apple Screen Time | Free | Ignore Limit, or a passcode you set | Passcode held by someone else | Apple Account | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
We built this table from each company’s website and App Store listing. We haven’t tested the other apps hands-on. Prices change, so check before you buy.
1. Bricked: for a daily limit that actually holds
Bricked is our app, so read this one with that in mind.
Who it’s for: people who set limits for themselves and keep tapping past them. You pick apps in Apple’s picker and set a daily limit, like 60 minutes. A glass brick on Bricked’s Home screen fills with clay as you use them. When it’s full, the apps turn to brick until midnight. Schedules lock them at bedtime or during work, and Slide to brick locks them instantly for a focus session.
How unlocking works: every unlock is a 5-minute peek. On Bricked+ you press and hold, 3 seconds at first and up to 60 seconds by the sixth unlock that day. On the free plan you wait, from no wait up to 5 minutes. Strict mode removes early exit from focus sessions.
Versus Opal: much cheaper ($39.90 a year or $59.99 lifetime in the US), no account, and data stays on your iPhone. Opal has more: Android and Mac apps, timers, soundscapes and a richer score. And Bricked blocks whole apps only. You can also raise your limit or delete the app, so it’s friction, not a prison.
2. one sec: for catching the reflex
Who it’s for: people who open apps dozens of times a day without meaning to. one sec puts a short intervention, like a breathing animation, in front of the apps you choose. Then you decide whether to continue.
It has the best research in the category: a 2023 PNAS study, co-authored by one sec’s creator (a conflict the authors disclose), found fewer app openings among 280 opt-in users over six weeks. Pro is $19.99 a year in the US, and it runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android. The trade-off is that it’s gentle by design. See Bricked vs one sec for the full comparison.
3. ScreenZen: for the best free option
Who it’s for: anyone who doesn’t want to pay. ScreenZen says it’s “completely free” and supported by donations. It has a pause that can grow with each open, limits on opens per day, schedules, a lock mode that can prevent uninstalling, and a minimal mode that removes Reels and Shorts from some apps.
It’s very customizable, which is great if you like settings and less great if you tend to edit them at night. More in Bricked vs ScreenZen.
4. Jomo: for rules you can’t change for days
Who it’s for: people who want to lock their own rules in advance. Jomo’s Strict Mode locks your rules for a set number of days, 3 by default. Breaks can require an exercise, and routines let you earn screen time by finishing habits first.
Jomo costs $29.99 a year or $99.99 one-time on its pricing page, with a free plan for one session and one limit. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Its App Store privacy label lists some data linked to you, such as contact info and identifiers.
5. Brick: for physical distance
Who it’s for: people who know any on-screen unlock will become a habit. Brick is a $59 device. You tap your phone to it to block apps and tap again to unblock, so you can leave it in another room. Five Emergency Unbricks are included if you lose it. It works with iPhone and Android.
It’s the strictest option here, but it’s another thing to buy and keep track of. Bricked isn’t affiliated with Brick LLC. See Bricked vs Brick.
6. Apple Screen Time: for free basics
Who it’s for: people who just need reminders, or who have someone else to hold the passcode. On iOS 27 it offers Time Allowances by category and a Screen Time Schedule. It’s free, private and syncs across your Apple devices.
The catch for adults: Apple’s own guide says “By default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached.” If you set the passcode, you know it. More in Screen Time vs Bricked.
When Opal is the right pick
Don’t switch just to switch. Opal is a good choice if:
- You want one app across iPhone, Android and Mac. Most alternatives here are Apple-only or iPhone-only.
- You want a no-way-out mode. Opal describes Hard Mode as “No way out. You can’t turn Opal off,” and Deep Focus as a mode you “can’t bypass or cancel.”
- You like rich stats and focus extras. The Opal Score with history, timers, soundscapes and Allow Only lists are more than Bricked offers.
- The price is fine for you. There’s a free plan, a 7-day trial on yearly, and a lifetime option.
One thing to check before you commit: Opal’s App Store privacy label lists identifiers as data used to track you, and contact info, purchases and usage data as linked to you. Opal’s listing also says personal browsing data never leaves your device. Read both and decide what you’re comfortable with.
Which one should you choose?
- Tight budget: ScreenZen or Apple Screen Time.
- You tap past every limit: Bricked.
- Lots of mindless opens: one sec.
- You want rules locked for days: Jomo.
- Nothing on the phone works for you: Brick.
- Phone and computer in one app: stay with Opal.
For more options, including blockers that are harder to delete, see our guide to the best app blockers for iPhone or browse every comparison on the compare page.