I tried Opal when I was looking for a way to use my phone less. It didn't fit what I needed: for me, it was basically just blocking apps. I wanted my phone to remind me what to do instead, so I built my own app, YourPriority.
Price is the other reason people look for an alternative. Opal's own community forum has a long thread called "Pricing is too high". In February 2026, one user wrote there: "Without the paid version it's annoying constantly clicking on things you can't access."
Disclosure: I make YourPriority, one of the apps below. Prices and features were checked on each company's website and the US App Store on 9 October 2026.
What does Opal cost in 2026?
| Opal plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | App blocking and one rule (a schedule, a time limit or an open limit) |
| Pro monthly | $19.99 a month | More rules, Hard Mode (can't cancel a session), more features |
| Pro yearly | $99.99 a year (1-week free trial) | The same as monthly |
| Lifetime | $399 once | Pro forever |
Students can get up to 50% off Opal Pro. The App Store also lists weekly plans. Prices can differ by country.
Opal also changed a lot in 2026. A mid-2026 redesign replaced block lists with "rules", and many recent App Store reviews complain about bugs after the update. Opal's rating is still high overall, at 4.72 stars from more than 89,000 ratings.
Free Opal alternatives compared
| App | Price | Like Opal | Different from Opal |
|---|---|---|---|
| ScreenZen | Free (tips) | Limits, schedules, strict blocks, Mac app | Built around a pause before apps open |
| YourPriority | Free (Pro only adds sync) | Schedules, daily limits, a custom block screen, a Mac app for websites | Doom Scroll Breaks and your priorities on the block screen; no website blocking on iPhone yet |
| Foqos | Free (tips) | Schedules, timers, strict unlock | Uses an NFC tag or QR code |
| one sec | Free for 1 app | Mac app, website blocking (some of it needs Pro) | A breathing pause, not a full block |
| Screen Time | Free, built in | Limits, schedules, website blocks | Easy to ignore unless someone else sets your passcode |
1. ScreenZen
Closest free match to Opal's features. ScreenZen is completely free and supported by donations, with 4.86 stars from more than 51,000 ratings. It makes you wait before a chosen app opens, and it also has limits by day and time, strict blocks, and a settings lock that only your accountability partner can unlock. It has a Mac app too.
What's missing: ScreenZen's main idea is a pause, not a block based on schedules like Opal's. If you want strict schedules, set up its strict block as well.
2. YourPriority
Best if you want to see what to do instead of the feed. This is my app. Like Opal, it blocks apps on a schedule or after a daily limit, and it has its own block screen. Unlike Opal, every blocking feature is free:
- Block any app all day, at certain hours, or after a daily limit, on the days you choose.
- Doom Scroll Breaks: after you scroll your chosen apps for a set time (for example 30 minutes), they lock for a short break (for example 10 minutes).
- Your priorities on the block screen instead of a plain "blocked" message.
- A to-do list with your most important task on top.
- One urgent break a day per block, and a 20-second wait before you can remove a block.
- No account. Pro ($4.99 a month or $29.99 a year) only adds iCloud Sync between iPhone and Mac.
What's missing: on iPhone, YourPriority doesn't block websites yet, and it has no "Hard Mode" session you can't end. It also doesn't have focus sessions or a focus score like Opal's.
3. Foqos
Best if you want a block you physically can't cancel. Foqos is free and open source, with no account, no ads and no tracking. You can start a block with an NFC tag, a QR code or a timer, and require the tag to unlock it. It's like Brick, without the $59 device. It has 4.92 stars from more than 5,000 ratings.
What's missing: for the tag mode you need an NFC tag, and some recent reviews say its schedules have been unreliable since iOS 27.
4. one sec (free for one app)
Best if one app is your main problem. one sec shows a breathing pause before the app opens. I've used it myself. In a 2023 study in PNAS, users opened their chosen apps 57% less often after six weeks (the study had no control group, and one author built the app). The free plan covers one app. Pro is $6.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $99.99 once, which is still much cheaper than Opal.
What's missing: it's a pause, not a full block, unless you use Pro's strict block sessions.
5. Apple Screen Time
Best if you have someone to set your passcode. Screen Time is free and already on your iPhone. It has limits, schedules and a website block list. Its big weakness for adults is the "Ignore Limit" button, and I found my limits very easy to skip. The fix is a passcode that someone else chooses. See How to Stop Ignoring Your Own Screen Time Limits.
When is Opal still the better choice?
To be fair to Opal: it's a strong app, and paying for it can make sense if:
- you'll use Hard Mode every day and want a session you truly can't end early;
- you like Opal's focus sessions and the Opal Score;
- you're a student and can get up to 50% off;
- you want one app on iPhone, Android and Mac.
If you mainly want to block a few apps at set times, or stop long scrolling sessions, a free app is enough.
Other Opal alternatives (not free)
- Jomo: $5.99 a month or $29.99 a year. Its free plan includes one session and one limit.
- Brick: a $59 NFC device, paid once, with no subscription.
- Freedom: $8.99 a month or $39.99 a year, and it blocks across Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
Opal-style blocking, free. YourPriority blocks apps on a schedule or after a daily limit, adds Doom Scroll Breaks, and shows your priorities instead of the feed. No account and no subscription needed.
Download free on the App Store
