People look for Opal alternatives for a few different reasons. Opal Pro is a real subscription, and the part most people want, Hard Mode, sits behind it. The free plan is limited to one rule. And sometimes a full lockout is simply the wrong tool: you wanted a reason to stay off Instagram, not an argument with your own phone.
Below are six. The first is Focus Train, the focus timer we make, which is included because its 7.5 update added the scheduled app lock Opal is known for. It doesn't try to match Opal's hard enforcement, and we'll say exactly where it stops. Every other pick has its own "best for", and the first two sections are about Opal itself.
Where Opal still wins
Credit first. Opal (4.7, 90,000+ ratings) from Opal OS Corporation is the most complete app on this page. It blocks apps and websites on a schedule, on a daily time limit or on a number of opens, and its Focus Difficulty setting runs from easy to Deep Focus, which its App Store listing says won't let you cancel or bypass at all. It adds a Focus Score and Focus Report so you can see where the hours went, leaderboards and milestones if rewards help you, and apps for iPhone, Android and Mac.
Most of the apps below are narrower than that. If you've tried gentler tools and turned them off, a lock you can't undo may be exactly what you need, and you may not need an alternative at all. For closer comparisons, see Opal vs Forest and Focus Train vs Opal.
Opal free vs Pro: what you get and what it costs
According to Opal's pricing page (checked November 4, 2026), the free plan covers iOS, Android and Mac with one rule, app blocking by schedule, time limit or open limit, basic timers and soundscapes, and an Opal Score for today only.
Opal Pro adds Hard Mode ("No way out. You can't turn Opal off."), unlimited rules, an Allow Only mode, advanced timers and soundscapes, and your Opal Score history. Here's what it costs:
- Yearly: $99.99, which works out to about $8.29 a month.
- Monthly: $19.99.
- Lifetime: $399 as a one-time payment.
Pro starts with a free week, and students can apply for up to 50% off. One detail to check before you pay: Opal's 30-day money-back guarantee covers purchases made through Stripe. If you buy in the iPhone app, Apple handles the payment and any refund. Prices in the app can differ from the website, so check the plan screen too.
1. Focus Train — when you want apps locked on a schedule, with a timer for the work
Focus Train is a focus timer that turns each session into a train journey along a real rail line. Its app blocker is called Baggage: it uses Apple's Screen Time framework to shield the apps, categories and websites you pick while a ride is running, and your selection stays on your device.
The 7.5 update made that automatic. Give any departure on your timetable a check-in of 25, 45, 60 or 90 minutes, pick the days, and your chosen apps lock at that time even if you never open Focus Train. Tap the notification to board a ride, or just work. The shield itself has one button, and it closes the app you tried to open.
That covers the job many people bought a blocker for: a block that starts by itself at 9:00 on weekdays. The difference is what comes after it. A blocker leaves you staring at a blocked screen, while a ride gives the time a start, a destination and a record, with a ticket and a stamp for each trip. If you look away, the train waits at the platform and nothing is lost.
Both Baggage and scheduled check-ins are free, and a check-in doesn't use up one of the three free rides you get each week. There's no account, and Premium, sold as a subscription or a lifetime purchase, removes the ride limit and adds longer rides, all 20 soundscapes and iCloud sync.
Skip it if you need a lock you can't undo. You can release a check-in early with "Release now" in Baggage, and ending a ride lifts its shield. That's deliberate, but it means Focus Train can't save you from yourself the way Opal's Hard Mode can. It also has no daily App Limits or open limits, keeps one list of checked apps rather than several rules, and app blocking works on iPhone and iPad only, not on Mac or Android.
2. ScreenZen — when you want strict blocking without a subscription
ScreenZen (4.9, 53,000+ ratings) from ScreenZen LLC is the closest free match to Opal. Its site calls it a donation-supported screen time app with no subscription. It can add a delay before an app opens and make that delay grow each time, interrupt scrolling after a short period, and strictly block apps for set time ranges, after a number of opens or after a screen-time limit. It can also lock its own settings so you can't change them at the moment you want to open an app. The company also sells halo, a $49 companion device that you place in a room to make it distraction-free.
Skip it if you want reports and rewards. ScreenZen shows screen time for your distracting apps and keeps streaks, but it doesn't try to match Opal's Focus Score or leaderboards.
3. one sec — when a short pause works better than a wall
one sec (4.8, 23,000+ ratings) from riedel.wtf apps delays apps instead of blocking them, and its listing says that's the point. Before a distracting app opens you get a short interruption, such as a breath, and you choose whether you still want it. After a set time it can kick you out and make you go through the pause again. The team cites peer-reviewed studies run with the Max Planck Institute and Heidelberg University, and reports that app openings drop by 57% on average. For the full comparison with a timer, see Focus Train vs one sec.
It's free for one app, and more apps need one sec pro, with the price shown in the app. Skip it if you already tap straight through prompts. A pause only works if you actually stop to read it.
4. Clearspace — when you want someone else keeping you honest
Clearspace (4.7, 8,900+ ratings) from Clearspace Technologies also starts with a pause: open a selected app and you decide whether to proceed after a deep breath or opt out. Around that it adds app blocks and limits, schedules, screen time challenges, streaks and budgets. The feature that sets it apart is accountability partners, trusted people who help you stick to your goals. It's on iPhone and Android, with a Chrome extension.
Skip it if you want to know the price up front. Clearspace is free to download, but its site sends you to the App Store listing for pricing, so you'll see the plans in the app.
5. Brick — when every app you've tried gets switched off
Brick (4.9, 59,000+ ratings) from Brick LLC is the answer to the problem all of these apps share: the off switch is on the phone you're trying to put down. Brick is a physical device. You tap your phone on it to start a session, leave it somewhere out of reach, and need to tap it again to end the session. Strict Mode closes the loopholes of deleting the app or changing settings, and the company's Brick Night uses Bluetooth to block apps when you get into bed.
It's the only pick here with Opal's level of enforcement, and it works on iPhones running iOS 18 or later and on Android 12 or later. Skip it if you don't want to buy hardware, or you travel a lot. It's a physical purchase rather than an app subscription, and it only helps if the device is where you left it. Brick does offer five Emergency Unbricks in case you lose yours.
6. Screen Time — when you want to try what's already on your iPhone
Before you install anything, Screen Time gives you App Limits and Downtime for free in Settings, and it needs no account. For many people that's enough to find out whether a limit helps at all.
Skip it if you've already been tapping past it. The whole reason apps like Opal exist is that a Screen Time limit is easy to wave away. Brick's own FAQ puts it this way: "tap 'skip' and you're back in." A Screen Time passcode that someone else sets makes it harder, but that means asking for help.
How the Opal alternatives compare
| App | How it stops you | Scheduled blocks | Can you get out? | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opal | Blocks apps and websites | Yes | Pro's Hard Mode: no | One rule; Pro from $99.99 a year |
| Focus Train | Blocks apps and websites during focus time | Yes, 25 to 90 minutes | Yes, release early | Blocking included, 3 rides a week |
| ScreenZen | Delays, then strict blocks | Yes | Harder with settings locked | Donation-supported, no subscription |
| one sec | A pause before opening | — | Yes, by design | One app |
| Clearspace | A pause, plus blocks and limits | Yes | — | Free to download |
| Brick | Physical device | Yes | Needs the device, or an Emergency Unbrick | Hardware purchase |
| Screen Time | App Limits and Downtime | Yes, Downtime | Yes, unless someone else holds the passcode | Built into iPhone |
Which one should you pick?
- You need a lock you can't undo: stay with Opal Pro, or buy a Brick.
- You want strict blocking and don't want a subscription: ScreenZen.
- You want a block that starts by itself and a timer for the work: Focus Train.
- You open apps on autopilot and only need a moment to notice: one sec.
- You do better when someone's watching: Clearspace.
- You haven't tried anything yet: start with Screen Time, or Opal's free plan.
Not sure whether you need a blocker or a timer? Our focus app finder sorts it out in a few questions, and the best apps like Forest covers the timer side of this category.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Opal alternative?
It depends on how you want to be stopped. For a free scheduled block with a focus timer built in, Focus Train locks the apps you choose at set times, and you can still release them early. For free strict blocking with no subscription, ScreenZen is the closest match. If a pause works better for you than a wall, try one sec. If every app on your phone has failed, Brick moves the off switch to a physical object.
Is there a free Opal alternative?
Yes. ScreenZen is donation-supported with no subscription, and its strict blocks and delays are the nearest free match. Focus Train's app blocking and scheduled check-ins are free, alongside three focus rides a week. one sec is free for one app, and Screen Time is already on your iPhone. Opal itself also has a free plan with one rule.
How much does Opal cost?
Opal's pricing page lists a free plan, then Opal Pro at $19.99 a month, $99.99 a year (about $8.29 a month) or $399 once for lifetime access. Pro starts with a free week, and students can apply for up to 50% off. Prices were checked on Opal's own site in November 2026 and may differ in the app.
Is Opal Pro worth it?
It is worth it if you need the one thing most alternatives can't match: Hard Mode, which Opal describes as no way out, along with unlimited rules. If you turn a blocker off the moment it gets in your way, that lock is what you're paying for. If one schedule or a short pause would do, try a free option first, because the free tier of Opal or an app like ScreenZen may be enough.
Lock your apps at 9:00. Board when you're ready.
Focus Train checks in your distracting apps on a timetable, then turns the work into a train journey. App blocking is free, with no account.
Download Focus Train on the App Store →Related: Focus Train vs Opal · Opal vs Forest · Forest app alternatives. Questions or corrections? support@elevenapril.com.
