Free Opal alternatives
The best free Opal alternative depends on what you use Opal for. ScreenZen is free with schedules and limits, Lock In Squad is free and makes you hold a button to quit a session, and one sec is free for one app. Opal's own free plan allows 1 rule, and Pro costs $99.99 a year.
Lock In Squad makes this page and the Lock In Squad app listed on it. The sources for every price are listed under the table.
What Opal's free plan includes, and what Pro costs
Opal runs on iPhone, Android and Mac. Its free plan includes 1 rule (a schedule, a time limit or an open limit) and app blocking, plus basic timers and soundscapes and today's Opal Score without its history. Opal Pro adds unlimited rules, Allow Only, Hard Mode and the Opal Score history.
Pro costs $8.29 a month billed yearly ($99.99) or $19.99 a month, and lifetime access is $399 once. Opal also offers students up to 50% off Pro.
The alternatives
ScreenZen, free with schedules
ScreenZen says it is completely free and funded by optional donations, and it runs on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows. You choose the apps and websites to limit or block, on schedules or with daily limits. Pick it if you liked Opal's rules and want them for nothing.
Lock In Squad, free with a hold to quit
Lock In Squad is our app. It is free on iPhone and Android, and a $4.99 purchase, paid once, removes ads. You pick the apps to block and start a timer or stopwatch, and ending the session early means holding a button for 1 to 10 seconds, a delay you set. It has a whitelist mode on iPhone and Android, the same idea Opal sells in Pro as Allow Only. It keeps a streak on the work days you choose and a heatmap of your sessions, but it has no scheduled blocking.
one sec, free for one app
The one sec app puts a breathing exercise between you and an app you choose, and its free version covers one app. Pro adds unlimited apps and, on iPhone, strict blocks you can't pause or leave early. It costs $19.99 a year or $99.99 for life on the US App Store, and runs on iPhone, Android, Mac and desktop browsers.
Jomo, with a lifetime option
Jomo's free plan includes 1 session, 1 screen time budget and 1 action or limit. Jomo Plus costs $29.99 a year or $99.99 once, and adds up to 10 sessions and a Strict Mode. It is for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Forest, free with a tree at stake
Forest is free on iPhone and Android. Its Deep Focus mode blocks apps that are not on your allowlist during a focus session, and giving up kills the tree you are growing. A custom allowlist needs Forest Plus, at $5.99 a month or $35.99 a year on the US App Store.
Screen Time, already on your iPhone
Screen Time is built into iPhone. On iOS 27 you set Time Allowances for app categories such as Social Media, and a Screen Time Schedule for when apps are available, with an Always Allowed list for apps that stay open. Start here if you would rather not install anything.
If you want a physical key, Brick sells a $59 device that you tap to block and unblock apps. We cover it on the Brick alternative page.
When Opal is the better pick
- You want no way out. With Hard Mode, a Pro feature, you can't turn Opal off during a session, while Lock In Squad always lets you leave after the hold.
- You want to block apps on a Mac. Opal's Mac app blocks apps and websites on macOS 13 or later, although sessions do not sync between your devices.
- You want schedules. Even the single rule on Opal's free plan can be a schedule.
For a feature by feature look at the two apps, see Lock In Squad vs Opal.
Opal and its alternatives side by side
| App | Free version | Paid (US prices) | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opal | 1 rule, block lists only | $99.99 a year, $19.99 a month or $399 lifetime | iPhone, Android and Mac |
| ScreenZen | Everything, according to ScreenZen | Optional tips of $5 to $40 | iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows |
| Lock In Squad | Everything, with ads | $4.99 once removes ads | iPhone and Android |
| one sec | 1 app | $19.99 a year, $6.99 a month or $99.99 lifetime | iPhone, Android, Mac and desktop browsers |
| Jomo | 1 session, 1 screen time budget and 1 action or limit | $29.99 a year, $5.99 a month or $99.99 lifetime | iPhone, iPad and Mac |
| Forest | Focus timer and Deep Focus blocking, with occasional ads | Forest Plus, $5.99 a month or $35.99 a year | iPhone and Android |
| Screen Time | Built in | No paid tier | iPhone |
Prices checked on September 22, 2026. Sources:
Questions
Is Opal free?
Opal has a free plan on iPhone, Android and Mac. It includes 1 rule, which can be a schedule, a time limit or an open limit, plus app blocking and today's Opal Score. Allow Only, Hard Mode and unlimited rules need Opal Pro, which costs $99.99 a year or $399 for lifetime access.
What is the best free alternative to Opal?
It depends on which Opal feature you want for free. ScreenZen gives you schedules and daily limits at no cost. Lock In Squad blocks apps during a focus session and makes you hold a button for 1 to 10 seconds to quit. The free version of one sec puts a breathing exercise in front of one app.
Does Opal have a lifetime plan?
Yes. Opal sells lifetime access to Pro for $399 as a single payment, against $99.99 a year or $19.99 a month by subscription. If you want to pay once for less, one sec and Jomo sell lifetime plans for $99.99, and Lock In Squad charges $4.99 once, only to remove ads.
Is Opal worth paying for?
Opal Pro is worth paying for if you need Hard Mode or unlimited rules on a Mac. If you mainly want to block a few apps while you focus, free options such as ScreenZen or Lock In Squad do that job without the $99.99 a year that Pro costs.
Try Lock In Squad free
The app is free on iPhone and Android, and $4.99 paid once removes the ads. The stores list it as Lock In until the next update.
