Off the HookOpal alternatives, honestly.
What Opal is good at, what it can't do, and which app fits what you actually need. Including when it isn't ours.
Opal is a screen time app that blocks whole apps and websites on a schedule, with a free plan of one rule and Opal Pro at $99.99 a year. The best alternative depends on what you want: Screen Time or ScreenZen if you want it free, one sec for a pause before an app opens, Brick for a physical lock, and SocialLite or Off the Hook if you want to keep your Instagram DMs while losing Reels, which app blockers like Opal can't do.
Opal, fairly.
What it's good at
- Blocking on a schedule.Sessions and rules that close chosen apps during work or sleep.
- A mode you can't cancel.Deep Focus and Hard Mode are built so you can't switch them off mid-session.
- More than iPhone.Also on Android and Mac.
- Polish and scale.Rated 4.7 from over 90,000 ratings on the US App Store.
Where people struggle
- It blocks the whole app.No way to keep Instagram DMs while removing Reels; that's how Screen Time works.
- Easy to undo.Recent reviews mention unblocking through Screen Time's Always Allowed, or disabling a rule as fast as taking a break.
- Bugs after the autumn update.Recent reviews report blocks not starting and apps not re-locking.
- The price, monthly.$19.99 a month adds up fast if you don't take the yearly plan.
Pick by what you need.
"I want everything closed while I work."
Opal, or Screen TimeSchedules that lock whole apps. Opal adds a mode you can't cancel.
"I just need a second to think."
one sec, or ScreenZenA pause before the app opens. In a study, one sec cut openings by 57%.
"I don't trust myself with a setting."
BrickA $59 tag you tap to lock and unlock. The step is physical, so it's harder to skip.
"It has to be free."
Screen Time, or ScreenZenScreen Time holds if someone else sets the passcode. ScreenZen is free, with optional tips.
"I want my friends and DMs, not the feed."
Off the Hook, or SocialLiteA calm Instagram without Reels or suggestions. Off the Hook also locks the real app and plans your week with you.
Side by side.
From each app's website and US App Store listing, November 3, 2026. Prices change; check before you buy. We make Off the Hook, so weigh our view accordingly.
Questions
Is Opal free?
Partly. Opal's free plan includes one rule, basic app blocking and today's Focus Score. Hard Mode, unlimited rules and history need Opal Pro.
How much does Opal cost?
In November 2026, Opal Pro costs $99.99 a year, $19.99 a month or $399 for lifetime access in the US, according to Opal's pricing page.
Can Opal block Instagram Reels but keep DMs?
No. Opal uses Apple's Screen Time to block whole apps and websites, so blocking Instagram also blocks your messages. Why that is: how Instagram blockers work on iPhone.
What's the best free alternative to Opal?
Apple's Screen Time is free and can block apps on a schedule, if someone else holds the passcode. ScreenZen is free too and adds a pause before an app opens. Setup in Screen Time that actually holds.
When is Off the Hook out?
It's coming to iPhone soon. Join the waitlist below and we'll text you once, the day it's out.
Sources
- Opal, Pricing, and Opal on the US App Store, including recent reviews (read November 3, 2026).
- US App Store listings and websites for one sec, ScreenZen, Brick and SocialLite (read November 3, 2026).
- Grüning, Riedel & Lorenz-Spreen (2023). PNAS 120(8). PMC9974409
Keep reading
Less reel. More real.
Off the Hook is coming to iPhone. Get one text the day it's out.
One text when we launch. Nothing else.