Opal is one of the most popular screen time apps on the market right now, with over 4 million downloads and a strong presence on iOS and macOS. But is it actually worth paying for? And more importantly, does it work long-term?
Tired of app blockers you can just turn off? Blok uses a physical NFC card to make blocking harder to bypass. See the Blok Card →
This review breaks down everything you need to know about Opal: what it does well, where it falls short, how much it costs, and whether there are better alternatives for people who are serious about cutting screen time.
What is Opal?
Opal is a screen time management app that helps you block distracting apps on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It uses Apple's Screen Time API to restrict access to apps you choose, and it offers different "difficulty levels" for blocking sessions.
The app was founded in 2021 and has grown rapidly, largely through aggressive social media advertising (you've probably seen their Instagram and TikTok ads). They position themselves as the "#1 screen time app" and claim users save an average of 1 hour and 23 minutes per day.
How Opal works
The core experience is straightforward. You pick the apps you want to block, set a schedule or start a manual session, and Opal prevents you from opening those apps during that time.
There are three blocking difficulty levels:
- Normal: you can take breaks and cancel the session at any time. Honestly, this barely does anything if you have low willpower.
- Timeout: you can take breaks, but there are increasing delays before you can take another one. A step up, but still bypassable.
- Deep Focus: you can't end the session early. This is the only mode that creates real accountability, and it's locked behind the paid plan.
Beyond blocking, Opal also tracks your screen time, gives you a daily "focus score," and offers features like co-working sessions and community chats.
What Opal does well
Credit where it's due. Opal gets several things right.
Clean design. The app looks great. The interface is modern, intuitive, and genuinely pleasant to use. Setting up a blocking session takes about 30 seconds, and the scheduling system is flexible enough to handle most use cases.
Deep Focus mode actually works. When you commit to a Deep Focus session, you genuinely can't access your blocked apps. This is the feature that makes Opal worth considering at all. For people who know they'll ignore gentle reminders, having a hard lock is valuable.
Cross-device support. Opal works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you're in the Apple ecosystem, you can block distractions across all your devices from one app. This is a meaningful advantage over apps that only work on one platform.
Focus score tracking. The daily and weekly reports help you see trends in your behavior over time. It's motivating to watch your focus score improve, and it adds a layer of accountability beyond just blocking apps.
Where Opal falls short
No app is perfect, and Opal has some real weaknesses you should know about before committing.
The free plan is almost useless. You get one recurring session, basic blocking difficulties only (meaning you can cancel any session at any time), and no whitelist blocking. The features that actually make Opal effective, like Deep Focus and unlimited sessions, require a Pro subscription. The free tier feels more like a trial than a real product.
It's expensive. Opal Pro costs $8.29/month on the annual plan ($99.99/year), or $19.99/month if you pay monthly. There's also a $399 lifetime option. For a screen time blocker, that's a lot of money. Apple's built-in Screen Time is free, and several competing apps offer similar features for less.
No Android support (sort of). While Opal technically has an Android app now, the experience is limited compared to iOS. The Android version has ads on the free tier, and the blocking capabilities aren't as robust because Android doesn't have the same system-level Screen Time API that Apple provides. If you're on Android, you'll get a watered-down experience.
Software can be bypassed. This is the fundamental problem with every app-only screen time solution, including Opal. Even in Deep Focus mode, you can still delete the app, change your phone settings, or find workarounds. The blocking relies entirely on software, which means you're essentially asking your phone to prevent you from using your phone. If you're determined to scroll, you'll find a way around it.
No physical accountability. Opal is a purely digital solution. You open an app, tap a button, and you're in a focus session. That convenience is also its weakness. There's no friction in starting or stopping. There's no physical action required, no tangible commitment. For people who struggle with impulsive phone use, adding a physical barrier can make a real difference. This is why tools like Blok use NFC technology: you have to physically tap a card or keychain to your phone to start or end a blocking session, which creates intentional friction that software alone can't replicate.
Opal pricing breakdown
Here's what Opal costs in 2026:
Real friction beats willpower every time
The Blok Card adds a physical step between you and your distractions.
- Free: basic blocking, 1 recurring session, blocklist only, focus score (today only)
- Pro monthly: $19.99/month
- Pro annual: $8.29/month ($99.99/year)
- Pro lifetime: $399 one-time
- Student discount: up to 50% off Pro (must apply)
- Teams: contact for pricing
The annual plan brings the cost down to about $8.29/month, which is more reasonable but still one of the most expensive screen time apps available. For context, Blok offers a full-featured subscription at $59.99/year, which includes system-level blocking on both iOS and Android plus the physical NFC device for added accountability.
Who Opal is best for
Opal is a solid choice if you meet most of these criteria:
- You're primarily on iPhone and Mac
- You want a polished, well-designed app experience
- You're willing to pay $100/year for screen time management
- You trust yourself not to delete the app when tempted
- You don't need Android support
If you're a student, the 50% discount makes the value proposition much stronger.
Who should consider alternatives
Opal might not be the right fit if:
- You're on a budget. At $100/year, Opal is expensive for what it offers. Alternatives like Blok ($59.99/year) or even Apple's free Screen Time can get the job done for less.
- You need Android support. Opal's Android experience is significantly weaker than iOS. If you're on Android or switching between platforms, look for an app that treats both equally. Blok works on both iOS and Android with full feature parity.
- You've tried app blockers before and kept bypassing them. If you've already proven to yourself that software-only solutions don't hold you accountable, another software-only solution probably won't be different. Consider a physical blocker like Blok that adds a tangible barrier to phone access.
- You want something you can't just delete. Opal is an app. Apps can be removed. If you need something with real staying power, a physical device creates commitment that a download can't.
The bottom line
Opal is a well-made screen time app with a beautiful design and some genuinely useful features, especially Deep Focus mode. It's earned its popularity for good reason.
But it's also expensive, limited on Android, and ultimately constrained by the same fundamental problem as every other app-only blocker: software can be bypassed by the very person it's trying to help.
If you've never tried a screen time blocker before, Opal's free tier is worth downloading to see if the concept works for you. But before paying $100/year for Pro, it's worth exploring whether a solution that combines physical and digital accountability might be a better long-term investment.
Looking for an alternative? Blok pairs an NFC device (card, keychain, or magnet) with system-level app blocking on both iOS and Android. The physical tap requirement adds a layer of intentional friction that pure software can't match. It's $59.99/year with no feature gates on the free tier.
Ready to actually put your phone down?
See the Blok Card and how the physical NFC setup works on iPhone and Android.