Opal alternatives: 5 screen-time blockers compared (2026)

Opal is a polished screen-time app, first on iPhone and now on Android and Mac. People look elsewhere when they need a Windows PC covered, want more than one rule without paying $99.99 a year, or want blocking that holds harder than the app’s own settings. Here are five alternatives and the catch in each.

Prices and platforms checked on each vendor’s site on 14 October 2026.

Why people look for an alternative

  • No Windows or Linux. Opal runs on iPhone, Android and Mac; a Windows PC, where most people’s work happens, is outside it.
  • The free tier is one rule. Schedules, time limits and open limits are all there, but for one rule; unlimited rules and Hard Mode are Pro at $99.99 a year or $19.99 a month.
  • A phone app’s protection. Opal’s Hard Mode is good for a phone app; it is not a desktop blocker with a service, an accountability partner and a password someone else holds.

The shortlist

FocusMe

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
  • Android
  • iPhone

A website and app blocker for Windows, Mac and Linux with Android and iPhone apps that sync to it.

Preis
$17.95 a month, $119.40 a year or $449 once; 14-day free trial, no card. The mobile apps are free to download; Premium (sync) is included with a desktop licence. One licence covers 5 computers and 2 mobile devices.
Best for
People whose distractions live on a PC as much as a phone, and who want strictness they can raise over time.
The catch
The desktop is the centre of it; the phone apps are plainer than Opal’s.

one sec

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
  • Android
  • iPhone
  • browser extension

A phone app that adds a breathing pause before a distracting app opens, with blocks, limits and a browser extension.

Preis
Free for one app; Pro $6.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $99.99 once.
Best for
People who want friction rather than a wall: the pause is the product.
The catch
It is designed to slow you down, not to lock you out; the desktop side is a browser extension.

AppBlock

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
  • Android
  • iPhone
  • Chrom
  • Rand
  • Mutig

An Android and iPhone app blocker with profiles that switch on by schedule, location or Wi-Fi, plus browser extensions.

Preis
Free with limits; Premium is a subscription set in the app stores (about $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year when checked, with a lifetime option).
Best for
Android users who want blocking tied to place and time.
The catch
The desktop is covered only by a browser extension, and premium pricing varies by store and region.

Freiheit

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
  • Android
  • iPhone
  • Chromebook

A subscription blocker for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chromebook with scheduled sessions and a locked mode.

Preis
$8.99 a month, $3.33 a month billed yearly, or $99.50 once (on offer from $199 when checked); a 7-day free trial on the yearly plan.
Best for
Simple sessions across every mainstream platform at a lower price than Opal.
The catch
One protection level (locked mode) and no Linux.

Cold Turkey Blocker

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
  • Android
  • iPhone

A Windows and Mac blocker paid once, with strong locks.

Preis
Free version; Pro is a one-off purchase (the price is shown on getcoldturkey.com).
Best for
The PC or Mac, paid once, locked hard.
The catch
Nothing on the phone, which is where Opal users started.

At a glance

ToolPlatformsPreisBest for
FocusMe Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone $17.95 a month, $119.40 a year or $449 once People whose distractions live on a PC as much as a phone, and who want strictness they can raise over time.
one sec iPhone, Android, browser extension Free for one app People who want friction rather than a wall: the pause is the product.
AppBlock Android, iPhone, Chrome, Edge, Brave Free with limits Android users who want blocking tied to place and time.
Freiheit Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Chromebook $8.99 a month, $3.33 a month billed yearly, or $99.50 once (on offer from $199 when checked) Simple sessions across every mainstream platform at a lower price than Opal.
Cold Turkey Blocker Windows, Mac Free version The PC or Mac, paid once, locked hard.

Which one?

If the phone is the whole problem and the design matters to you, Opal is hard to beat; one sec is the gentler cousin. If a Windows PC is in the picture, or you want plans that sync between your computer and your phone and get stricter as you go, FocusMe is the closest alternative. Freedom is the budget route across platforms; Cold Turkey the one-off route for a computer alone.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Is there an Opal alternative for Windows?

FocusMe, Freedom and Cold Turkey all run on Windows. FocusMe and Freedom also have phone apps that sync.

Is there a free alternative to Opal?

one sec is free for one app and AppBlock has a free tier; FocusMe’s mobile apps are free to download and its desktop app has a 14-day free trial.

Which alternative has the strongest lock?

FocusMe’s Enforced Mode on the desktop cannot be stopped until the plan ends, and an accountability partner can hold the key. Cold Turkey’s locks are also hard to undo.

Does any alternative sync between phone and computer?

FocusMe and Freedom do. Opal syncs between its own iPhone, Android and Mac apps.

Try FocusMe free for 14 days

No card. Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone. 60-day money-back guarantee.

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Compare FocusMe vs Opal, feature by feature