Opal

Overview

Opal combines app and website blocking with timed focus sessions and wellbeing-related tracking. It is best suited to people who want scheduled restrictions and a way to reflect on their screen habits across mobile and Mac. The free plan is a narrow starting point; Pro is the better fit for anyone who needs multiple rules or a history of their Opal Score.

Key features

Focus Rules block selected apps on phones or desktop, and Opal also supports blocking websites, scheduled blocking, recurring schedules, and locked sessions. Together, these controls suit people who want restrictions to run on a routine rather than relying on moment-to-moment willpower. Free permits just one rule, which is limiting if work, evenings, and downtime call for separate schedules.

The Focus Timer locks a chosen focus period until its duration ends, while Pro adds Hard Mode, advanced timers and soundscapes, and Allow Only. Those upgrades give people who need firmer or more customizable sessions a reason to pay; the free tier remains adequate for basic timed blocking. Opal Score combines sleep, focus, and rest signals into a measure of how technology aligns with wellbeing. Free shows today’s score only, while Pro adds history for users interested in patterns over time. Focus Gems reward focus milestones, providing encouragement rather than another blocking control.

iOS Shortcuts can start a timer when Do Not Disturb is enabled, when arriving at a location, or when opening a specified app. That makes Opal more adaptable for iPhone users who want sessions tied to routines, though this automation benefit does not extend to the other platforms.

Opal says detailed app-usage data processed through iOS Screen Time and Android Accessibility Service and Usage Stats stays on the device. It also collects contact information and user identifiers, unlinked usage and diagnostic data, and optional social data such as daily aggregate screen time and friend connections. That distinction may reassure people concerned about raw app-usage details leaving the device, but Opal still collects account and other usage-related information.

Pricing

Opal Free costs nothing, forever, and includes iOS, Android, and Mac access, one rule, basic timers and soundscapes, app blocking, and Opal Score for today only. It is a sensible no-cost trial of the core approach, but one rule and no score history make it a poor fit for users building several distinct routines.

Opal Pro Yearly costs $8.29 a month, billed $99.99 billed annually. It adds Hard Mode, unlimited rules, advanced timers and soundscapes, Allow Only, and Opal Score history. This is the lower-cost paid route for regular users willing to pay annually. Opal Pro Monthly costs $19.99 a month, billed $239 billed annually, with the same listed features; it costs more than the yearly option for those terms, so the annual plan is the stronger fit for users comfortable with an annual bill.

Opal Pro Lifetime costs $399, paid once, billed One Time Payment, and includes the same Pro features. It avoids a recurring subscription but requires a much larger upfront payment. Opal offers a 7-day trial and a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee for Stripe purchases; it cannot directly refund iPhone app purchases. Students can receive up to 50% off Opal Pro. Teams Pro has custom pricing and includes everything in Pro, a single invoice, advanced support and training, and an account manager, making it the relevant option for organizations seeking centralized billing and support.

Platforms

Opal supports iOS, Android, and macOS. Its phone and desktop reach suits people who want focus controls across those devices, while the Shortcuts automation is specifically useful to iOS users. In-app support includes a chatbot, and Opal says its human support team aims to reply within two business days.

Who it's for

Opal is a good match for people who want recurring app and website blocks, locked focus periods, and wellbeing-oriented tracking in one product. It is less compelling for someone content with a single basic rule, or for a user whose priority is simply a free, cross-platform screen-time tracker rather than timed blocking and Pro controls.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Scheduled, recurring blocks and locked sessions can turn intentions into repeatable routines across phone and desktop.
• Pro: Pro combines unlimited rules, Hard Mode, Allow Only, and score history for users who need more control than the free tier allows.
• Pro: iOS Shortcuts can trigger timers from useful device events, such as enabling Do Not Disturb or opening an app.
• Con: Free is capped at one rule and a today-only score, so users seeking several routines or trend tracking will quickly need Pro.
• Con: The monthly Pro option is materially more expensive than the annual plan on the stated billing terms, while Lifetime requires a substantial one-time payment.
• Con: Although detailed app-usage processing is said to stay on-device, Opal still collects contact and identifier data, diagnostics, and optional social information.

Alternatives

For a broader shortlist, see Screen Time Management Apps and Distraction Blocking Software.

Choose Freedom if you want a blocker spanning Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows, with its free plan offering multi-device sync, custom blocklists, website exceptions, and app, website, or internet blocking. StayFree is a better fit for free cross-device screen-time tracking and usage control across a wider range of platforms, including browser extensions and desktop systems. ScreenZen suits users who want its core app free, with optional donations, and support for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.

YourHour is another freemium option for Android and iOS. AppBlock is another freemium alternative for Android, iOS, and browser extension. Apple Screen Time is the no-cost choice for Apple devices, particularly when managing a child’s controls across a family group with Family Sharing and individual Apple Accounts. Focusly fits users looking for a free, offline-capable option on extension, macOS, and Windows without an account. Jomo is an alternative for users who want a freemium focus app on iOS and macOS.

Verdict

Choose Opal if you want recurring, locked focus sessions across iOS, Android, and Mac, with Pro adding the rule capacity and score history needed for a sustained routine. Its strongest reason to choose it is the combination of blocking, timed sessions, and wellbeing signals; its main drawback is that meaningful flexibility sits behind a paid plan, while even the least expensive Pro option is billed annually. Look elsewhere if a free tracker or a basic one-rule blocker is enough.