An Opal alternative for iPhone that plans the week before it blocks apps
· 5 min read
A good Opal alternative is Plan7 if you also need help deciding when to focus. Opal blocks apps on the rules you write; Plan7 builds your week from one goal, your fixed hours and your sleep, then pauses the apps you chose during each focus block, fixed commitment and bedtime. Stay with Opal if you want a free plan, a Mac or Android version, or a Hard Mode you can't switch off.
What Opal does well
Opal has a big following on iPhone: its App Store listing shows 4.7 stars from 90K ratings and says it runs on Apple's Screen Time API. You can "set daily working hours, sleep and routines, block apps automatically", put daily usage limits on apps and websites, and start Deep Focus, which the listing calls "the maximum level of protection — you can't bypass or cancel." A Focus Report tracks focused and distracted time, and Focus Gems reward milestones.
It also reaches past the phone. Opal's homepage links an Android app on Google Play and a Mac download, and its pricing page has a "Free, forever" plan with one rule, basic timers and app blocking on iOS, Android and Mac.
Opal pricing, checked 2026-10-25
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 rule (schedule, time limit or open limit), basic timers, app blocking |
| Pro yearly | $99.99 billed annually | Hard Mode, unlimited rules, Allow Only, full Opal Score history |
| Pro monthly | $19.99 a month | Same as yearly, 3-day trial |
| Lifetime | $399 once | Pro, paid one time |
Why you might want something else
Opal answers "how hard should this block be?" very well. It leaves "when should I be focusing this week?" to you. Each rule is a time window you choose, and on the free plan you get one. If your week changes every Monday, you rewrite the rules or you stop using them.
- You set the hours. Opal blocks during the work hours and sleep you type in. Nothing on its listing or homepage plans your training, a goal or the free time between blocks.
- One rule is a small free plan. A single schedule covers either work or bedtime. Covering both means Pro.
- Your blocks and your plan live in different apps. If you plan in a calendar and block in Opal, a moved meeting means editing both.
How Plan7 handles the same problem
Plan7 starts one step earlier. You answer a few questions: one goal for 30 days, what can't move, what you protect (gym, family) and your sleep. It counts the week's 168 hours before building anything and tells you if the goal doesn't fit. Then it lays out seven days of time blocks, and the apps you picked in Screen Time are paused during focus blocks, fixed commitments and bedtime, even with Plan7 closed. Apple keeps that app list private, so Plan7 only knows how many apps you chose.
Here is a weekday for someone whose 30-day goal is studying for a certification 6 hours a week, with a 9:00–17:30 job and a 23:00 bedtime.
| Time | Block | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | Wake-up alarm mission | Open |
| 7:20–8:10 | Study (the month's goal) | Paused |
| 8:10–8:50 | Breakfast, commute | Open |
| 9:00–12:30 | Work (fixed) | Paused |
| 12:30–13:30 | Lunch | Open |
| 13:30–17:30 | Work (fixed) | Paused |
| 18:00–19:00 | Gym (protected) | Open |
| 19:30–21:00 | Dinner and free time | Open |
| 22:15 | Lights Out: tomorrow's first block shown | Paused until morning |
The free hours stay free. When you need a paused app anyway, you breathe for seven seconds and open it for 5 to 60 minutes. If a meeting moves, you tell Plan7 in one message and the blocks move with it. At the end of the week, Tune my week rebuilds the next one from what you actually did.
Opal and Plan7 side by side
| Opal | Plan7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Block and limit apps | Plan your week, then block apps inside it |
| Who sets the block times | You, per rule | Plan7, from your goal, fixed hours and sleep |
| Blocking on iPhone | Screen Time API | Screen Time |
| Can't-cancel mode | Deep Focus and Hard Mode (Pro) | No; a seven-second breath opens an app for 5–60 min |
| Usage limits per app | Yes | No |
| Wake-up alarm | Not listed | Alarm missions with streaks (iOS 26) |
| Bedtime | Sleep schedule you set | Lights Out with tomorrow's first block |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 18+), Android, Mac | iPhone only (iOS 16.4+) |
| Free plan | Yes, 1 rule | No; the App Store shows the price |
Who should switch, and who should stay
- Switch to Plan7 if you keep a blocker installed but still don't know what the focus time is for, or if your schedule changes too often to keep rules up to date. It suits one person planning work, training and one goal on an iPhone.
- Stay with Opal if you only want blocking and already have a plan you trust, if you need daily time limits per app, or if you want a mode you truly can't get out of. Plan7's breathing pause is softer on purpose.
- Stay with Opal if you use a Mac or Android phone, or want to try blocking for free first. Plan7 is iPhone only and has no free plan.
Questions people ask
Is there a free alternative to Opal on iPhone?
Opal itself has a free plan with one rule, per its pricing page in October 2026. one sec is free for one app, per its App Store listing. iPhone's built-in Screen Time also has Downtime and App Limits at no cost. Plan7 has no free plan.
Does Plan7 use Screen Time like Opal?
Yes. Both block apps through Apple's Screen Time. You pick the apps once in Screen Time, and Apple keeps the list private. Plan7 pauses them during focus blocks, fixed commitments and bedtime, even when Plan7 is closed.
Can I use Opal and Plan7 together?
You can, but two apps pausing the same apps on overlapping schedules gets confusing. Most people pick one: Opal if they want strict blocking on their own rules, Plan7 if they want the week planned and the blocking to follow it.