# Opal vs Screen Freedom

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Screen Freedom at 100% against Opal's 61%. Screen Freedom also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Opal's advantage is ratings volume (92K vs 7) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Opal sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Screen Freedom asks for nothing beyond the download.

Screen Freedom holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Opal has 92K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Opal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Screen Freedom's.

Opal ships an update every 5 days, Screen Freedom every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Opal | Screen Freedom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (92K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opal-screen-time-control/id1497465230/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screen-freedom/id1642737751/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **92K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#51** | — |
| Size | 334 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Opal OS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497465229) | [Emancipas, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1642737753) |

## What reviewers say

### Opal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opal-screen-time-control/id1497465230)

**Currently charting:** #51 Top Grossing · Productivity, #92 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app helps you regain control of your screen time by blocking distracting apps and websites. It offers customizable limits, focus challenges, and rewards to improve productivity and well-being. Achieve better focus and accomplish your goals with this tool.

**Highlights:** Screen time control, App blocking, Customizable app limits, Focus challenges, Productivity reports, Mindful block screens, Rewards and leaderboards

**Features:** Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Plan | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Opal Student Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plan | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $19.99 | per month |
| Opal Pro Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps reduce screen time
- 🚀 Effective at blocking distracting apps
- 💡 Customizable blocking schedules
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 🔒 Difficult to bypass blocks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable at times
- 🔓 Easy to bypass blocks in some cases
- 🤯 Can be frustrating when blocks don't work as expected
- 🕰️ Longer wait times to take breaks

**Reported bugs**

- Blocks apps that are not selected
- Inconsistent behavior when ending focus sessions
- Crashes when trying to manage blocked apps
- VPN issues causing other connectivity problems

**Requested features**

- Allow more customization of blocked apps
- Integrate with more productivity tools
- Provide more granular time tracking and reporting
- Offer a one-time purchase option
- Improve stability and reduce bugs


### Screen Freedom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screen-freedom/id1642737751)

This app helps you reduce phone usage by partnering with a friend for accountability. Set screen time goals for specific apps, and they'll automatically block when you reach your limit. Your friend is notified if you try to break the goal, offering support or even the ability to deny your request.

**Highlights:** Partner accountability for screen time, Set app-specific time limits, Automatic app blocking, Friend notifications for goal breaks, Friend can deny requests to exceed limits, Track individual and partner streaks, View historical goal achievement data

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Opal free?

Opal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Screen Freedom free?

Screen Freedom is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Opal or Screen Freedom?

Screen Freedom is rated higher. Opal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 92K ratings, while Screen Freedom averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Opal or Screen Freedom have ads?

Neither Opal nor Screen Freedom shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Opal or Screen Freedom?

Opal ships an update every 5 days, and Screen Freedom every 3 weeks. Most recently, Opal was updated on November 14, 2026 and Screen Freedom on November 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*