# Opal vs Roots

The clearest difference is update cadence: Opal at every 5 days against Roots's every 3 weeks. Opal also leads on ratings volume (89K vs 2.6K) and chart position (#40 vs unranked). Roots's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 62%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Opal sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Roots sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Opal against 4.8 for Roots. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Opal has 89K ratings behind it against 2.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Opal's written reviews are positive against 75% of Roots's.

Opal ships an update every 5 days, Roots every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Opal | Roots |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (89K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opal-screen-time-control/id1497465230/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roots-screen-time-control/id6446800962/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **89K** | 2.6K |
| Positive reviews | 62.1% of reviews | **75.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#40** | — |
| Size | 303 MB | 379 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Opal OS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497465229) | [MWM](https://appshunter.io/developer/452269707) |

## What reviewers say

### Opal

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

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Grossing · Productivity, #70 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app helps you regain control of your digital life by limiting app usage, blocking distractions, and improving focus. It provides tools and insights to reduce screen time, boost productivity, and enhance well-being.

**Highlights:** Screen time control, App blocker, Set app limits, Focus modes, Productivity reports, Block apps and websites, Mindful block screens

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (13)**

| 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 | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $89.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $99.99 | per year |
| Opal Pro Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $129.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $179.99 | 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


### Roots

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roots-screen-time-control/id6446800962)

This app helps you regain control of your phone usage by setting app limits, scheduling downtime, and participating in detox challenges. It provides insights into your screen time habits and offers features like 'Monk Mode' for focused periods. Aimed at improving well-being and reducing phone addiction.

**Highlights:** App and website blocking, Scheduled downtime, Phone detox challenges, Monk Mode for strict blocking, Digital dopamine monitoring, Daily goals and progress tracking, Personal balance score

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Roots Plus - Monthly Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Roots Plus - Weekly Plan | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Roots - Monthly Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Roots Plus - Monthly Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Roots - Monthly Plan | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Pass | $19.99 | per month |
| Roots Plus - Annual Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Roots Plus - Annual Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Pass | $59.99 | per year |
| Roots Plus - Annual Plan | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Roots Plus - Annual Plan | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium Pass | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium Pass | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for reducing screen time
- 🚀 Effective in cutting down app usage
- 💡 Customizable app blocking and downtime settings
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 👍 Responsive customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional performance issues and bugs
- 🐛 Inconsistent app blocking and unblocking
- 🐛 Inaccurate screen time tracking
- 🐛 Difficulty deleting account or changing subscription
- 🐛 Frustrating when apps are locked unexpectedly

**Reported bugs**

- Apps getting blocked when they shouldn't be
- Screen time data not syncing correctly
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Subscription issues and inability to cancel
- Trouble with the initial setup and syncing

**Requested features**

- Home screen and lock screen widgets
- Customizable challenges and ability to share with friends
- More options for the 'Do Not Disturb' mode
- Improved analytics and progress tracking
- Ability to easily adjust app limits without resetting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Opal free?

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

### Is Roots free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Opal or Roots?

Roots is rated higher. Opal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 89K ratings, while Roots averages 4.8 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Opal or Roots have ads?

Neither Opal nor Roots shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Opal or Roots?

Opal ships an update every 5 days, and Roots every 3 weeks. Most recently, Opal was updated on September 30, 2026 and Roots on September 29, 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.*