Comparison

Opal vs Elqi

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Opal

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
Read full description

Achieve screen time control with the world’s most-loved screen time app! Opal is the fun, free Screen Time app to improve your focus and make the most out of every day. 5 to 6 hours. That’s the average time you’ll spend looking at your phone today, often without realizing it. It's time to fight back. With a combination of screen time control, app limits, app blockers, real time data, leaderboards and rewards, you will focus better and accomplish your dreams, just like Opal’s members. **As of August 2026, Opal has saved humanity 500 Million hours of screen time. ** Many of the world's top teams and companies trust Opal to help protect their focus. You can too. **Opal cut my screen time by 2 hours per day – Marketing at Google ** **You need this app. When I first got opal my daily screen-time was about 8 1/2 hours a day. Now it's 1 hour. ** **Opal has become an indispensable tool in my quest for productivity and mindful technology usage ** **Get Opal! - Ali Abdaal, productivity expert** BENEFITS Save 1 hour and 23 minutes per DAY from less screen time, on average. 94% of Opal members are less distracted 93% are more productive thanks to the app 90% report improved well-being Added benefits: - Better screen time control - Better productivity at work - Reduce stress, be more mindful - Supports focus challenges, including ADHD - Set daily work hours, sleep, and routines - Block apps to unplug and detox - Stay in focus when you need it most - You're happy and in control of your screen time FEATURES - #1 Screen Time Control: the most loved app for screen time control with 4.8/5. - #1 App Blocker: Instantly Block apps and websites you choose at a specific time of day throughout the week to organize your time. - Focus Difficulty: Make it hard, or make it a bit easier. Deep Focus won't let you cancel or bypass at all. - App Limits: Set daily usage limits on apps and websites to automatically block them and prevent overuse. - Mindful Block Screens: Discover quotes, puns and more every time you try to open an app or website you really shoudn't. - Blocklist & Allowlist: Easily pick any app, game or website you want to block or allow during your Blocks. - Focus Report: Measure your progress with clear metrics, actionable screen time stats, and benchmark against your peers. - Focus Score: Check your screen time and focus level at any point easily spotting Focus and Distracted time. - Calendar: Set daily working hours, sleep and routines, block apps automatically, so you don’t have to remember. - Precious Rewards: Unlock unique MileStones you can share with friends. - Leaderboard: Challenge friends to top the leaderboard, enhancing productivity, focus and keeping each other motivated. - Breaks: Choose the app you want to use, write your intention, and set a timer. - Focus Mode Integration: Sync your Opal Focus Sessions with iPhone Focus Mode to block apps. - Shortcut Integration: Connect iPhone shortcut automations to start/stop Focus Sessions based on app opens, time, location and more! - Focus Reminders: Get timely reminder notifications when you get distracted or reach a time limit. - Deep Focus: Need ultimate focus? Deep Focus is the maximum level of protection — you can’t bypass or cancel. - More Fun: Opal is guilt-free and fun. - Widget: Have Opal on your home screen! CREATE A PERSONALIZED APP BLOCK LIST Easily pick any app, game or website you want to block or allow to Block Apps. PRIVATE & SAFE We use Apple's Screen Time API in order to monitor and block apps you use. Installation is easy and takes a few seconds on your iPhone. Unlike most apps, Opal works entirely on your phone and personal browsing data never leaves your device. TERMS, PRIVACY & CONDITIONS Read on https://opal.so/terms & https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Elqi

This app helps you break free from phone addiction and manage your screen time. It uses mindfulness and cognitive exercises to encourage intentional digital interactions and balance your dopamine levels. Track your progress and celebrate achievements on your digital detox journey.

Highlights
  • Dopamine detox companion
  • Screen time control
  • Mindfulness and cognitive exercises
  • App blocking
  • Progress tracking
  • Dopamine level insights
Read full description

The #1 Dopamine Detox app to take control of your Screen Time. End your Phone Addiction and Take Control of Your Digital Life with Elqi. In today's dopamine infused world, our smartphones have become an inseparable part of our daily lives. While they offer immense convenience and access to information for our brain, excessive screen time can negatively impact our mental well-being, dopamine and productivity. Elqi is your personal digital dopamine detox companion, designed to help you refocus, break free from phone addiction and cultivate a balanced relationship with technology. Pause when it matter the most Elqi intervenes when you attempt to open social media apps, prompting you to engage in mindfulness & cognitive exercises. These exercises help you pause, reflect, and make intentional decisions about your digital habits, to help you balance your dopamine levels. Your screen time decreases because Elqi block apps. With Elqi's guidance, you'll learn to recognize the triggers that lead you to mindlessly scroll through social media, allowing you to cultivate a more mindful and intentional approach to your digital interactions and lower your screen time and better your dopamine levels. Grow by Harnessing the Power of Dopamine, Mindfulness and Cognitive Exercises Elqi's carefully curated dopamine, mindfulness and cognitive exercises include deep breathing exercises which eases stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation, better dopamine and focus. All breathing techniques are unique and offer a tool for yourself to reconnect with yourself, refocus and make conscious decisions. BENEFITS 91% of Elqi members are less distracted by their phones 76% of members are more productive and feel mentally healthier with Elqi 84% of Elqi users would recommend Elqi Track Your Progress and Celebrate Your Achievements Elqi provides comprehensive tracking tools to monitor your digital habits and progress. Our dopamine tracker focuses on your dopamine levels based on phone usage. Additionally, you can gain insights into your daily screen time, social media usage, and mindful exercise engagement. Celebrate your achievements and visualize your journey towards a more balanced digital lifestyle. See how your dopamine levels change based on usage of certain apps. Embark on Your Digital Detox Journey with Elqi Elqi is your key to reclaiming control over your digital life and enhancing your overall well-being. It is your assistant in your dopamine detox journey. Download Elqi today and begin your journey towards a more mindful and intentional relationship with technology. Block Apps and reduce your Screen Time. Why Elqi Compared to our competitors opal, one sec and clearspace we are aiming to help you regulate your dopamine levels. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Opal4 screens
Elqi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Elqi at 89% against Opal's 61%. Elqi also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Opal's advantage is ratings volume (91K vs 10) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Opal sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Elqi sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Opal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Opal has 91K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 61% of Opal's written reviews are positive against 89% of Elqi's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Opal ships an update every 6 days, Elqi every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Opal versus Elqi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpalElqi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (91K ratings) — better4.4 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews61.3% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings91K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#50 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size326 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpal OSElqi

Customer experience

Opal

All ratings90,569 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral2.0%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews5,752 reviews
Positive61.3%
Neutral9.2%
Negative29.5%

Elqi

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral28.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Opal

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Elqi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Opal

Subscriptions13
  • Weekly Plan3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Weekly Plan3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Opal Student Weekly3 Days trial$9.997 Days
Show 10 more
  • Monthly Plan3 Days trial2 variants$19.991 Month
  • Monthly Plan7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Opal Pro Subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial2 variants$99.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan1 Month trial2 variants$99.991 Year
  • Opal Pro Yearly$99.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$129.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$179.991 Year
3 purchases

Elqi

Subscriptions2
  • All Access14 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • All Access1 Month trial$22.991 Year
One-time1
  • Gift Lifetime Premium Access2 variants$44.99

Questions

Is Opal free?
Opal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Elqi free?
Elqi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Opal or Elqi?
Opal is rated higher. Opal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 91K ratings, while Elqi averages 4.4 from 10 ratings.
Do Opal or Elqi have ads?
Neither Opal nor Elqi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Opal or Elqi?
Opal ships an update every 6 days, and Elqi every 3 weeks. Most recently, Opal was updated on November 1, 2026 and Elqi on October 24, 2026.

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