Comparison

Opal vs Lifeback

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

Lifeback

This app enhances your phone's screen time settings to help you focus better and achieve your goals. It offers app restrictions and time limits to reduce distractions and boost productivity. Many users report significant reductions in screen time and improved mental well-being.

Highlights
  • App restrictions and time limits
  • Focus reports and progress metrics
  • Instant app blocking
  • Scheduled blocking via calendar
  • Temporary unblocking for breaks
  • Hard mode for maximum protection
  • Shortcut integration for automation
Features
Read full description

Imagine if your Screen Time Settings on your phone were super powered. That's what we do. 5 hours. That’s the average time you’ll spend looking at your phone today. With a combination of app restrictions and hard time limits, you can begin to focus better and accomplish your dreams, just like our members. Many of the world's top teams and companies companies trust Lifeback. to help protect their focus. You can too. **This app cut my screen time by 3 hours per day – Senior Backend Dev at Google ** **Lifeback cuts off your apps’ internet access to help you stop doomscrolling – WSJ ** **Lifeback Helped Me Quit My Nightly TikTok Habit – Productivity Mag ** BENEFITS 98% of Lifeback members are less distracted 94% are more productive thanks to the app 91% experience improved mental health 82% save at least 2 hours *daily* thanks to the app Added benefits: - Better screen time management - Improve productivity at work - Reduce stress, be more mindful - Better manage ADHD - Set daily working hours, sleep, and routines - Unplug with family and friends - Stay in focus when you need it most - You're happy and in control of your screen time FEATURES - Focus Report: Diagnose your Focus and measure your progress with clear metrics, important context and compare with your peers. - #1 App Blocker: Instantly block apps you choose. - Sessions: Block apps from your phone while you’re focusing, and you can always take a break to unblock them temporarily. - Calendar: Set daily working hours, sleep and routines, block apps automatically, so you don’t have to remember. - Breaks: Use apps without mindless scrolling. Choose the app you want to use and set a timer. - Shortcut Integration: Connect iPhone shortcut automations to start/stop Focus Sessions based on app opens, time, location and more! - Hard Mode: Maximum protection, you can’t cancel or bypass the timer you set. CREATE A PERSONALIZED APP LIST You can customize your Control experience and block all apps and sites on your phone, including: - Facebook - Instagram - Snapchat - TikTok - Youtube - Netflix - Tinder - Hinge - Bumble - Many more: News, Messaging, Dating, Adult/Porn, Money apps etc. 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, Lifeback works entirely on your phone and personal browsing data never leaves your device. HEAR IT FROM THE COMMUNITY "Never in a bazillion years did I think I would be below 3 hours of screen time a day. My mood is SO much better." - Sam "Weird to think that an app would make me use my phone less but this app is the only thing helping me focus on deep work days" - Cody "Thanks Lifeback for being the only way my monkey brain can do homework for more than like 20 minutes" - Stevie TERMS, PRIVACY & CONDITIONS – https://lifeback.io/privacy – https://lifeback.io/terms

Screenshots

Opal4 screens
Lifeback4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Opal at 88K against Lifeback's 79. Opal also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and chart position (#43 vs unranked). Lifeback's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 Lifeback sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $3.00 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 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Opal has 88K ratings behind it against 79, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Opal's written reviews are positive against 53% of Lifeback's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Opal ships an update every 5 days, Lifeback every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Opal versus Lifeback: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpalLifeback
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (88K ratings) — better4.5 (79 ratings)
Positive reviews62.1% of reviews — better52.6% of reviews
Number of ratings88K — better79
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#43 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size303 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpal OSControl. Alt. Delete. LLC

Customer experience

Opal

All ratings88,321 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews5,586 reviews
Positive62.1%
Neutral9.0%
Negative28.9%

Lifeback

All ratings79 ratings
Positive87.3%
Neutral2.5%
Negative10.1%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive52.6%
Neutral10.5%
Negative36.8%

User reviews

Opal

From 88K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 💰 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

Lifeback

From 79 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Productivity boost
  • 👍 Helpful for focus
  • 🙌 Life-changing
  • 💪 Effective for reducing distractions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and bugs
  • ⚠️ Unreliable app behavior
  • 💰 Subscription issues

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

Lifeback

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App closing unexpectedly
  • Focus mode not working as expected
  • Inconsistent app behavior

Requested features

2 requests
  • Better unblock functionality
  • Improved notification system

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
13 purchases

Lifeback

Subscriptions13
  • Monthly Plan$3.001 Month
  • Monthly Plan$4.001 Month
  • Monthly Plan$5.001 Month
Show 10 more
  • Monthly Plan3 Days trial$6.001 Month
  • Monthly Plan$7.001 Month
  • Monthly Plan$8.001 Month
  • Monthly Plan$9.001 Month
  • Monthly Plan$10.001 Month
  • Monthly Plan$11.001 Month
  • Monthly Plan$12.001 Month
  • Promo Yearly Plan7 Days trial$40.001 Year
  • Yearly Plan3 Days trial$40.001 Year
  • Yearly Plan3 Days trial$99.001 Year

Questions

Is Opal free?
Opal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lifeback free?
Lifeback is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Opal or Lifeback?
Opal is rated higher. Opal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 88K ratings, while Lifeback averages 4.5 from 79 ratings.
Do Opal or Lifeback have ads?
Neither Opal nor Lifeback shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Opal or Lifeback?
Opal ships an update every 5 days, and Lifeback every 6 days. Most recently, Opal was updated on September 24, 2026 and Lifeback on August 26, 2026.

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