# Opal vs Intervention

The clearest difference is chart position: Opal at #48 against Intervention's unranked. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Opal sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Intervention sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Opal ships an update every 5 days, Intervention every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Opal | Intervention |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (91K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opal-screen-time-control/id1497465230/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **91K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 6 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#48** | — |
| Size | 332 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Opal OS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497465229) | [Itamar Stollman](https://appshunter.io/developer/6806200361) |

## What reviewers say

### Opal

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

**Currently charting:** #48 Top Grossing · Productivity, #88 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app helps you regain control of your digital life by limiting screen time and blocking distracting applications. It offers features like app limits, focus modes, and progress tracking to boost productivity and well-being. Achieve your goals by reducing phone usage and staying focused.

**Highlights:** Screen time control, App blocker, Focus difficulty settings, App usage limits, Mindful block screens, Focus reports and scores, Calendar integration for routines

**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


### Intervention

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/intervention-app-blocker/id6819333028)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly, half off | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Opal free?

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

### Is Intervention free?

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

### Do Opal or Intervention have ads?

Neither Opal nor Intervention shows ads.

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

Opal ships an update every 5 days, and Intervention every 6 days. Most recently, Opal was updated on November 5, 2026 and Intervention on October 31, 2026.

---

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