ScrollCop is the better app overall, scoring 8.6 to 8.3. ScrollCop wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Opal on 2.
iPhone users who keep turning off their own app limits
iPhone and Android users who want firm, scheduled limits on distracting apps
Score by score
The details
| Feature | ScrollCop | Opal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mind & Focus | Mind & Focus |
| Category rank | #4 of 9 | #8 of 9 |
| Developer | The Big Head | Opal |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | — | ✓ |
Strengths and weaknesses
ScrollCop
- A friend can hold the key, so blocks actually stick
- Free with no subscription, no ads and no account
- Blocks whole categories and websites, not just apps
- iPhone only, with no Android or desktop version
- Fewer stats and reports than Opal
ScrollCop blocks the apps and sites that eat your time using Apple's Screen Time, so blocked apps really disappear. Its best idea is the key: when you start a block you can let a friend hold a one-time PIN, so you can't quietly end it at midnight. Daily schedules, an SOS button for cravings and short boredom exercises round it out. It is iPhone-only, but free with no subscription.
Full ScrollCop review
Opal
- Polished design that makes blocking feel rewarding
- Strict sessions resist late-night willpower lapses
- Clear reports on where your time goes
- Best features locked behind Pro
- Screen Time-based blocks can occasionally glitch
Opal is the most polished screen time blocker for iPhone, and it now runs on Android and Mac too. On iPhone it uses Apple's Screen Time framework to block apps and websites on a schedule or during focus sessions, with a stricter mode that is hard to cancel. Clear reports show where your hours go. The free plan is basic, the strongest features need Pro, and upgrade prompts are persistent. Blocks can occasionally glitch when iOS misbehaves.
Full Opal review
