--- title: "Opal Alternative That Makes You Move | Fitlock" description: "Opal blocks apps on a timer you set and lets you back in when it runs out. Fitlock is an Opal alternative that blocks apps until you move instead." url: https://fitlock.io/alternatives/opal/ language: en --- [Home](https://fitlock.io/) [Compare](https://fitlock.io/alternatives/) # Fitlock vs Opal: an Opal alternative that changes your behaviour Opal blocks apps on a timer you set and lets you back in when it runs out. Fitlock is an Opal alternative that blocks apps until you move instead. Facts checked 29 September 2026. Sources are listed at the end of the page. ## The short answer Opal blocks apps for a time you choose and lets you back in when the time runs out. It runs on iPhone, Android and Mac, and has more focus tools than Fitlock: rules, timers, soundscapes and a focus score. Fitlock doesn't wait for a timer. It keeps your apps locked until you've moved, with steps, a workout or push-ups, so every unlock also gets you off the sofa. ### Choose Fitlock if - Waiting out a timer hasn't changed your habits - You want moving, or getting to the gym, to be what unlocks your apps - You'd like a cheaper Pro, or to pay once with a lifetime plan ### Choose Opal if - You use Android or a Mac as well as an iPhone - You want focus timers, soundscapes and a focus score - You'd rather not have to exercise to use your phone ## Fitlock vs Opal at a glance | Feature | Fitlock | Opal | | --- | --- | --- | | What unlocks your apps | Hitting a daily goal you set, confirmed by Apple Health, the camera or your location. A rule can unlock apps outright or earn you extra time | A timer or scheduled session ending | | What counts | Steps, workouts, stand time, cycling, meditation, time outside, arriving at a place like the gym, wheelchair pushes, and push-ups or squats counted by the camera | Nothing. Opal is a focus and screen time app, not a fitness one | | When blocking is on | Schedules you set: recurring or one-off, on the days and times you choose, with an optional allowance before the locks start | Schedules, time limits and open limits. The free plan has one rule | | Free plan | Yes, with no time limit: one schedule, two apps or sites and one goal | Yes: one rule, with schedules and time limits | | Paid plans (US App Store) | $2.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $49.99 once | $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year (Opal Pro) | | Runs on | iPhone (iOS 17 or later) | iPhone, Android and Mac | | Getting round the block | Breaks, each one longer than the last. Strict Mode (Pro) removes them | Hard Mode (Pro) stops you turning Opal off during a session | Opal and Fitlock are both screen-time apps built around blocking, but they ask you to do different things to get back in, which is why Fitlock works as an Opal alternative. ## How Opal works Opal is a focus and screen-time app for iOS, Android and Mac. You set up “Focus Rules” to block chosen apps, or start a one-tap “Focus Timer” that locks you out for a set block of time you choose. Its optional “Hard Mode” makes a session impossible to turn off early, and an “Opal Score” tracks how your sleep, focus and rest line up over time. Opal has been on the App Store since December 2020, well before Fitlock, and its feature set around focus sessions (rules, timers, scoring, rewards) is broader than Fitlock’s. ## How Fitlock works as an Opal alternative Fitlock blocks apps until you complete a real health goal instead of waiting out a clock. Set a schedule, pick the apps or websites to block, and choose a goal: steps, an exercise session, or push-ups and squats counted by your phone’s camera. On Fitlock’s default schedule level, the block lifts once Apple Health, or the camera, confirms you’ve done it. You can also take a break (each one harder to use than the last) or switch the schedule off. In Strict Mode (Fitlock Pro), neither of those is available: the block only lifts once the goal is met. ## The trade-off A timer blocker asks for patience: wait, and the apps unlock regardless of what you did with the waiting. Fitlock asks for effort instead: nothing unlocks until you’ve moved. If you already respect your own timers, Opal’s approach is lighter, more configurable, and available on more platforms. If you’ve caught yourself waiting out a timer and scrolling anyway, Fitlock removes that option entirely: waiting alone buys you nothing. ## What Fitlock does differently - **Movement gates the unlock**, not time. - **Push-ups and squats are counted by your phone’s camera**, alongside steps. - **Escalating breaks.** You can take a break, but each additional one makes the next wait longer. - Free blocks up to two apps behind one schedule and one goal; Fitlock Pro removes the two-app limit, adds allowlist mode, every goal type, and lets you combine goals with AND. See [pricing](https://fitlock.io/pricing/) for what’s included at each tier. ## Where Opal may suit you better Opal has a longer track record, a wider set of focus-session features, and apps for Android and Mac as well as iOS. Fitlock is iOS only, because it depends on Apple’s Screen Time and HealthKit frameworks. So if you’re on Android, or want a broader toolkit for structured focus sessions rather than movement, Opal is the better fit. If you’d rather compare a friction-based approach, see how Fitlock stacks up against [one sec](https://fitlock.io/alternatives/one-sec/). ## What Fitlock does with your data Analytics are anonymised, so we can’t identify you from them, and the only personal details we hold are ones you choose to share with support. Screen time data is securely managed by Apple and inaccessible to us. Health data is stored only on your device and never externally. We never sell user data to third-party companies. [Try Fitlock free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/fitlock-earn-your-screen-time/id6452840905). ![Fitlock's Schedules screen: distracting apps stay locked until you hit a step goal or an exercise goal, each earning an hour of screen time, with a 20-minute daily allowance](https://fitlock.io/_astro/home.B-Q9JuPh_Z2trQeh.png) ## Questions people ask **Is Fitlock a good alternative to Opal?** Yes, if timers alone haven't worked for you. Opal unlocks your apps when a timer runs out; Fitlock unlocks them when you hit a goal like steps, a workout or push-ups. Both have a free plan. Fitlock Pro costs $2.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $49.99 once. **Is Opal free?** Opal has a free plan with one rule, schedules, time limits and basic timers. Opal Pro adds Hard Mode, more rules and a focus score history, and costs $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year on the US App Store. **Does Fitlock have something like Opal's Hard Mode?** Yes. Fitlock's Strict Mode, part of Fitlock Pro, removes breaks and stops you switching a schedule off, so the only way back in is to hit your goal. **Does Fitlock work on Android or Mac?** No. Fitlock is an iPhone app, built on Apple's Screen Time and HealthKit. Opal runs on iPhone, Android and Mac. ## Sources Checked on 29 September 2026. Apps change their features and prices, so check the App Store before you decide. - [Opal on the US App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/opal-screen-time-control/id1497465230) - [Opal pricing](https://opalapp.com/pricing) ## More comparisons [See every comparison →](https://fitlock.io/alternatives/) - [ ### Fitlock vs Pushscroll Reps buy minutes of scrolling. Runs on Android too, but needs a subscription after a 7-day trial. ](https://fitlock.io/alternatives/pushscroll/) - [ ### Fitlock vs PushUp Time A set of reps opens your apps for 15 to 120 minutes. Simple, but there's no free plan. ](https://fitlock.io/alternatives/pushup-time/) - [ ### Fitlock vs touch grass Photograph real grass to unlock your apps. Free for two apps, with a monthly skip. ](https://fitlock.io/alternatives/touch-grass/) - [ ### Fitlock vs Brick Tap your phone on a $59 NFC tag to lock and unlock apps. No subscription, but you need the tag. ](https://fitlock.io/alternatives/brick/) - [ ### Fitlock vs one sec A short pause, like a breathing exercise, before a distracting app opens. Free for one app. ](https://fitlock.io/alternatives/one-sec/) ![Fitlock app icon](https://fitlock.io/_astro/fitlock-icon-rounded.DXHrrkRj_ZXVwum.webp) ## Start earning your screen time Free on the App Store, and takes about two minutes to set up. [![Download Fitlock on the App Store](https://fitlock.io/images/app-store-badge.svg)](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/fitlock-earn-your-screen-time/id6452840905)