An Opal alternative for people who'd rather earn their screen time
Hey y'all. I make HonorFit, so I'm not neutral here. I've tried to be fair anyway, because if Opal is the right app for you, I'd rather you just go use Opal.
The short version: Opal is a polished focus app built around sessions and schedules. HonorFit is a much smaller app built around one idea. Your distracting apps stay locked until you do some pushups (or situps, squats or pull-ups) to earn time back. They solve different problems, so it's worth knowing which one you have.
What Opal does well
- Focus sessions. Start a timed session, even from a widget, and the apps you picked stay blocked until it ends.
- Schedules. You can set work hours, sleep and other routines so blocking turns on by itself.
- App limits. Daily limits on specific apps.
- Deep Focus. A paid mode where, in Opal's words, you “can't bypass or cancel” a block once it starts. If you need a real wall, that's a big deal.
- Reports. Screen time stats, a score, and milestones you can share with friends.
It's on iPhone and Android (the Android app came out in 2025), it uses Apple's Screen Time on iPhone, and it's an Editors' Choice on the App Store. It's free to download, and the stricter features, like Deep Focus, sit behind a paid subscription. Prices vary by country and change often, so check the store.
Where HonorFit is different
Opal mostly decides when you're allowed to use an app. HonorFit asks what you did to earn it. You pick the apps to block, and they stay locked until you log reps on a wheel. By default, one pushup earns one minute, a pull-up a minute and a half, and a situp or squat 30 seconds. It all goes into one balance that only counts down while a blocked app is actually on screen.
- No camera, no AI. It runs on the honor system. You say how many you did and it believes you. (I built it this way because the camera pushup apps had me propping my phone up to film myself doing pushups at a gas station, lol.)
- No account, no analytics. Everything stays on your phone. On iPhone, Apple doesn't even tell HonorFit which apps you picked.
- No schedules. There's no “block 9 to 5”. If schedules are the main thing you want, Opal (or your phone's built-in Downtime) is better at that.
- No subscription required. The free version does the main thing but caps your banked time at 20 minutes. Pro is $3.00 a month or $19.99 once.
Side by side
| Opal | HonorFit | |
|---|---|---|
| Main idea | Focus sessions, schedules and limits | Earn screen time with exercise |
| How you get back in | The session or schedule ends | Log reps to earn minutes |
| Can't-cancel mode | Yes, Deep Focus (paid) | No, it's honor system |
| Schedules | Yes | No |
| Stats | Screen time reports, score, milestones | Reps, workouts, time earned, weekly history |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android | iPhone, Android |
| Pricing model | Free + paid subscription | Free; Pro monthly or one-time |
Who should pick which
Pick Opal if you want schedules, focus sessions for work or study, detailed reports, or a strict mode you really can't get out of. It's a well-made app and lots of people love it.
Pick HonorFit if you don't need your phone walled off, you just want it to cost something. Like, you'd rather do 15 pushups for 15 minutes of Instagram than be told no. It's also a fit if you'd rather not give an app a camera, an account or a subscription.
Maybe neither, if you mostly want a bedtime cutoff. Your phone's built-in tools do that for free. I compared them honestly in HonorFit vs. Screen Time.
FAQ
What is a good alternative to Opal?
It depends on what you liked about Opal. For a free pause before distracting apps, look at ScreenZen or one sec. For a physical on/off switch, there's Brick. If you'd rather earn screen time by exercising, there's HonorFit (honor system, no camera) or Pushscroll (counts reps with the camera).
Is there a free alternative to Opal?
ScreenZen describes itself as free and donation-supported, and one sec is free for one app. HonorFit is free too, with a 20-minute cap on banked time. Pro is optional, at $3.00 a month or $19.99 once.
Does HonorFit have focus sessions or schedules like Opal?
No. HonorFit works with a balance you earn by logging reps, not a timetable. Pro adds a daily baseline (a set amount of free time each morning) and an optional reset at midnight, but there's no schedule-based blocking.
Can I use Opal and HonorFit together on iPhone?
Probably not at the same time. Both use Apple's Screen Time, and iOS currently only lets one app hold Screen Time access at a time. To switch, turn the other app off in Settings › Screen Time › Apps with Screen Time Access. HonorFit walks you through it if it hits that error.
Can I cheat HonorFit?
Yes. It takes your word for your reps. If you know you'd cheat, a stricter tool like Opal's Deep Focus or a camera-based pushup app is probably a better fit for you.
HonorFit Blocker locks the apps you choose until you earn time back with pushups, situps, squats or pull-ups. Free on iPhone and Android. Honor system: no camera, no AI, and nothing leaves your phone.