Independent reviews of screen-time, app-blocking, and focus software for people not ready to swap phones. Each review covers how hard it is to override mid-session, what it costs, and who actually sticks with it past the first week. Research-based recommendations for anyone building a phone-free habit with the phone they already have.
See best screen-time & focus appsBlocks apps and sites on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chromebook, and Linux at the same time, with a Locked Mode that's genuinely hard to cheat once it's turned on. Scheduled sessions aren't fully reliable, according to independent reviews — worth checking in rather than trusting them blindly.
| Product | Review | Mechanism | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom | Read review | app | Free plan available; Premium $39.99/year (7-day free trial); Freedom Forever lifetime $199 one-time | Buy |
| Opal | Read review | app | Free tier available; Pro is $99.99/year, $19.99/month, or $399 lifetime | Buy |
| One Sec | Read review | app | Free for one app; Pro ~€3.99/month or ~€14.99/year (roughly $16/year), lifetime ~€99.99 — pricing shown may vary by region/currency | Buy |
Blocks apps and sites across every device you own at once, with a genuinely hard-to-cheat Locked Mode — if you turn it on, and if the session actually starts on schedule.
A polished screen-time app whose real product — a session you genuinely can't cancel — sits behind the $99.99/year paywall.
Inserts a short breathing pause before a chosen app opens, then lets you decide — friction instead of a wall.