Bloom vs Unpluq

Bloom

• People who keep dismissing software-only screen time limits
• Keeping social apps locked at work or in the bedroom by leaving the card elsewhere
• Parents who want a physical key to the apps on a child's phone
• Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription

Unpluq

• People who want a physical step between themselves and social apps
• Locking a set of apps during work hours, evenings or weekends
• Parents setting app limits on a child's iPhone or Android phone

Bloom

• There is no free plan: the app is a free download, but the site sells its features as part of a card purchase from $39.
• Without the card, apps unlock only through Emergency Exits: three to begin with, plus one more each month.
• Phone only for now: the FAQ says MacBook and iPad versions are still in development. The iPhone app needs iOS 17.6 or later.
• Blocking of adult content, in-app purchases and app installs is listed as iOS only.

Unpluq

• The free version stops at 2 blocked apps, 1 schedule and 2 barrier types.
• The Unpluq Tag only works with a Premium subscription, so the hardware price comes on top of one.
• Website blocking works only on iPhone and only in Safari; the FAQ says Android cannot block websites yet.
• Phone only: the App Store listing is iPhone-only, there is no desktop app, and the web store sets prices by country.

Bloom

Tap to lock and unlock

Pick the distracting apps and websites in the app, then tap the phone to the card to start a focus session. They stay locked until the card is tapped again. The card has no battery to charge.

Schedules and breaks

Focus periods can be scheduled to start and stop automatically, and 5-minute breaks allow limited access, with settings for how often and how long breaks run.

Emergency Exits

All apps can be unblocked without the card up to three times, and the FAQ says one more Emergency Exit is added every month.

Strict Mode

By default, deleting Bloom unblocks everything. Strict Mode is an optional setting that prevents apps from being deleted while a focus session is running.

Website and content blocking

Websites can be blocked as well as apps. On iOS, blocking an app also blocks its website in Safari, and adult content, in-app purchases and app installs can be blocked too.

Child Mode

Parents can lock a child's apps and websites so that only the parent's card changes the settings. It prevents app deletion, turns off Emergency Exits and locks schedules.

Unpluq

Scheduled app blocking

Pick the apps to block and the hours they stay locked, such as work time, evenings or weekends. Premium allows unlimited schedules, each with its own set of up to 49 apps.

Distraction barriers

Opening a blocked app means completing a task first: shaking the phone, tapping a pattern of buttons, scrolling, scanning a QR code or a random pick. Android adds a walking barrier.

Unpluq Tag

A keychain-sized NFC fob that unlocks blocked apps when tapped against the phone. It needs Premium and works with iPhone 8 or later and Android phones that have NFC.

Screen time statistics

The app shows screen time stats so you can follow your progress, and the subscription page mentions tracking the time you have saved.

Emergency Mode

Once a day, Emergency Mode opens full access for 5 minutes so schedules can be changed without the Tag. It can be switched off entirely.

Unpluq Family

A parental-control edition: the parent chooses which apps a child can open and when, and keeps the Tag that unlocks the restricted ones. Lite covers up to 3 phones.

Bloom

• Bloom Card$39

  one-time purchase per card

  One stainless steel NFC keycard with lifetime access to every feature of the iPhone and Android apps. Sold with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Bloom Pod$59

  one-time purchase

  A magnetic pod for a desk, nightstand or fridge that locks apps with a tap of the phone, listed at $59 on its own product page.

• Bloom Set$59

  one-time purchase, 1 Pod + 1 Card

  One Bloom Pod and one Bloom Card together, shown at $59 with $98 crossed out and labelled as a 40% saving.

Unpluq

• Unpluq Free$0

  Blocks 2 apps on 1 schedule, with 2 barriers to choose from: tapping buttons or shaking the phone.

• Premium Monthly$6.99

  per month, US App Store in-app purchase

  Unlimited blocked apps (up to 49 per schedule), unlimited schedules, every barrier type and Tag support. One subscription covers one phone and one tablet.

• Unpluq Tag$26.50

  one-time purchase, hardware only (US web store)

  The NFC key fob on its own, for people who already subscribe. It only works with Unpluq Premium.

• Premium Subscription (web store)$29

  per 3 months, prepaid on unpluq.com (US web store)

  Prepaid Premium by activation code: $29 for 3 months, $42 for 6 or $76 for 12 without a Tag; $29, $46 or $81 with a Tag. The homepage calls the 3-month term a summer offer.

• Premium Yearly$59.99

  per year, US App Store in-app purchase

  The same Premium features billed once a year through the App Store. Google Play lists its in-app items at $6.99 to $59.99.

• Unpluq Family$79.95

  per year for Lite, up to 3 phones (US web store)

  One Tag plus a 1-year Family subscription that renews automatically. Full, at $99.95, covers unlimited phones.

Bloom

• Other savings

  25% off two cards, 35% off three

  The Buy Now page prices 2 Cards at $59 instead of $78 and 3 Cards at $75 instead of $117, and adds free shipping on the three-card bundle.

• Education

  20% discount for college students

  Bloom's student discount page says its founders, two UCLA students, give all college students 20% off, claimed through a link on that page.

Unpluq

• Annual discount

  Yearly Premium costs about 28% less than monthly

  The US App Store lists Unpluq Premium Yearly at $59.99 against Premium Monthly at $6.99, which comes to $83.88 over twelve months.

• Education

  40% off for university and college students

  Non-dependent students at accredited universities and colleges get 40% off the Unpluq Tag with a 6 or 12 month subscription after emailing proof of enrollment.

• Other savings

  30% off for military service members

  Unpluq's FAQ offers 30% off to active or former military service members who send proof of their veteran or active duty status to its support team.