Foqos vs Unpluq

Foqos

• iPhone users who want a free alternative to hardware app blockers
• Tying a block to a tag or printed code kept in another room
• People who want a blocker with no account, ads or tracking

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

Foqos

• The App Store lists it as iPhone only, needing iOS 17.6 or later. The site says it is made for iPhone and points Android users to other apps.
• Foqos for Mac is a companion, not a standalone blocker: it blocks websites synced from iPhone profiles and needs macOS 14 or later and the same iCloud account.
• NFC strategies need an iPhone with NFC and tags you buy yourself; QR codes and the manual and timer strategies need no hardware.
• The App Store listing shows optional tip purchases of $1.99, $4.99 and $9.99, although the site's FAQ says there are no in-app purchases.

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.

Foqos

App and website blocking

Profiles for work, study or bedtime each block a chosen set of apps, app categories and website domains through Apple's Screen Time APIs. Adult content and app installs can be blocked too.

NFC tags and QR codes

Tap a standard NFC tag such as an NTAG213, or scan a QR code or barcode, to start or stop a session. A profile can be set so that only an approved tag or code will stop it.

Twelve blocking strategies

The README lists twelve strategies that combine manual, NFC, QR, timer, pause-timer and temporary-access rules, for example starting in the app but stopping only with a tag.

Breaks and temporary access

A profile can carry a break allowance that is split across several breaks, a short pause before blocking resumes, or a set number of brief opens that do not end the session.

Siri, Shortcuts and widgets

Sessions respond to Siri phrases and iOS Shortcuts actions, widgets (Control Center ones included) give quicker profile control, and a Live Activity shows status on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.

Foqos for Mac

A companion app for macOS 14 or later takes a profile's blocked websites from the iPhone through iCloud and blocks them on the Mac during focus sessions.

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.

Foqos

• Foqos$0

  The full iPhone app and the Mac companion: app and website blocking, NFC and QR strategies, timers, breaks, widgets and insights.

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.

Foqos

No public discounts listed.

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.