The Opal Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Opal in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Opal
The Insider’s Guide
Screen time app that blocks distracting apps on phone and Mac
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among focus apps, read from Opal’s own pages.
Made by Opal OS Corporation · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05After you payGetting your money back, getting out, and getting help
- 06The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 07Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Opal’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Opal’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 41 of the 65 other focus apps we grade
Opal is a screen time app that blocks chosen apps on a phone or Mac. Blocking rules can follow a schedule, a daily time limit or a limit on how often an app is opened, and a focus timer blocks distractions for a fixed period. A daily Opal Score combines sleep, focus and rest signals into one number.
To get you started, here are 10 things to know about Opal, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Pick the apps, pick a rule, and the blocking happens on its own from then on.
- 1
Best for blocking phone apps by rule, with no way out
Free gives you a single rule, the Mac app still lacks limits and sync, and there's no Windows version.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8.29 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $8.29 / month, billed annually ($99.99).
- 3
There is a free plan
App blocking on iOS, Android and Mac with 1 rule (schedule, time limit or open limit), basic timers and soundscapes, and the Opal Score for today only.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
macOS, iOS and Android.
- 5
Focus Rules
Rules block chosen apps automatically on a schedule, after a time limit or after a set number of opens. The free plan allows 1 rule and Pro removes the cap.
- 6
Focus Timer
Pick what to work on, set a duration and stay locked in until the timer runs out. Advanced timers and soundscapes are part of Pro.
- 7
Hard Mode
A Pro setting under which Opal cannot be turned off while a block is active.
- 8
Refunds: 30 days
Buy Opal on its website and the terms say a refund asked for within 30 days is usually accommodated, which is a real window even if 'usually' is doing some work. Buy it in the App Store or Play Store, as most people do, and Opal says plainly it cannot refund you at all: that is Apple's or Google's call and its support team cannot step in.
- 9
A 2.8 GPA, above 41 of 65
That is against the other focus apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 10
Keep it
Nothing Opal does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 4 things listed below take a company.
Opal at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $8.29 / month, billed annually ($99.99)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Free week on the yearly Pro plan; 3 free days on the monthly Pro plan
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Opal OS Corporation
- Category
- Focus Apps
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 89,171 ratings
The report card
Best for blocking phone apps by rule, with no way out
Opal blocks phone apps on a schedule, after a time limit, or once you've opened them too many times, and Hard Mode can't be switched off mid-block. It's one of the dearer blockers: Pro is $99.99 a year, $19.99 monthly or $399 once. Free gives you a single rule, the Mac app still lacks limits and sync, and there's no Windows version.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro is $8.29 a month billed annually, which is $99.99 a year and right at the top of what this category charges. The other ways in are worse: $19.99 a month, or $399 once. Hard Mode and unlimited rules are Pro, so the strict stuff is the paid stuff. Students can apply for half off. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free for good, with app blocking on iPhone, Android and Mac plus basic timers and soundscapes. The caps come quickly: 1 rule, and the Opal Score for today only. Pro has a free week yearly, 3 days monthly. |
| Features | B | Rules that block apps on a schedule, after a time limit or after so many opens, a focus timer, soundscapes, a Hard Mode you can't switch off mid-block, and a daily score from sleep, focus and rest. The Mac side is behind: app limits and sync with the iPhone are listed as still to come. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.7 from about 89,000 App Store ratings. Pick the apps, pick a rule, and the blocking happens on its own from then on. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | iPhone, Android and Mac, so phone and computer are covered. No Windows, Linux or web version, the iOS app is listed for iPhone only, and nothing it connects to. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Opal is for
- Fits if you want distracting apps blocked by rule, without having to remember
- Works for students, who can apply for half-price yearly Pro
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $19.99 against $99.99 for the whole year, or $399 once
- Tight if you're staying free, because you get 1 rule, today's score only and no Hard Mode or Allow Only
- Skip it if you work on Windows, as there's no Windows, Linux or web version
- Not for you if the Mac is your main screen, since app limits and iPhone sync are still to come there
- Watch out: the iOS app is listed for iPhone only, and Teams Pro pricing isn't published
Good to know
Good for
- Phone users who want distracting apps blocked automatically by rule
- People who want a block that cannot be switched off once it starts
- Students, who can apply for half-price yearly Pro
Worth knowing
- The free plan allows 1 rule and shows the Opal Score for the current day only.
- Hard Mode, Allow Only, unlimited rules and score history all require Pro.
- No Windows, Linux or web version is listed, and the App Store lists the iOS app for iPhone only.
- Opal's Mac page lists app limits and sync with the iPhone app as still to come on Mac.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8.29
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Opal has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8.29 / month, billed annually ($99.99).
Hard Mode and unlimited rules are Pro, so the strict stuff is the paid stuff.
Free
$0
App blocking with 1 rule, basic timers and soundscapes, and the Opal Score for the current day.
Opal Pro (yearly)
$8.29
per month, billed annually ($99.99)
Unlimited rules, Hard Mode, Allow Only, advanced timers and soundscapes, and Opal Score history.
Opal Pro (monthly)
$19.99
per month, billed monthly
The same Pro features paid month to month; the pricing page puts the cost at $239 over a year.
Opal Pro (lifetime)
$399
one-time purchase
Pro features for a single payment with no subscription.
Opal Teams Pro
Custom
Everything in Opal Pro with a single invoice, advanced support and training, and an account manager.
The free plan
App blocking on iOS, Android and Mac with 1 rule (schedule, time limit or open limit), basic timers and soundscapes, and the Opal Score for today only.
Trying it first
Free week on the yearly Pro plan; 3 free days on the monthly Pro plan
Read from opalapp.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Yearly billing costs about 58% less than monthly
Opal Pro is $99.99 billed annually ($8.29 a month) against $19.99 billed monthly, which the pricing page totals at $239 a year.
Stated on opalapp.comEducation
Student discount: 50% off Opal Pro
Students can apply for 50% off the yearly Opal Pro plan, shown as $49.99 billed annually ($4.19 a month).
Stated on opalapp.comLifetime license
Lifetime Opal Pro for a one-time payment
The pricing page lists a lifetime Opal Pro option at $399, paid once.
Stated on opalapp.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Yearly Plan”, against $99.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | ₹ 1,149 | $11.88 | 88% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 1,810.00 | $28.81 | 71% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 519ribu | $29.03 | 71% less |
| Brazil | R$ 199,90 | $39.94 | 60% less |
| South Africa | R1,499.99 | $90.73 | 9% less |
| Australia | $129.99 | $90.75 | 9% less |
| Germany | 99,99 € | $112.05 | 12% more |
| United Kingdom | £99.99 | $132.19 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: macOS, iOS and Android
Screen time app that blocks distracting apps on phone and Mac. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, site & app blocker, focus music.
The Mac side is behind: app limits and sync with the iPhone are listed as still to come.
- Focus Rules
- Rules block chosen apps automatically on a schedule, after a time limit or after a set number of opens. The free plan allows 1 rule and Pro removes the cap.
- Focus Timer
- Pick what to work on, set a duration and stay locked in until the timer runs out. Advanced timers and soundscapes are part of Pro.
- Hard Mode
- A Pro setting under which Opal cannot be turned off while a block is active.
- Opal Score
- A single daily score built from sleep, focus and rest signals. Free accounts see today's score; the history needs Pro.
- Mac app
- Sessions block distracting websites and apps on macOS 13 or later, with the same Normal, Timeout and Deep Focus levels as the iOS app.
- Opal for Schools
- A separate school program in which administrators block set apps during school hours and follow usage on a dashboard.
Where it runs
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Opal is made by Opal OS Corporation.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
41/65
Other focus apps it is graded above
Opal's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 41 of the 65 other focus apps we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 45 of 65) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 5).
Its paid plans start at $8.29 a month, against a middle price of $2.82 for the category: 36 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 66 focus apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Opal’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 8 of 65
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 65
- BFeaturesAbove 48 of 65
- AEase of useAbove 45 of 65
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 39 of 65
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 56 focus apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Opal is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Nothing Opal does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 4 things listed below take a company.
It costs $99.48 a year.
What you could not
- Blocking that reaches every browser and app and is hard to switch off.
- A library of sound you would have to license.
- Apps for macOS, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Opal’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Refunds
After you pay
Getting your money back, getting out, and getting help
What happens once you have paid: whether you can get your money back, how to leave, and how to reach a person when something goes wrong. Each is graded from Opal’s own terms and help pages.
Refunds and cancelling
Good · checked Oct 18, 2026
Buy Opal on its website and the terms say a refund asked for within 30 days is usually accommodated, which is a real window even if 'usually' is doing some work. Buy it in the App Store or Play Store, as most people do, and Opal says plainly it cannot refund you at all: that is Apple's or Google's call and its support team cannot step in. Cancelling is yours to do either way. A B, held back by the word 'usually' and by the store carve-out.
- Refund window
- 30 days
- How you cancel
- Yourself, in settings
- Getting your money back
For subscriptions bought on Opal's own website, the terms say Opal is usually able to accommodate a refund request made within 30 days of purchase, asked for by contacting support and only from the email used to buy. For App Store and Play Store purchases Opal says it cannot provide refunds, since it never sees the card, and that its support team cannot intervene if Apple or Google refuses.
Stated on opalapp.com- How to cancel Opal
A subscription bought on Opal's website is managed by Stripe and cancelled from the Stripe customer dashboard Opal links, using the exact email the subscription was bought with; the Mac app has a separate dashboard. A subscription bought in the app on iOS or Android is cancelled in the App Store or Google Play. Opal warns that uninstalling the app cancels nothing.
- Open the Opal app, go to Settings from the Profile tab and copy the email you subscribed with
- Open the Stripe customer dashboard Opal links from its cancellation article
- Enter that exact email and select Send
- Click the link in the email Stripe sends to verify
- In the Stripe dashboard, tap Cancel plan
- What you keep afterwards
Opal's cancellation and help pages do not say what happens to Pro features or your history once a subscription ends. The terms cover only deleting the account itself, saying that all social data is permanently deleted within 30 days and that removing a friend severs the connection immediately with server records deleted within 48 hours.
Stated on opalapp.com- Renewals
Opal says a free trial converts into a subscription and a subscription renews unless it is cancelled, and that you must cancel more than 24 hours before the trial converts or the plan renews to avoid an unwanted charge. Apple can take up to a day to process a cancellation. No reminder before a renewal is mentioned, and Opal warns that Stripe's cancellation emails may land in spam.
Stated on opalapp.com
In your favour
- Thirty days to ask for your money back if you bought on Opal's own website.
- Opal says its support team processes a website refund within two business days.
- You cancel it yourself, whether through the Stripe dashboard or through the app store.
- Opal spells out the cancellation route for each way of paying rather than leaving you to find it.
Watch out for
- Bought it in the App Store or Play Store? Opal says it cannot refund you and cannot intervene if the store says no.
- Even on the website the terms only say a refund is usually accommodated, which is not a guarantee.
- Refunds are only processed from the email address used to buy, which is awkward with Apple's Hide My Email.
- Uninstalling the app does not cancel anything, and Opal says so twice.
Customer support
Good · checked Oct 18, 2026
Support lives inside the iOS app: a chatbot takes the question first, and you can ask it for a person, with Opal stating that its human team aims to reply within two business days. There is a tidy help centre and a public community forum alongside it. It is a B rather than better because nothing is live, no hours are given anywhere, and the support chat is described only for the iOS version of the app.
Ways to get help
Live chat
A support chat reached from Settings inside the iOS app. Opal says a chatbot answers first and handles most common questions, and that you can ask for human assistance within the chat if the suggested steps do not help. Multiple tickets are merged into a single reply.
Stated on help.opalapp.comHelp centre
Opal's help centre, open to anyone, with articles grouped into getting started, troubleshooting and how Opal works, including ones on cancelling a subscription and contacting support. A separate centre covers versions of Opal from before 2026.
Stated on opalapp.comCommunity or forum
A public community forum where users introduce themselves, read Opal's news and post, upvote and comment on feature requests. Opal points feature suggestions there as well as to its support team.
Stated on community.opalapp.com
Not listed on Opal’s pages: phone, email, contact form or ticket.
- When people answer
Its pages do not say.
- How fast it says it replies
Opal says its human support team aims to reply within two business days, and that if you send several tickets they will be merged into one reply. The cancellation article adds that a refund requested from the support team is processed within two business days.
Stated on help.opalapp.com- What depends on your plan
Opal's support pages name no difference by plan: the same in-app chat, help centre and forum are described for everyone, free users included. No page mentions a priority queue or anything extra for Opal Pro or Opal Teams Pro.
Stated on help.opalapp.com
In your favour
- Opal states a reply target of two business days, which many apps this size never do.
- You can ask the chatbot for a person rather than being stuck with it.
- The help centre and the community forum are open to anyone, free users included.
- Send several tickets and Opal says it merges them into one reply instead of losing them.
Watch out for
- No page states support hours, so two business days is all you have to go on.
- The support chat is described only for the iOS version of the app.
- A chatbot goes first and you have to ask before a person is involved.
- There is no phone line and no published email route outside the in-app chat.
What these two grades rest on. Read on 18 October 2026: Opal's terms of use with its refund policy section, its help centre front page, its article on cancelling a subscription and getting a refund, its article on contacting support, and its community forum. Nobody here cancelled a plan or contacted its support. They are graded apart from the five that make the GPA. How we grade refunds and support.
Part 06 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Freedom, Forest, Cold Turkey Blocker and Session
The 4 tools Opal is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Freedom
Free plan · from $3.33/mo
Website and app blocker that runs across computers and phones.
- Only Freedom lists a Windows app.
- Only Freedom lists a browser extension.
- 3.0GPA
Forest
Free plan · from $5.99/mo
Focus timer that grows a virtual tree while you stay off apps.
- Only Opal lists a macOS app.
- Only Forest lists a browser extension.
- Opal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
Cold Turkey Blocker
Free plan · from $45 one-time
Website and app blocker for Windows and Mac with strict locks.
- Only Opal lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Cold Turkey Blocker lists a Windows app.
- Only Cold Turkey Blocker lists a browser extension.
- 2.2GPA
Session
Free plan · from $3.33/mo
Pomodoro focus timer with analytics for Mac, iPhone and iPad.
- Only Opal lists an Android app.
- Opal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Opal also covers focus music.
Part 07 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
19
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Opal free?
Opal has a free plan. App blocking on iOS, Android and Mac with 1 rule (schedule, time limit or open limit), basic timers and soundscapes, and the Opal Score for today only.
How much does Opal cost?
Opal lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Opal work on?
Opal is available on macOS, iOS and Android.
Does Opal offer any discounts?
Opal publicly lists the following: Yearly billing costs about 58% less than monthly; Student discount: 50% off Opal Pro; Lifetime Opal Pro for a one-time payment.
How is Opal rated?
Opal's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 89,171 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Opal have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Opal is listed for macOS, iOS and Android.
Does Opal have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Opal is listed for macOS, iOS and Android.
Is Opal open source?
Opal is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does Opal have a student discount?
Student discount: 50% off Opal Pro. Students can apply for 50% off the yearly Opal Pro plan, shown as $49.99 billed annually ($4.19 a month).
Does Opal have a free trial?
Yes. Free week on the yearly Pro plan; 3 free days on the monthly Pro plan.
Who makes Opal?
Opal is made by Opal OS Corporation.
What are the alternatives to Opal?
The closest alternatives to Opal in our directory are Freedom, Forest, Cold Turkey Blocker and Session.
Does Opal give refunds?
For subscriptions bought on Opal's own website, the terms say Opal is usually able to accommodate a refund request made within 30 days of purchase, asked for by contacting support and only from the email used to buy.
How do I cancel Opal?
A subscription bought on Opal's website is managed by Stripe and cancelled from the Stripe customer dashboard Opal links, using the exact email the subscription was bought with; the Mac app has a separate dashboard.
What happens to my data if I cancel Opal?
Opal's cancellation and help pages do not say what happens to Pro features or your history once a subscription ends.
How do I contact Opal support?
Opal's pages list these ways to get help: live chat, help centre and community or forum.
How does Opal compare with other focus apps?
Opal's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 41 of the 65 other focus apps we grade, and level with 9.
Is Opal good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Opal C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.29 a month, against a middle price of $2.82 for the category: 36 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Opal?
Nothing Opal does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 4 things listed below take a company.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Opal’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Opal's own pages on 4 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-28.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Opal OS Corporation. Prices change, so check opalapp.com before you buy.
Part 08 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Opal, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/opal
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Opal: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/opal
Know someone choosing between focus apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/opal/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded focus apps after Opal, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Focus Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 66 focus apps we grade, compared
- ScreenZen Insider's GuideFree app that delays and blocks distracting apps and sites3.6 GPA
- Flora Insider's GuideFree focus timer that grows trees, alone or with friends3.2 GPA
- Flow Insider's GuideMinimal Pomodoro timer for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Opal’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Opal is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Opal OS Corporation. Prices and plans change: check opalapp.com before you buy.