# Brick alternatives in 2026

Brick is a $59 magnet you tap to lock and tap to unlock. The most effective answer, if you leave it in another room. Here is what to use instead, depending on why you are leaving.

*Source: https://phonestop.app/alternatives/brick · Last checked August 2026 · PhoneStop — A daily screen time budget that stops you. A free Android app.*

## Why people look for an alternative to Brick

Brick works. The objections are practical and financial.

- **It is $59** for something two free apps approximate.
- **The friction is only real if the puck is far away.** In your pocket, it is a two-second inconvenience.
- **It is all-or-nothing.** You are bricked or you are not; there is no notion of a budget or a sensible amount.
- **It is another object to lose**, and it needs an account and a phone new enough to run the app.

| App | Platforms | Price | At the limit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PhoneStop | Android | Free | A full-screen stop, a reset, then a one-tap lock |
| AppBlock | Android, iPhone | Usable free tier; premium by month, year or a one-time payment | Blocks the profile's apps and sites, and Strict Mode refuses to be turned off |
| Unpluq | Android and iPhone, with a physical key | Subscription, plus the key | Blocked apps need the physical key or a deliberate barrier to open |
| ScreenZen | iPhone, iPad, Android | Free, donation-supported | Shows a pause screen and can refuse the open once you pass your cap |
| Opal | iPhone and iPad (an Android build exists but trails the iOS app) | Free tier, subscription for the real features (around $100/year) | Blocks the apps in your session; Deep Focus makes the block hard to lift |
| Digital Wellbeing | Android (built in) | Free | The icon greys out and a Time's up screen appears — with a button to dismiss it for the day |

## The alternatives

### 1. PhoneStop

*Android · Free*

Free, no hardware. A budget that drains, warnings on the way down, and a full-screen stop with a one-tap lock at the end.

### 2. AppBlock

*Android, iPhone · Usable free tier; premium by month, year or a one-time payment*

The software version of being bricked: profiles plus a strict mode you cannot turn off in the moment.

[PhoneStop vs AppBlock](https://phonestop.app/vs/appblock)

### 3. Unpluq

*Android and iPhone, with a physical key · Subscription, plus the key*

The other hardware answer — a physical key, on a subscription, with a much more granular app model.

### 4. ScreenZen

*iPhone, iPad, Android · Free, donation-supported*

Free and soft: a pause screen instead of a disappearance.

[PhoneStop vs ScreenZen](https://phonestop.app/vs/screenzen)

### 5. Opal

*iPhone and iPad (an Android build exists but trails the iOS app) · Free tier, subscription for the real features (around $100/year)*

The paid iPhone software route, with Deep Focus as its version of the drawer.

[PhoneStop vs Opal](https://phonestop.app/vs/opal)

### 6. Digital Wellbeing

*Android (built in) · Free*

The free first step. If its dismissible timers are enough, you have saved $59.

[PhoneStop vs Digital Wellbeing](https://phonestop.app/vs/digital-wellbeing)

![The PhoneStop over-limit takeover screen.](https://phonestop.app/assets/takeover-dark-640.411574cd.webp)

*The full-screen stop, 57 minutes over budget*

![The PhoneStop home screen: one ring, draining as you use the phone.](https://phonestop.app/assets/home-dark-640.a10347c8.webp)

*1h 20m left of a 3h budget*

*Disclosure: we make PhoneStop. Prices and platforms were checked in August 2026 and change often — check the vendor before you pay.*

**PhoneStop** is a free Android app: set a daily screen time budget, get warned before it runs out, get stopped when it does. https://phonestop.app/

## Questions people ask

### Is there a cheaper alternative to Brick?

A blank NFC tag costs a few pounds and can trigger a focus mode through your phone's own automation app. It is fiddlier and less polished, and it is most of the effect for a fraction of the price.

### Do I need hardware to block apps properly?

No — you need an undo that is inconvenient. Hardware is one way to buy that. AppBlock's strict mode is another, and a budget that stops you is a third, softer one.

## Keep reading

- [PhoneStop vs Brick](https://phonestop.app/vs/brick)
- [Why blocking one app does not lower your screen time](https://phonestop.app/why-blocking-apps-does-not-work)
- [The best free screen time apps](https://phonestop.app/best/free-screen-time-apps)