Comparison
Opal vs one sec vs ScreenZen vs Sorry Scroll
Opal blocks apps on a schedule (free for 1 rule, Pro $99.99 a year), one sec makes you pause and is the only one with a peer-reviewed study (free for 1 app), and ScreenZen makes you wait and is free. Sorry Scroll (sorryscroll.com) asks for 30 seconds toward a goal instead: two words of a language or a quick move, free for 1 app.
How we compared
Every fact comes from each app's own App Store page, Google Play page or website, checked on 23 October 2026. Where an app doesn't say something, the table says not stated instead of guessing. We make Sorry Scroll, so it's listed with the same columns as the others.
| Sorry Scroll | Opal | one sec | ScreenZen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When you open a blocked app | A 30-second step toward your goal | Blocked until the session ends | A short pause, then go in or close | A wait, which can grow each time |
| What you get out of it | Words of a language or active minutes | Time away from the app | A moment to decide | A moment to decide |
| Free plan | 1 app, everything included | 1 rule | 1 app | Everything (tips optional) |
| Paid | $39.99/yr, $4.99/wk | $99.99/yr, $19.99/mo, $399 lifetime | $19.99/yr, $6.99/mo, $99.99 lifetime | None |
| Strict option | No: 3 skips a day, by design | Hard Mode (Pro): can't end a session early | Full blocks on a schedule | Optional block after limits |
| Reels-only blocking | No | Not stated | Android only | Android only |
| Published research | None yet | None we know of | PNAS 2023: 57% fewer opens after 6 weeks | None we know of |
| App Store rating | No ratings yet | 4.7 (90,205) | 4.8 (23,739) | 4.9 (52,188) |
Why Sorry Scroll
Opal, one sec and ScreenZen all try to get you to scroll less. Sorry Scroll assumes you'll still scroll, and makes each open pay. The interruption is the same moment one sec's study measured, but instead of an empty wait you learn two words of a language or do a 30-second move, then the app stays open for 15 to 60 minutes. The opens you skip shrink the habit; the ones you pay for add up to 500 words or 500 active minutes.
More: one sec alternatives · best app blocker for iPhone · for Android.
Questions
Opal vs one sec: which is better?
They do different jobs. Opal keeps apps closed on schedules, with a Hard Mode you can't end early. one sec puts a short pause in front of each open, and has a study behind it. If you want the open to pay for something, Sorry Scroll replaces the pause with two words or a quick move.
ScreenZen vs one sec?
Both pause you before an app opens. ScreenZen is free for every app; one sec is free for one and has a peer-reviewed study. On Android, both can block just Reels and Shorts.
Which is cheapest?
ScreenZen is free. Sorry Scroll and one sec are free for one app. Opal's Pro is $99.99 a year.