"Is Opal free?" is one of the most searched questions about the app, and the honest answer is more interesting than yes or no. Opal does have a permanent free plan, unlike most blockers that only offer a trial. But that plan is capped at a single rule, and the one feature that makes blocking actually stick sits behind the paywall. Here are the current numbers, taken from Opal's own pricing page.
The short answer
Yes, Opal has a free plan, and no, it will not hold you accountable. The free tier covers iOS, Android and Mac, and includes app blocking, basic timers and soundscapes, and your Opal Score for the current day. What it does not include is Hard Mode, the setting that makes a session difficult to cancel, and you are limited to one rule.
One rule means one schedule, one time limit, or one open limit. Not one per app. If your problem is Instagram in the morning and YouTube at night, the free plan makes you pick which of the two you care about.
What the free plan actually includes
- Platforms: iOS, Android and Mac.
- One rule, chosen from Schedule, Time Limits or Open Limits.
- App blocking and basic timers and soundscapes.
- Opal Score, but for the current day only.
The split is deliberate and worth naming. Measuring your usage is free. Being stopped is not. That is not unique to Opal, but Opal is unusually clear about it: the paid tier is literally called Hard Mode.
What Opal Pro costs in 2026
| Plan | Price | Works out at | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Permanent, 1 rule |
| Opal Pro, monthly | $19.99 / month | $19.99 / month | 3 days |
| Opal Pro, annual | $99.99 / year | $8.29 / month | 1 week |
| Opal Pro, lifetime | $399 once | One-off payment | None |
| Hopopop | €2.99 / month | €2.99 / month | 7 days |
Opal Pro also comes in a Teams plan priced on request, and students can apply for up to 50 percent off. Prices are set in US dollars; your App Store or Play Store will charge the local equivalent.
If you still see $9.99 a month quoted for Opal, that figure is out of date. The monthly plan is now $19.99.
The trial detail almost nobody notices
The two paid plans do not come with the same trial. The annual plan gives you a full week. The monthly plan gives you three days.
Read that again, because the incentive runs backwards from what you would expect. The cautious move, picking monthly so you can bail after 30 days, actually gives you less than half the time to evaluate the app. And three days is not enough to test a blocker honestly, because you have to reach a genuinely bad evening to know whether it holds.
The practical consequence: most people who want to try Opal properly end up on the annual trial, and the annual trial converts to $99.99 in one charge.
The arithmetic before you choose
- Monthly for a year: $19.99 x 12 = $239.88. Almost never the right choice.
- Annual: $99.99, saving $139.89 against monthly.
- Lifetime at $399: pays for itself after four years on the annual plan. That is a long bet on both the company and on still needing a blocker in 2030.
The lifetime plan is the one worth thinking hardest about. A screen time app is a tool you hope to outgrow. Paying $399 for permanent access is a wager that you will not.
How to cancel Opal, and how to get a refund
Cancel in the store you subscribed through, not inside Opal. Opal states in its own help pages that cancellations and refunds are handled by the store directly.
On iPhone:
- Open Settings.
- Tap your name at the top.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Select Opal, then Cancel Subscription.
On Android:
- Open the Play Store.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Payments and subscriptions, then Subscriptions.
- Select Opal and cancel.
You keep access until the end of the period you already paid for. Deleting the app removes the blocker and keeps the billing, which is the most expensive mistake people make here.
For a refund: App Store purchases go through reportaproblem.apple.com. Play Store purchases go through your Google Play order history. Both are decided case by case, and an annual renewal you did not intend, reported within a few days, is one of the more commonly accepted reasons. Be factual about what happened.
Is Opal Pro worth $99.99 a year?
It comes down to one question: does the block survive your worst moment? We went into this in our full Opal review. The short version is that Opal's design, onboarding and analytics are genuinely excellent, and Hard Mode is the feature that decides whether the subscription earns its price.
So run this test during the trial. Wait until you are actually tempted, late, tired, bored, and try to get into a blocked app. If you get in without friction, paying $99.99 will not change that. You will have bought the cost without the behaviour change, which is the worst available outcome.
Cheaper ways to get the same result
- Free and already installed: iOS Screen Time and Android Digital Wellbeing cost nothing. Both include a pause option, which makes them awareness tools rather than blockers. Start here if you have never measured your usage.
- Cheaper paid blockers: AppBlock and StayFree both sit well under Opal on Android. See our Android blocker ranking and the iPhone equivalent.
- A different unlock mechanic: Hopopop is €2.99 a month, roughly a third of Opal's annual rate, and replaces the timer with a cost at the moment of opening. There is no pause button to tap in a weak moment, because getting in means solving something first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Opal free?
Opal has a genuinely free plan, but it is limited to one rule. The free tier covers iOS, Android and Mac, and includes app blocking, basic timers and soundscapes, and your Opal Score for the current day only. Hard Mode, unlimited rules and score history all require Opal Pro.
How much does the Opal app cost in 2026?
Opal Pro costs $19.99 per month, or $99.99 per year which works out at $8.29 per month. There is also a one-off lifetime plan at $399. Students can apply for up to 50 percent off. Prices are set in US dollars and your store charges the local equivalent.
How long is the Opal free trial?
It depends which plan you pick. The annual plan comes with a one week free trial, while the monthly plan gives you only three days. Choosing monthly to 'try it properly' actually gives you less time to evaluate the app.
How do I cancel my Opal subscription?
Cancel through whichever store you subscribed in, not inside Opal. On iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, select Opal and tap Cancel Subscription. On Android, open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Payments and subscriptions, then Subscriptions. Deleting the app does not stop the billing.
Can you get a refund for Opal?
Refunds are handled by Apple or Google rather than by Opal, and Opal says so directly in its own help pages. For an App Store purchase, go to reportaproblem.apple.com. For a Play Store purchase, request the refund through your Google Play order history.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Opal Pro?
Yes. At $99.99 a year, Opal Pro is one of the most expensive blockers available. Hopopop is €2.99 a month with a 7 day trial, and AppBlock and StayFree both sit well below Opal on Android. iOS Screen Time and Android Digital Wellbeing are free, but both include a pause button that makes them awareness tools rather than blockers.
€2.99 a month, and no pause button.
Hopopop makes you earn each unlock instead of trusting you to resist one. 7 day free trial, iOS and Android.