Opal Alternative: How Proov Compares for Deep Work on iOS

At a glance

Opal

www.opal.so

Pricing model

Freemium with Opal Pro subscription

Free tier

Limited blocking schedules

Starter price

~$7.99/month (Opal Pro)

Strengths

• Polished UI with strong brand
• Deep Focus mode uses Screen Time to block apps aggressively
• Scheduled sessions and recurring routines
• Large community and social features

Common complaints

• Subscription required to unlock most useful features
• Focused on blocking, not on tracking deep work as a practice
• No shareable proof-of-work output

Best for

• People who want help stopping phone overuse generally
• Recurring routines (morning blocks, work hours)
• Users who value a polished, brand-forward experience

Not ideal for

• Knowledge workers who want to quantify deep work hours
• People who respond to gamification and streaks
• Users who want a free core product with optional paid tier

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title: "Opal Alternative: How Proov Compares for Deep Work on iOS" description: "Opal is a strong iOS distraction blocker. Proov is built specifically for deep work sessions, tracks time, and gamifies the habit. Here is how they compare." slug: "opal" publishedAt: "2026-04-17" competitor: "Opal" competitorUrl: "https://www.opal.so" pricingModel: "Freemium with Opal Pro subscription" freeTier: "Limited blocking schedules" starterPrice: "~$7.99/month (Opal Pro)" strengths:

• "Polished UI with strong brand"
• "Deep Focus mode uses Screen Time to block apps aggressively"
• "Scheduled sessions and recurring routines"
• "Large community and social features" weaknesses:
• "Subscription required to unlock most useful features"
• "Focused on blocking, not on tracking deep work as a practice"
• "No shareable proof-of-work output" bestFor:
• "People who want help stopping phone overuse generally"
• "Recurring routines (morning blocks, work hours)"
• "Users who value a polished, brand-forward experience" notIdealFor:
• "Knowledge workers who want to quantify deep work hours"
• "People who respond to gamification and streaks"
• "Users who want a free core product with optional paid tier" keywords:
• "Opal alternative"
• "alternatives to Opal"
• "Opal vs Proov"
• "focus app iOS"

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TL;DR

Opal is a well-designed iOS distraction blocker with strong brand and social features, priced as a subscription. Proov is a focus tracker built for deep work, with a free core and a paid tier for advanced features. If you want to stop using your phone, Opal is excellent. If you want to measure and build a deep work habit, Proov is built for that.

Why People Look for an Alternative to Opal

Opal is a good product, but three things come up repeatedly in reviews:

1. Almost everything useful is paywalled. The free tier is a demo.
2. It is a blocker, not a tracker. You block apps. It does not tell you how many deep work hours you put in this week, or show a streak of focus sessions. Motivation comes from blocking, not from progress.
3. No shareable output. Opal does not give you anything to show for the sessions you completed.

How Proov Is Different

Proov is built around one specific practice: deep work sessions, tracked over time. Apple Screen Time blocks the same apps Opal blocks, but Proov also:

• Tracks every session (duration, type, streak)
• Shows the gap between the focus time you think you had and what you actually had
• Generates shareable cards at the end of a session, so deep work can become a visible practice instead of an invisible one
• Uses a free core with an optional subscription for advanced features, rather than gating basic functionality

Who Should Choose Opal

• You want to cut phone usage generally, not specifically track deep work
• You value brand polish and social features
• You are happy paying a subscription for a focused, well-designed tool

Who Should Choose Proov

• You do knowledge work and want to measure deep work hours
• You respond to streaks, personal records, and visible progress
• You want a free core product, with paid features if you want more
• You like the idea of "Strava for deep work"

Switching from Opal

There is nothing to migrate. Both apps use Apple Screen Time to block distracting apps. Your existing blocklist in Opal can be recreated in Proov in under two minutes.

Join the Proov waitlist → to get early access. The first 50 signups receive a lifetime free subscription.