The mechanism table
Read left to right: what the app uses to block, what sets the block off, what you see instead of the feed, and whether the app itself says you can get past it. Where a vendor does not state something, the cell says so rather than guessing.
| App | How it blocks | What triggers it | What fills the pause | Bypassable by design | Free tier | Platform | Source, checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champ | Apple Screen Time API shield | You open an app you shielded | A 30-second reset — a breath cycle, an affirmation, a short meditation or your vision board | Yes, by design. The reset is a speed bump; continuing is a decision you make | Yes — three shielded apps, the reset and the wake/sleep dial | iPhone and iPad | Champ — screen time blocking, documented on this site |
| Opal | Apple Screen Time API — “We use Apple’s Screen Time API in order to monitor and block apps you use.” | A session you scheduled or started, or an app opened once its daily limit is reached | A block screen, then a waiting room before the app unblocks | Yes in the standard mode. Deep Focus is described as the maximum level of protection, which cannot be bypassed or cancelled | Yes — the pricing page lists a “Free, forever” plan | iPhone; the pricing page also lists Android and Mac | Opal — App Store listing and pricing page |
| one sec | Shortcuts automation rather than a shield — “one sec uses Shortcuts Automation to toggle a deep breath animation whenever you open one of the configured apps.” | You open an app you configured | A breathing animation, with optional journalling or reflection prompts | Yes by default — you continue after the breath. A stricter mode exists that stops the permissions being re-authorised | Yes — the listing states that using it with one app of your choice is completely free | iPhone, iPad and Mac; an Android build is listed separately | one sec — App Store listing |
| ScreenZen | Not stated — ScreenZen names no blocking framework on its App Store listing or on its own site | You open a chosen app, you pass a usage goal you set, or a schedule is running | A delay before the app opens, with a prompt asking whether you need it | Yes for the delay. The listing also describes a strict block for a time range, or after a set number of opens | Yes — a free download, with in-app purchases | iPhone, iPad and Mac | ScreenZen — App Store listing and screenzen.co |
| Forest | A timer rather than a shield. The listing describes “personalized Allow Lists to block distracting apps during focus sessions (iOS 16 or above)” and names no framework | A focus session you start yourself | A tree that grows while you stay out, and withers if you leave | Yes — nothing stops you leaving. The consequence is the tree, not a lock | Yes — a free download, with in-app purchases | iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision on the App Store; the vendor site also lists Android and a browser extension | Forest — App Store listing and forestapp.cc |
| Freedom | Both — “Apple’s built-in Screen Time controls to block apps on your device”, plus a device-local VPN profile built on Apple’s Network Extension framework for websites | A session you scheduled or started | A block screen for apps; blocked websites simply do not load | Yes by default. Locked Mode “prevents you from quitting a session early” | Yes — the pricing page lists a $0 plan beside the paid ones | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Android and Chromebook | Freedom — “How Freedom blocks apps and websites on iOS” and its pricing page |
| Jomo | Apple Screen Time API — “To access your screen time and block apps, Jomo uses the secure Screen Time API provided by Apple.” | You open a blocked app inside a window you set, or a routine is running | A block screen carrying your own message, and a short pause before a break can be requested | Yes by default, through earned time and break requests. Strict Mode is described as locking the rules for the days you set | Yes — a free download, with in-app purchases | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision | Jomo — App Store listing |
Every rival row was read off the vendor’s own pages on . Apps change constantly — if a row is out of date, tell us and it gets fixed rather than quietly left.
Sources
- Champ — screen time blocking, documented on this site
- Opal — App Store listing and pricing page
- one sec — App Store listing
- ScreenZen — App Store listing and screenzen.co
- Forest — App Store listing and forestapp.cc
- Freedom — “How Freedom blocks apps and websites on iOS” and its pricing page
- Jomo — App Store listing
Champ is one of the seven and the one that pays for this website, so treat the Champ row the way you would treat any vendor describing itself. Everything in it is checkable in the app, and the four comparison pages below each name a case for the other app.
Which of these is the better choice than Champ?
Four longer comparisons, each written to answer the “is there a better alternative” question honestly rather than to win it. Every one names where the other app is the right pick.
Champ vs Opal
Opal is built around scheduled focus sessions and detailed usage analytics. Champ is built around the individual moment you reach for an app — it interrupts that open, offers a 30-second reset, and rewards the choice in a garden. Pick Opal if you want structured blocks of protected time; pick Champ if your problem is the reflex rather than the calendar.
Champ vs one sec
one sec and Champ share the same core insight: a short forced pause before an app opens breaks the reflex. one sec keeps that pause minimal and focused. Champ makes the pause a 30-second reset you can choose the shape of, and attaches a reward system so the habit survives past week three.
Champ vs Forest
Forest is a focus timer: you start a session, a tree grows while you stay off your phone, and it dies if you leave. Champ is an interception app: it does not need you to start anything, because it fires when you open a shielded app. Forest needs your intention up front; Champ works on the days you forget to have one.
Champ vs ScreenZen
ScreenZen intercepts app opens and asks you to pause and state your intention, free and without a subscription. Champ intercepts the same moment but replaces the pause with a guided 30-second practice and a progress system. If price is the deciding factor, ScreenZen is genuinely hard to beat.
Freedom and Jomo appear in the table above but do not have a full page yet — they get one when there is something to say beyond the mechanism row.
Before you install anything
None of these apps is required to reduce screen time, and two of the most effective changes are free and take a minute. The app-blocking guides walk through Apple’s own Screen Time limits and the daily limits Instagram and TikTok already ship. The digital wellbeing guide covers why the weekly report changes nothing, and the self-care hub covers the part every blocker leaves out — what the gap gets filled with.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Screen Time shield and a VPN blocker?
Can any of these apps be bypassed?
Which screen time app is free?
Can I run two screen-time apps at once?
Champ’s free tier is enough to find out whether an interruption plus thirty seconds of something else is the shape that works for you.
Get Champ — free