What is the difference between Opal and DoomOff?

Opal blocks whole apps and sites during sessions you start or schedule. DoomOff doesn't lock the apps. It removes Shorts, Reels, For You pages, Explore grids and promoted posts inside YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Facebook and Reddit, and defaults feeds to chronological order.

How much does Opal cost compared to DoomOff?

Opal's US App Store listing shows $4.99 weekly, $19.99 monthly and $99.99 yearly. DoomOff costs $4.99 a year in the US, with a one-week free trial. Prices differ by country.

Does Opal collect data?

Opal's App Store privacy label lists purchases, contact info, user content, identifiers and usage data linked to the user, and identifiers that may be used for tracking. DoomOff collects nothing: no account, no analytics and no server.

Can Opal hide Reels or Shorts but keep Instagram or YouTube?

Opal's listing describes blocking apps, with no mention of hiding a single feature inside one. DoomOff's toggles are built for that, so you can keep YouTube and lose Shorts.

DoomOff vs Opal: App Blocking vs Removing the Algorithm

Opal blocks entire apps and websites during focus sessions and is listed at $99.99 a year on the US App Store, while DoomOff keeps seven social sites usable and removes their algorithmic features, such as Shorts, Reels and For You pages, for $4.99 a year in the US.

Opal and DoomOff are both paid iPhone apps for people who scroll more than they want to. They solve it in opposite ways. Opal shuts apps for a set window. DoomOff keeps the apps open and removes the parts built to hold you.

What Opal does

Opal's App Store listing describes screen time control, app limits, app blockers, real-time data, leaderboards and rewards.^[1] You choose apps and sites, then start a focus session or set a schedule. For the session, they are shut.

It has real strengths. A full block is the strongest commitment a phone app can make, and the rewards and leaderboards suit people who like a game around it.

What it costs

The US App Store listing shows a weekly plan at $4.99, monthly at $19.99 and yearly at $99.99. The privacy label lists purchases, email and contact info, user content, identifiers and usage data linked to the user, plus identifiers that may be used to track across other apps and websites.^[1]

What DoomOff does differently

DoomOff doesn't schedule a lockout. The sites stay open, and the pulling parts are gone:

YouTube: Shorts hidden, Subscriptions as home, no suggested list under a video.
Instagram: Reels, Explore, suggested posts and ads removed, Following feed on.
TikTok, X, Reddit: Following by default, ads and Explore removed where they exist.
LinkedIn and Facebook: promoted posts, Reels and Stories removed.

You can still block any of the seven outright, and give each a daily time limit. There is also a fifteen-minute unlock, once a day, for a 2FA code or a message you have to answer.

DoomOff collects nothing. There is no account, no analytics and no server.

Which one to use

Pick Opal if you want hard blocks on any app for set windows and you want scoring and rewards around it. Pick DoomOff if you want to keep using YouTube, Instagram or X and lose only the algorithm. DoomOff covers seven sites, and runs on iPhone and Android phones. It costs $4.99 a year in the US, with a one-week free trial.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Opal and DoomOff?: Opal blocks whole apps and sites during sessions you start or schedule. DoomOff doesn't lock the apps. It removes Shorts, Reels, For You pages, Explore grids and promoted posts inside YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Facebook and Reddit, and defaults feeds to chronological order.
How much does Opal cost compared to DoomOff?: Opal's US App Store listing shows $4.99 weekly, $19.99 monthly and $99.99 yearly. DoomOff costs $4.99 a year in the US, with a one-week free trial. Prices differ by country.
Does Opal collect data?: Opal's App Store privacy label lists purchases, contact info, user content, identifiers and usage data linked to the user, and identifiers that may be used for tracking. DoomOff collects nothing: no account, no analytics and no server.
Can Opal hide Reels or Shorts but keep Instagram or YouTube?: Opal's listing describes blocking apps, with no mention of hiding a single feature inside one. DoomOff's toggles are built for that, so you can keep YouTube and lose Shorts.