Is Brick Worth It? 5 Brick Alternatives Without Hardware

If you want what Brick does without buying and carrying a device, there are app-only options, and one of them is free. LockPact is a free iOS app where a partner, not a gadget, holds the key. This guide covers five app-only Brick alternatives, what each costs, and the honest answer to the only question that matters: who can turn it off?

Is Brick worth it?

Brick is worth it if you’ll reliably keep the device within reach and want a physical off-switch. It’s $59 once with no subscription, according to its site, and works with iPhones on iOS 18 or later. It’s a poor fit if you travel, forget it, or need a lock another person controls. The alternatives below serve those people.

What does the Brick app and device do?

Brick is a physical device that blocks apps on your phone. You pick the apps in its app, tap your phone against the device to start a session, and tap it again to end one. It comes with five Emergency Unbricks that unblock all apps if you lose the device, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. We checked all of this on getbrick.com on October 15, 2026.

Who is Brick good for?

People who want the off-switch to be somewhere they have to walk to. That friction is real, and a software toggle can’t match it. If you keep it by the front door or on a desk and you want to stop yourself on impulse, Brick does that job well, and the price is a one-off, not a yearly charge.

Who should look elsewhere?

If you forget it at home, the lock goes with it. If you travel, you either carry it or go without. If you lose it, you’re down to the five emergency unbricks. And if the real problem is that you override your own rules, a device you control still has you holding the key. None of this is a knock on Brick. It’s a reason some people want an alternative.

What are the hardware options: Brick, Bloom and Unpluq?

Brick, Bloom and Unpluq are the three hardware locks people compare. Bloom is the cheapest at $39 for the card, Brick is $59 once, and Unpluq needs a subscription on top of its $26.50 tag. All three start a lock when you tap your phone to a physical object. They differ in price, in emergency exits and in how they handle the day you don’t have the object.

Prices are from each company’s own store on October 16, 2026. For a head-to-head on the two most-compared, see Brick vs. Bloom.

What happens when you forget the puck?

You use an emergency exit and then you run out. Brick lists five Emergency Unbricks and Bloom lists three, plus one a month. Unpluq’s home page doesn’t say, so check its FAQ before you buy. When the exits are gone and the device is at home, the lock has nothing to end it with, which is the single situation hardware locks handle worst.

That’s the design trade-off. A physical object gives you real friction on a normal day and no good answer on a bad one: travel, a lost key, a forgotten bag. App-only locks flip it. They’re always with you, but the off-switch is a software setting. Choose by which failure you can live with.

Why look for a Brick alternative with no hardware?

People leave the device question for the same four reasons. They forget it at home, so the lock goes with it. They travel and it doesn’t. They lose it, and then rely on the emergency unbricks. Or they don’t want to pay $59 for something they’re not sure they’ll keep using.

Those are good reasons. The catch is that giving up the hardware means giving up the physical barrier, and every app on this list has to replace it with something else. The something else is what separates them.

Which app-only Brick alternatives are there?

Here are five, with the honest off-switch for each. Prices are from each app’s App Store listing or pricing page, checked October 15, 2026.

1. LockPact: the partner is the brick

LockPact puts another person where Brick puts a device. You and a partner each choose apps to lock on your own phones, and neither of you can unlock without the other approving. If either of you bypasses it in Settings, which Apple’s design always allows, the other person is told right away.

That’s the part a drawer can’t do: your partner doesn’t get left at home, and asking them for a favor costs something a tap doesn’t. It needs a second person who’s willing, and it’s free to use; the only optional purchases are Support LockPact and Willpower Waivers ($1.99–$9.99), which skip the short video before an unlock request. If you’d rather start solo, LockPact has a solo mode with timers, and you can add a partner when you’re ready. Get LockPact on the App Store.

2. Opal: the polished solo option

Opal is the best-designed solo blocker here, with scheduled sessions and a free plan limited to one rule. Pro adds unlimited rules and a stricter mode for $99.99 a year (opalapp.com/pricing). Its off-switch is still you, since you can revoke its access in Settings; the exception is a partner who holds your Screen Time passcode. We compare it in detail in Opal vs. LockPact.

3. AppBlock: granular rules

AppBlock has the most knobs: schedules, location rules, timers and Strict Mode. Premium is $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year on its App Store listing. Strict Mode protects its own in-app toggle but not Apple’s Settings route, so it raises the bar without closing the door. See AppBlock vs. LockPact.

4. Clearspace: a task before the app opens

Clearspace’s signature is making you do something before an app opens, such as pushups, and it offers accountability partners who are notified when you go over budget. That’s visibility, not approval: they can see it happened but can’t stand between you and the app. Premium is $44.99 a year. Our Clearspace review goes through the details.

5. one sec: the pause

one sec adds a deliberate delay and a question before an app opens. It’s the cheapest option here, with free essentials and Pro at $19.99 a year, and it’s honest about being for people who already want to change. It doesn’t lock anything; you can walk straight through the pause. We compare it with LockPact in one sec vs. LockPact.

How do these compare to Brick on strength?

Honestly: none of them match a physical device for friction, and any app that claims otherwise is overselling. An iPhone owner can always turn off an app’s Screen Time access in Settings, and Apple gives apps no way to stop that. What an app can do is make leaving slower, louder or someone else’s decision.

That sorts the five into four kinds of friction: a delay (one sec), a task (Clearspace), a stricter mode you control (Opal, AppBlock), and a second person (LockPact). Brick is a fifth kind: a place you have to go. Choose by which kind you’d actually respect at 11pm.

How does the cost compare over three years?

Hardware is cheaper than most paid blockers over three years, and free is cheaper than both. Brick is a one-time $59 and Bloom is $39. Among the app-only options with a paid tier, the annual prices on their App Store listings add up quickly. LockPact is free to use, though its optional Support LockPact and Willpower Waiver purchases would add to that if you chose them.

Subscriptions can be cancelled and prices change, so treat this as the cost of staying on a plan, not a quote. Unpluq is left out because its price depends on the subscription length you choose.

Where does LockPact fit if you’re replacing Brick?

If your reason for buying Brick was “I need the off-switch to be somewhere other than my thumb,” the closest app-only answer is a person. Your partner is the brick you can’t leave in a drawer: they’re reachable when you travel, there’s nothing to lose, and the cost of asking is social, not a gadget fee.

It won’t suit everyone. If you’d rather not involve anyone, Brick or a strict solo mode is the better fit, and we’d say so. If you can name one person you trust, LockPact is free and takes a few minutes to set up. To go deeper on app-only options generally, read apps that let a friend control your screen time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free alternative to Brick?

Yes. LockPact is free to use and needs no hardware: a partner holds the unlock key instead of a device. Opal and Clearspace also have free tiers, but their off-switch is still you, from Settings.

Do any Brick alternatives work without a physical device?

Yes. Every app here is app-only: LockPact, Opal, AppBlock, Clearspace and one sec. The difference is who can turn the block off, not whether hardware is involved.

How much does Brick cost?

Brick lists the device at $59, with no subscription and a 30-day money-back guarantee, on getbrick.com as of October 15, 2026. It comes with five Emergency Unbricks that unblock all apps.

Is an app as strong as Brick?

Not as a physical barrier. An iPhone owner can always revoke Screen Time access in Settings. An app can make that slower, louder, or someone else's decision, but never impossible.