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Gloom Scroller vs Opal.
How we differ. What we share. Where they win.
Gloom Scroller and Opal are both iOS apps that limit social media use, but Opal blocks selected apps via an MDM configuration profile during scheduled sessions, while Gloom Scroller requires 60 seconds of movement and a fingertip pulse check to unlock blocked apps.
Opal is built around hard MDM-profile session blocks. We're built around a movement-verified interrupt before app open. Different bets on the same problem.
Side by side
| Gloom Scroller | Opal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $1.99/wk · $4.99/mo · $24.99/yr | $9.99/mo · $59.99/yr · lifetime removed in 2024 |
| Free tier | 1 blocked app, all exercises, full pulse check, streak tracking | 1 session, basic blocking |
| Core mechanic | 60-second movement interrupt + camera-based fingertip pulse check | MDM-profile session blocking |
| Platform | iOS only | iOS only |
| Hardware required | phone (rear camera + flashlight) | device + iOS configuration profile |
| Privacy posture | heart-rate data stays on-device; no cloud HR | configuration profile (admin-level access) |
Pricing accurate as of May 2026.
What Opal does
Opal centers on session-based hard blocking via an iOS configuration profile. Users schedule “focus sessions” — typical use cases include recurring distraction windows like the 3pm slump or the post-dinner scroll. The MDM configuration profile means the block can't be bypassed without removing the profile entirely; Apple's built-in Screen Time alone doesn't enforce that strictly.
Opal also runs a polished gamification layer (the Gem reward system) and an analytics dashboard, both more developed than ours. The product's stance is strict-enforcement — it actively prevents override rather than nudging.
What we do differently
Gloom Scroller doesn't lock users out — it inserts a 60-second movement break before each app open and reads a fingertip pulse from the camera to confirm the user actually moved. The transaction is small. The friction is real but earnable. Read how the pulse check works if the camera-PPG mechanic is unfamiliar.
Heart-rate verification is a different bar than session timing — a 60-second movement break completes in less time than an Opal focus session takes to release. Our annual price sits well under half of Opal's annual. The interrupt-not-punishment model is intentionally lighter than the MDM-profile route.
Last updated .