Drill Sergeant App

Free App Blockers With No Subscription (iPhone and Android)

By Fred Smith, maker of Drill Sergeant / Updated / 7 min read

The short answer

Truly free, no subscription and no ads: ScreenZen (iPhone and Android) and Foqos (iPhone), which only sell optional tips, and StayFree on Android, which sells nothing at all. Free with a limit: one sec (one app), Opal, Regain and Freedom (free plans). Free and already on your phone: Screen Time on iPhone and Digital Wellbeing on Android.

“Is it free?” is the first thing people ask about any app blocker, and the honest answer is usually “free to download.” Most blockers make you pay to block more than one app, to remove ads or to make the block hard to undo. We went through the store listings and the developers' pricing pages on 28 October 2026 and sorted the blockers you can really use without paying from the ones that are free in name only.

Free app blockers, compared

AppPhonesWhat's freeThe catch
ScreenZen[1]iPhone, AndroidEverythingNone; optional tips
Foqos[3]iPhoneEverythingNone; optional tips. Best with an NFC tag
StayFree[4]Android (and computers)Everything; no adsNone we found
Regain[5]iPhone, AndroidFocus timer, app blocking, statsExtra strict options are Pro
one sec[6]iPhone, AndroidThe pause, for one appMore apps need Pro
Opal[7]iPhone, AndroidA free planThe best features are Pro
Freedom[8]All devicesA free planPremium adds more; 7-day Premium trial
Push Up Time[11]AndroidPush-ups to unlockAds
Stay Focused, BlockSite[12][13]AndroidBlockingAds; Premium for more
Lock Me Out[14]AndroidA limited number of lockoutsUnlimited needs Premium
Screen Time[9]iPhoneBuilt inEasy to override unless someone else sets the passcode
Digital Wellbeing[10]AndroidBuilt inTimers are easy to delete without a PIN

Best free app blocker for iPhone: ScreenZen

ScreenZen is free on the App Store, and the only things it sells are tips from $5 to $40[1]. It's rated 4.9 from more than 52,000 ratings. Instead of a wall, it puts a short pause in front of the apps you choose, lets you in for short bursts and can block an app once you reach your daily limit. If you've tried Opal, it feels familiar, and it's on Android too[2].

Best free hard block for iPhone: Foqos

Foqos blocks your chosen apps until you tap an NFC tag or scan a QR code, so the off switch lives somewhere else, like a sticker on your fridge. It's free, rated 4.9, and its in-app purchases are optional tips from $1.99[3]. It's iPhone-only; on Android, see the tap-to-block alternatives.

Best free app blocker for Android: StayFree

StayFree has over ten million installs, 281,000 ratings averaging 4.5, no ads and no in-app purchases listed on Google Play[4]. It shows exactly where your time goes, blocks an app once you go over your limit, and has a focus mode you can schedule. The same company makes desktop versions, so your limits can cover your computer as well. For the paid Android blockers too, see the best app blockers for Android.

Free, with a limit

  • one sec is completely free for one app of your choice, which is enough if one app is the problem[6]. More apps need one sec Pro. Alternatives: one sec alternatives.
  • Regain says its core app, including the focus timer and app blocking, is free; Pro adds themes and extra strict-blocking options[5].
  • Opal has a free plan, with Pro on top[7]. More in Opal alternatives.
  • Freedom has a free plan, and a Premium plan you can try free for seven days[8].
  • Push Up Time on Android makes you do push-ups before your apps open and is free with ads[11].

Free is good. Free and switched on is better. Set it up before you put the phone down.

The free blocker already on your phone

iPhone: Screen Time

On iOS 27, go to Settings, Screen Time, Time Allowances to give categories like Social Media a daily budget, and Screen Time Schedule to decide when in the day they're available[9]. Apps you need in an emergency go under Always Allowed. Then set a Screen Time passcode, and if you keep overriding it, let someone else choose the code.

Android: Digital Wellbeing

Settings, Digital Wellbeing, App timers puts a daily limit on an app; when it runs out, the app closes until midnight. Focus mode pauses the apps you pick, and Set a schedule turns it on by itself. An App limits PIN stops you from deleting a timer on a whim[10]. Step by step for both phones: how to block apps at certain times.

Why free blockers often stop working

The free blockers above are good tools. The trouble is that the person who wants to scroll at 11 pm is also the person holding the phone, and most free blocks come down with one tap. Three things make any of them stick:

  1. Put the off switch somewhere else: a passcode someone else knows, or an NFC tag in another room.
  2. Block the browser too: otherwise Instagram and TikTok are a search away.
  3. Make unlocking cost something: a pause, a walk or a set of push-ups. That's the idea behind apps that make you do push-ups for screen time, including Drill Sergeant, which we make. If you need the block to hold no matter what, read is there an app blocker you can't turn off?

How we checked

We read each app's App Store or Google Play listing on 28 October 2026, including the list of in-app purchases, and the free plans on the developers' own pricing pages. “Free” here means you can block apps without paying, not just download. Plans change; the store listing is always the final word.

Questions people ask

Is there a completely free app blocker with no subscription?

Yes. ScreenZen (iPhone and Android) and Foqos (iPhone) only sell optional tips, StayFree on Android has no in-app purchases at all, and Screen Time on iPhone and Digital Wellbeing on Android are built in and free.

What is the best free app blocker for iPhone?

ScreenZen, for most people: it's free, rated 4.9 from over 52,000 ratings, and puts a pause and a daily limit in front of as many apps as you like. If you want a hard block you switch on with a tap, Foqos is free too.

What is the best free app blocker for Android?

StayFree: no ads, no in-app purchases, limits and scheduled focus mode, 4.5 stars from 281,000 ratings. ScreenZen and the free core of Regain are close behind.

What's the catch with free app blockers?

Usually one of three: a limit on how many apps you can block (one sec's free version covers one app), ads (Stay Focused, BlockSite, Push Up Time), or a block that is easy to switch off. Tip-funded apps like ScreenZen and Foqos have none of these.

Is Opal free?

Opal has a free plan, and its paid Pro plan adds more. On the US App Store Opal describes itself as a free app, with Pro sold as a subscription inside it.

Can I block apps for free without downloading anything?

Yes. On iPhone, use Time Allowances and a Screen Time Schedule in Settings, Screen Time, and set a Screen Time passcode. On Android, use App timers and Focus mode in Settings, Digital Wellbeing, with an App limits PIN.

Sources

  1. ScreenZen- Screen Time Control, US App Store listing, in-app purchases are tips only (checked 28 October 2026).
  2. ScreenZen・Screen Time Control, Google Play listing (checked 28 October 2026).
  3. Foqos - Tap to Block, US App Store listing, in-app purchases are tips only (checked 28 October 2026).
  4. StayFree - Screen Time, Google Play listing (checked 28 October 2026).
  5. Regain. "Is Regain free?", regainapp.ai.
  6. one sec | screen time + focus, US App Store listing (checked 28 October 2026).
  7. Opal. Pricing.
  8. Freedom. Plans & Pricing.
  9. Apple. Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances in Screen Time on iPhone.
  10. Google. Manage how you spend time on your Android phone with Digital Wellbeing.
  11. Push Up Time: AI App Blocker, Google Play listing (checked 28 October 2026).
  12. Stay Focused: Site/App Blocker, Google Play listing (checked 28 October 2026).
  13. BlockSite: Block Apps & Sites, Google Play listing (checked 28 October 2026).
  14. Lock Me Out - App/Site Blocker, Google Play listing (checked 28 October 2026).

Report for duty.

On iPhone and Android.

Google PlayApp Store

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