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Phone first vs Mac first
Opal is built around the phone and also runs on Mac. Timecard is built only for the Mac, so it can read every browser tab, print the day from the notch and track AI coding.
ComparisonOpal app alternative for Mac · Checked October 2026
Timecard vs Opal
Opal is a screen time app for iPhone, Android and Mac with blocking rules, focus timers and a Hard Mode you can't turn off. Pro is $99.99 a year. Timecard is Mac only and one-time, and pairs daily limits with a full record of every app and website.
Timecard
Opal
- $5 once
- Price
- Free plan; Pro $99.99/year or $399 lifetime
- Not needed
- Account
- Required
- Mac
- Runs on
- iPhone, Android, Mac
01
The short answer
Choose Opal if
Best for: phone-first blocking with Hard Mode
- Your phone is the problem, and you want blocking there too.
- You want a Hard Mode you can't turn off.
- You want one app across phone and computer.
Choose Timecard if
Best for: seeing, and limiting, where your Mac day goes
- Your Mac is where the time goes.
- You want every website and app recorded, with history forever.
- You'd rather explain why you need more time than be locked out completely.
- You'd rather pay once than $99.99 a year.
02
Pricing, side by side
Timecard is a single payment. Opal is a subscription.
TimecardPay once$5once, for 1 Mac
1 Mac · $52 Macs · $105 Macs · $2510 Macs · $50
- No subscription, ever
- Every update included
- No account; your activity stays on your Mac
- 14-day refund
OpalSubscription or lifetime- Free1 rule, app blocking$0
- Pro$19.99 monthly$99.99/year
- Lifetime$399once
From Opal's own pages, October 2026.
Over three years
Opal's cheapest paid plan, billed yearly
Timecard$5
Opal$300
03
Feature by feature
 Timecard | Opal | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking | ||
| Tracks apps automatically | Yes | Opal Score; history on Pro |
| Tracks websites | Yes, in Safari, Chrome, Arc, Dia, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, Opera and Comet | Blocks websites |
| History | Forever, plus the weeks Screen Time already kept | On Pro |
| Privacy | ||
| Account | Not needed | Required |
| Where your data lives | On your Mac, in one local file | In your Opal account |
| Limits | ||
| Limits that block apps and sites | Yes: blocks the tab or covers the app, then asks why | Yes: rules, time limits, Hard Mode |
| Beyond tracking | ||
| AI coding usage | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, opencode, Gemini CLI: time, tokens, API value | No |
| Daily summary | A timecard printed from the notch every evening | Opal Score |
| Teams and client billing | No, it's built for one person | Teams Pro |
| Availability | ||
| Platforms | Mac, macOS 14 or later | iPhone, Android, Mac |
04
What really sets them apart
02
Hard Mode vs make your case
Opal's Hard Mode can't be turned off. Timecard's blocks hold too, but you can ask for time, and Apple Intelligence on your Mac decides based on your reason and the page.
03
Price
Opal Pro is $99.99 a year or $399 for life. Timecard is a one-time licence.
Timecard vs Opal
questions
What's the best Opal app alternative for Mac?
For most people on a Mac, Timecard: it tracks every app and website automatically, keeps the data on your Mac, blocks apps and sites when a daily limit runs out, tracks AI coding usage, and costs one payment with no account. Opal is still the better fit if your phone is the problem, and you want blocking there too.
Does Opal work on Mac?
Yes. Opal runs on iPhone, Android and Mac.
Can Timecard block apps on my iPhone?
No. Timecard runs on the Mac. It reads the limits you set in Screen Time on your iPhone, but blocking happens on the Mac.
Is there a cheaper Opal alternative for Mac?
Timecard is a one-time purchase for Mac with daily limits that block apps and websites, plus full tracking and AI coding usage.
Compare Timecard with
vs Screen Time
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Tvs Timing
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Rvs Rize
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Tvs Toggl Track
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vs WakaTime
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vs Freedom
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