Honest comparison · Reviewed May 10, 2026 # ScreenFine vs Brick Brick is a $50 physical NFC tile you tap to unlock your chosen apps. ScreenFine is a $1/week iOS app that locks your target apps when you exceed your daily limit, requiring 25 verified pushups (or chosen redemption) to unlock. Both are hard commitment devices for users whose soft tools have failed. The difference is the cost type: Brick adds physical-tap friction (you must be near the tile), ScreenFine adds verified-effort friction (you must complete the exercise). [See the table](#table) [Get ScreenFine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screenfine/id6760267071) ## Is ScreenFine a good Brick alternative? Shopping for a Brick alternative? Here is the honest, no-spin head-to-head. Brick: A physical NFC tile that locks chosen apps on your iPhone until you tap the tile to unlock. Hardware-based digital minimalism. ScreenFine takes a different approach to the same problem. The comparison table below, and the where-each-wins breakdown after it, show exactly where each tool pulls ahead and who should switch. Side by side ## ScreenFine vs Brick Feature ScreenFine Brick Pricing model $1/week, no in-app feature unlocks (subscription only) $50 device + free app Hardware required NFC tile Spatial dependency Works wherever your phone is Need tile to unlock Hard-block consequence on overage 25 pushups / 15-min over NFC tap required Block strength Pause anytime Apps unusable without tap Per-app granularity Pro tier Daily financial risk Subscription only Behavioural redemption 1-week window Travel-friendly Tile must be available Public accountability Wall of Shame AI personalised consequence Six villain personas iOS only Last fact-checked May 10, 2026. [See Brick for yourself](https://www.getbrick.app/). Where ScreenFine wins - ### No spatial dependency Brick requires the tile to be physically present to unlock. Travelling, working away from home, or losing the tile all break the system. ScreenFine works wherever your phone works. - ### Verified-effort cost Brick adds friction (tap to unlock). ScreenFine adds a verified-exercise cost (25 pushups, 1,000 steps, or 10 mindful minutes). Both work; the exercise cost compounds into a fitness benefit. - ### Behavioural redemption Brick has no recovery path. You either tap or you do not. ScreenFine's 1-week redemption window means a slip-up has a healthy-behaviour clearing path (steps, workout, mindful minutes). - ### Continuous tracking + reporting Brick blocks apps but does not give you data on actual phone use. ScreenFine surfaces daily totals, weekly cost trends, and per-app breakdowns. Where Brick wins - ### Hardware tangibility A physical tile is more visceral than a software lock. For users who respond to physical objects in their environment, Brick's tile is more decisive than software-only enforcement. - ### One-time cost Brick is $50 once. ScreenFine is $1/week ongoing plus app locks. Total cost over 2+ years: Brick wins for users with bounded discipline budgets. - ### Hardware tangibility A physical tile sitting on your desk is a different reminder system than a software setting. The visible object reinforces the commitment. - ### No financial risk For users who genuinely cannot afford app locks, Brick is the safer hard commitment device. The cost is the device, not the failure. ## Pick ScreenFine if - + You travel often and a stationary tile would not work - + You want a daily cap on the worst case (Brick has no financial floor) - + You want a behavioural redemption path for slip-ups - + You want public accountability via Wall of Shame or partner mode - + Your problem is total daily time, not specifically the tap-into-app reflex ## Pick Brick if - + Your problem is specifically the reflexive app-open before any deliberate decision - + You want a one-time hardware cost rather than ongoing subscription + app locks - + You cannot afford app locks and need a fixed-cost option - + You like the physical-object reminder system - + You can keep the tile reliably available where you live and work via schemas[]) --> Common questions ## About ScreenFine vs Brick ### Can I use Brick and ScreenFine together? Yes. Brick blocks specific apps until tap; ScreenFine locks your chosen apps on total daily phone-time overages until you complete verified exercise. They are complementary. Brick interrupts the reflex, ScreenFine penalises the duration. Some users layer both. ### Does Brick work without the tile? Limited. Brick has a "remote unlock" feature for emergencies but requires a 5-minute waiting period. Travelling without the tile is workable but degrades the strength of the system. ### Which is more effective for screen-time addiction? Depends on the failure mode. If you reflexively open Instagram without thinking, Brick's lock-until-tap is stronger. If you keep going past your daily limit even when you know you should stop, ScreenFine's verified-exercise cost is stronger. Most users have both failure modes. ### Is Brick a one-time purchase? Yes. $50 device, no subscription. The companion app is free. ScreenFine is $1/week subscription plus app locks. ### What happens if I lose the Brick tile? Replacement is around $25. In the meantime you can use the remote unlock feature with the 5-minute waiting period or pause via the app. ## Compare ScreenFine with other tools - [See the full Freedom comparison](/compare/vs/freedom/) - [See the full Cold Turkey comparison](/compare/vs/cold-turkey/) - [See the full Opal comparison](/compare/vs/opal/) - [See the full Apple Screen Time comparison](/compare/vs/apple-screen-time/) - [See the full One Sec comparison](/compare/vs/one-sec/) - [See the full ScreenZen comparison](/compare/vs/screenzen/) ## Related reading - [Commitment devices: the mechanism behind verified-exercise locks](/guides/commitment-devices/) - [How to reduce screen time: a 5-step plan](/guides/how-to-reduce-screen-time/) - [How the fine jar works](/features/fine-jar/) - [AI villain: the consequence delivery layer](/features/ai-villain/) - [Screen Time Cost Index 2026 (data report)](/data/screen-time-cost-index-2026/) - [Brick alternatives roundup](/alternatives/brick/) ## Ready to put real exercise on the line? $1 per week via Apple IAP. 25 pushups per 15-minute overage block. No variable charges. [Get ScreenFine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screenfine/id6760267071) [See all comparisons](/compare/)