Honest comparison · Reviewed June 23, 2026 # ScreenFine vs Foqos Foqos is a free, open-source, privacy-first app blocker that locks apps behind an NFC tag or QR code tap, with no subscription. ScreenFine charges $1 per week and hard-blocks your target apps when you cross your daily total, unlocking only after 25 verified pushups, 1,000 steps, or 10 mindful minutes. Foqos is free physical friction. ScreenFine is a paid consequence with accountability. [See the table](#table) [Get ScreenFine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screenfine-screen-time-limit/id6760267071) ## Is ScreenFine a good Foqos alternative? Shopping for a Foqos alternative? Here is the honest, no-spin head-to-head. Foqos: A free, open-source iPhone app blocker that locks apps behind the tap of an NFC tag or the scan of a QR code. Timer sessions, Live Activities, and habit tracking, all on-device with no subscription. 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 Foqos Feature ScreenFine Foqos Cost $1/week (~$52/yr) Free (NFC tags ~$1) Open source On GitHub Unblock requires effort 25 pushups / 1,000 steps, verified Tap a tag or scan a QR code Total-device daily cap The whole point Manual + timer sessions AI personality / roast notification Six villains Public accountability Wall of Shame + partner mode Live Activities / lock screen status Works without any hardware App only QR code instead of a tag Privacy (no cloud, no tracking) Account-based Fully on-device Best for People who want a paid consequence People who want free, private, tap-to-block Last fact-checked June 23, 2026. [See Foqos for yourself](https://www.foqos.app/). Where ScreenFine wins - ### A consequence, not just a switch Foqos turns blocking on and off with a tap. The tap costs nothing once the tag or QR code is in front of you. ScreenFine's lock costs 25 verified pushups or 1,000 steps per overage block. The barrier is effort you actually spend, which is harder to game in a weak moment than a scan you control. - ### A daily ceiling, automatically Foqos blocks during manual or timer sessions you start. ScreenFine enforces one number for your whole day across every app, no session to remember to start. The consequence scales with how far over you actually go. - ### Accountability and personality Foqos is a quiet, private tool. ScreenFine adds an AI villain roast on every slip plus a Wall of Shame and partner mode. If you need outside eyes and a memorable nudge rather than a silent switch, that layer is the reason to pay. - ### No setup ritual to keep up Foqos depends on you tapping a tag or scanning a QR code to start and stop. ScreenFine runs in the background and acts the moment you cross your limit. There is nothing to initiate, so there is nothing to skip on a bad day. Where Foqos wins - ### Completely free Foqos is 100 percent free with no subscription and no in-app purchases. NFC tags cost about a dollar, or you can use a printed QR code for nothing. ScreenFine is $1 per week. If price is the deciding factor, Foqos is unbeatable. - ### Open source and private Foqos is open source on GitHub with no tracking, no ads, and no cloud sync. You can verify the privacy claims yourself. ScreenFine is account-based and closed source. If on-device privacy is a hard requirement, Foqos wins. - ### Flexible block triggers Foqos supports manual, NFC, QR, and timer-based locking in various combinations, plus Live Activities on the lock screen. ScreenFine is built around a single daily cap. If you want to mix and match how blocking starts, Foqos is more flexible. - ### No payment method needed Foqos asks for nothing up front. ScreenFine requires a payment method after the 7-day trial, because the fine does not work without one. For a no-commitment try, Foqos is the easier start. ## Pick ScreenFine if - + A free tap-to-block tool has not actually changed your habits. - + You want a consequence you have to work off, not a switch you control. - + You want a daily total cap that runs without you starting a session. - + You want accountability and personality, not a silent blocker. ## Pick Foqos if - + You want a free, no-subscription tool above all else. - + Open source and full on-device privacy are requirements for you. - + You like tap-to-block and will reliably start your own sessions. - + You do not want a fine or a payment method on file. via schemas[]) --> Common questions ## About ScreenFine vs Foqos ### Is ScreenFine worth paying for when Foqos is free? Only if the free approach has failed for you. Foqos is excellent and costs nothing, but tap-to-block relies on you starting sessions and not tapping yourself back in. ScreenFine adds a consequence with no override and a daily cap that runs automatically. You pay for the strictness and the accountability, not the blocking itself. ### Is ScreenFine open source like Foqos? No. Foqos is open source on GitHub and fully on-device. ScreenFine is account-based and closed source. If verifiable, on-device privacy is essential to you, Foqos is the better fit. ### Can I use Foqos and ScreenFine together? Yes. Foqos for tap-to-block during deep-focus windows plus ScreenFine for the daily cap and the consequence is a reasonable stack. Both use Apple's Screen Time API and run independently. ### Which is stricter? ScreenFine. Foqos is as strict as you choose, because you control the tap that unlocks. ScreenFine's lock has no tap to unlock. You complete the verified exercise or you let the slip stand publicly. ## Compare ScreenFine with other tools - [See the full Brick comparison](/compare/vs/brick/) - [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/) - [Foqos alternatives roundup](/alternatives/foqos/) ## 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-screen-time-limit/id6760267071) [See all comparisons](/compare/)