PushPass
The Best Brick Alternatives in 2026 (No Extra Hardware Needed)
- Brick works because the switch is physical. You tap a real object to unblock, so you cannot cave with a thumb.
- You can get most of that friction without the $59 tag. A few apps add a hard gate using software alone.
- Free and app-only options exist. Foqos uses any NFC sticker, ScreenZen and AppBlock add strict blocking at no cost.
- Or make the gate your body. An exercise-to-unlock app like PushPass asks for reps instead of a tag, on iPhone and Android.
Brick is a clever bit of kit: a small tile you tap your phone against to switch blocking on, and tap again to switch it off, so the only way back into your apps is to physically go find the thing. That physical step is the whole reason it works. But it also costs about $59, you have to carry it, and if you leave it at home you are either fully locked out or fully unlocked depending on how you set it up. So the real question most people are asking is simple: can I get that same hard-to-cave friction without buying the hardware? Yes, and here are the Brick alternatives worth trying first.
Is there a free alternative to Brick?
Yes, and the closest one is Foqos. It uses the same trick as Brick, a tap on an NFC tag to start and stop a block, except you use any cheap NFC sticker you already have or can buy for pocket change, and the app itself is free. You lose Brick's polished hardware and its guided setup, but you keep the core idea: unblocking takes a physical tap, not a willpower battle. If "I just do not want to pay $59 for a magnet" is your reason for looking, Foqos is the first thing to try.
Do you actually need hardware to block apps like Brick?
No. The hardware is one way to create friction, but it is not the only way, and for a lot of people it is not even the best one. The job Brick does is make the unblock step cost something. Software can do that too, with a strict mode you cannot cancel early, or with a gate that asks for an action. The table below lines up the main Brick alternatives by how they create that cost and what, if anything, you have to buy.
| App | How it creates friction | Hardware? | Platforms | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brick | Tap a physical tile to block or unblock | Yes, the tile | iOS, Android | About $59 once, no subscription |
 Foqos | Tap any NFC sticker to block or unblock | Your own cheap tag | iOS, Android | Free app |
 Unpluq | Tap a tag, shake, or tap 7 buttons | Yes, the tag | iOS, Android | Tag plus a subscription |
 PushPass | Do push-ups, squats or sit-ups to unlock | No | iOS, Android | Free daily allowance, then Pro |
 AppBlock | Strict Mode blocks you cannot quickly undo | No | Android, iOS, browser | Free, then about $30/yr |
 Opal | Locked "no early exit" focus sessions | No | iOS (Android limited) | Free, Pro about $100/yr |
 ScreenZen | Blackout windows and growing delays | No | iOS, Android | Free |
Foqos vs Brick: which should you pick?
Pick Foqos if you want the exact Brick experience for free and do not mind a rougher setup. Pick Brick if you want a polished, guided product and the tag design matters to you. They work the same way at heart, a physical NFC tap to flip blocking, so the difference is really hardware quality and price versus do-it-yourself and free. One honest caveat on both: Brick's own "reduced screen time" numbers come from its own customer surveys, so treat them as marketing, not independent proof.
What is the best Brick alternative for Android?
On Android you have more real choice than Brick buyers might expect, which is handy because several polished blockers are iPhone-only. Foqos works on Android for the NFC-tap approach. AppBlock is the deepest Android strict blocker, with profiles and an allowlist. ScreenZen adds blackout windows for free. And if you want the friction to be an action rather than a tag, PushPass runs on Android and asks for a few push-ups, squats or sit-ups before an app opens. Any of these gives you a hard gate without ordering hardware and waiting for shipping.
Can an app be as hard to bypass as Brick?
Close, as long as you understand what "hard to bypass" really means. Nothing stops you uninstalling a blocker, Brick included, so no option here is a perfect wall. What Brick does well is raise the cost of the quick give-in, and software can match that in two ways: a strict mode with no early exit, so caving means waiting out a timer or digging through settings, or an action gate, so caving means doing the reps anyway. The one thing a tag does that software cannot is physically separate you from the switch, so if that specific friction is what keeps you honest, a tag (Brick or Foqos) is worth it. If the friction you need is "make giving in annoying or useful," an app does that without the hardware.
Trade the tap for a rep, not a promise
PushPass locks Instagram, TikTok, or whatever's eating your day until you knock out a few push-ups, squats or sit-ups, counted live by your camera, no manual logging. It's free to start with a daily allowance built in, on both iOS and Android.
How to choose your Brick alternative
- Want Brick for free? Foqos with any NFC sticker is the closest match.
- Want no hardware at all? A strict blocker (AppBlock, Opal) or an earn-your-time app (PushPass) gives you a hard gate using software only.
- On Android? Foqos, AppBlock, ScreenZen and PushPass all work; skip the iPhone-only picks.
- Want the block to do something good? PushPass turns the unblock step into a few reps instead of a tap or a tag.
- Fine with hardware and a subscription for extra barriers? Unpluq adds shake and multi-tap gates on top of a tag.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Brick?
Yes. Foqos does the same NFC-tap blocking as Brick but uses any cheap NFC sticker and the app is free. For a no-hardware route, ScreenZen is free, and PushPass has a free daily allowance before its exercise gate starts.
Do you need to buy hardware to block apps like Brick?
No. The hardware just creates friction, and software can do that too. Strict blockers like AppBlock and Opal use locked sessions, and exercise-to-unlock apps like PushPass make you do reps, both without any tag to buy.
What is the best Brick alternative for Android?
Foqos for the NFC-tap approach, AppBlock for deep strict blocking, ScreenZen for free blackout windows, or PushPass if you want the gate to be a short workout. All four run on Android, unlike several iPhone-only blockers.
Foqos vs Brick, which is better?
They work the same way. Foqos is free and uses your own NFC sticker but has a rougher setup. Brick is a polished paid product with its own tag. If budget is the issue, Foqos wins; if you want a finished product, Brick does.
Can an app be as hard to bypass as Brick?
Almost. No blocker is impossible to remove, Brick included, so the goal is raising the cost of giving in. A strict mode with no early exit, or an exercise gate you have to complete, gets close to Brick's friction without a physical tag. The one thing hardware adds is physically separating you from the unblock switch.
Sources
- Brick, Brick product page and pricing
- Business Insider, The analog phone movement (2026)
- Ludden et al., Self-Nudge App One Sec, PNAS (2023)