Both use physical distance as friction, but Brick sells you the object and Foqos lets you supply it yourself, for free. The philosophy is the same; the cost and commitment are not.
Brick and Foqos both believe a physical object, placed with intention, creates friction a screen alone can't. Where they diverge is ownership and cost. Brick sells a specific $59 device required for every unlock. Foqos is free and open-source, built to work with NFC tags or QR codes you already have, or with no physical object at all through manual and timer activation.
This page compares the two products directly. For how Brick stacks up against Fella specifically, see Fella vs Brick, or read on for where Fella fits as a third, hardware-free option.
| What matters | Brick | Foqos |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Proprietary Brick device required, $59 one-time purchase | Free, open-source; works with any NFC tag or QR code you supply, or no hardware at all |
| App cost | Included in the $59 hardware purchase, lifetime access, no subscription | Free; only payment is a voluntary $1.99 developer tip |
| Activation methods | Tap your phone to the physical Brick | Manual, NFC-tag, QR-code, or timer activation |
| Session ending | Tap the Brick again to unbrick | Timer, a 'smart break,' or a second tap, depending on setup |
| Privacy | Account required | No account, no ads, no tracking; data stays on-device |
| Analytics | Focus Insights: average Brick time, session length, week/month/lifetime comparisons | No usage limits or analytics depth documented |
| Platforms | iOS and Android phones only; no desktop app | Uses Apple's Screen Time APIs for app and website blocking |
Both products lean on the same core idea: distance from a physical object changes behavior in a way a software toggle can't. Brick commits fully with a required proprietary device. Foqos offers the same philosophy as a free, flexible, bring-your-own-hardware system.
Brick's device is the entire product. There's no substitute and no alternative activation method, tapping the physical Brick is the only way to start or end a block, which is precisely the commitment some people want.
Foqos doesn't require you to buy anything from it at all. It's built to work with NFC tags or QR codes you already own or source separately, and it also supports manual and timer-based activation for people who don't want a physical object involved at every step.
That flexibility changes the cost equation entirely. Brick's $59 is fixed and required. Foqos can cost nothing beyond an optional tip, or the price of a generic NFC tag you buy yourself, often just a few dollars.
Brick's resistance is built into the requirement itself. Unbricking normally needs the physical Brick, full stop, with 5 Emergency Unbricks as a documented fallback if the device isn't available, resettable through a support form.
Foqos's resistance is entirely a function of where you place your own tag. A tag left on the desk offers weak resistance since it's always within reach. A tag left in another room creates real friction, the same principle as Brick, but entirely dependent on your own setup discipline rather than a built-in requirement.
Neither guarantees strictness on its own. Brick's requirement is fixed, but Foqos's manual and timer activation modes offer no physical friction at all if you choose to use them that way, an important distinction if strictness is the priority.
Choose Brick if you want a single, non-negotiable physical requirement. Its proprietary device removes the option to fall back to something easier, which is exactly the point for someone who's found alternatives too easy to skip.
Choose Foqos if you want the same philosophy for free, with more flexibility. Its open-source, no-account, no-tracking model and support for tags you already own make it a lower-cost, more adaptable starting point.
Consider Foqos's analytics gap if tracking matters to you. Brick's Focus Insights document average Brick time and session comparisons. Foqos's current documentation doesn't include equivalent analytics depth.
| At a glance | Fella | Brick / Foqos |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware required | No | Yes, proprietary (Brick); optional, bring-your-own (Foqos) |
| Core approach | Selected apps blocked by default | Physical unlock, device required (Brick) or optional (Foqos) |
| Cost | $9.99 monthly or $34.99 yearly | $59 one-time (Brick); free, optional $1.99 tip (Foqos) |
| Emergency access | One 5-minute unlock per session, every session | 5 Emergency Unbricks total (Brick); depends on setup (Foqos) |
Brick and Foqos both use physical friction, one as a requirement, one as an option. That's genuinely effective for people who respond to real-world distance more than any app setting, whichever cost model fits them better.
Fella stays entirely in software, with no object of any kind involved. Selected iPhone apps stay blocked by default, enforced through Apple's Screen Time frameworks, with one 5-minute emergency unlock per session and nothing to buy, tap, or place.
The right pick depends on whether a physical object is genuinely what works for you. If distance from a real object is the mechanism you trust, Brick or Foqos is worth the setup, whichever cost model suits you. If you want strictness without any hardware, that's the gap Fella is built for. See how Fella works or current pricing.
Brick sells its own proprietary device for $59, required to lock and unlock your phone. Foqos is free and open-source, and works with any NFC tag or QR code you already own or buy separately, plus manual and timer activation, so the app itself never costs anything.
Yes. Foqos's only payment option in its App Store listing is a voluntary $1.99 developer tip. Brick requires a one-time $59 hardware purchase, which includes lifetime app access with no subscription.
No, not from Foqos itself. It's designed to work with NFC tags or QR codes you already own or source yourself, and also supports manual and timer-based activation without any physical object at all. Brick requires its own specific device to function.
Neither is inherently stronger; both depend on how you set them up. Brick requires its physical device to unbrick, a fixed requirement, with 5 Emergency Unbricks as a fallback. Foqos's resistance depends entirely on where you place your own tag: one left on the desk is weak, one left in another room is strong.
Fella requires no hardware, proprietary or otherwise: selected iPhone apps stay blocked by default, with one 5-minute emergency unlock per session as the only exception.
