Spark vs Brick
Brick and Spark solve the same problem the same way — put the unlock behind a physical object — and differ mainly in what you pay and when. Brick is a $59 one-time purchase with the app included, tapped by NFC. Spark makes the blocking app free with no subscription and sells the Bluetooth key separately, one time, in rupees with a GST invoice, so you can start blocking today and decide about hardware later.
Every figure below was read from Brick’s own site or store listing on 24 Jul 2026. Prices change — check the source links before deciding.
At a glance
Side by side
| Dimension | Brick | Spark |
|---|---|---|
| Blocking app | Free, included with the device | Free, and free of any subscription |
| Hardware | $59.00 one-time (NFC, battery-free) | Bluetooth key, sold separately — one-time, GST invoice, free shipping in India |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Start without hardware | Hold the on-screen button 5s to lock; device needed to unlock | Locking is always free and keyless |
| Platforms | iOS 17+, Android 12+ | iOS and Android |
| Escape hatch | 5 Emergency Unbricks; more via support, ~48h | 5 lifetime emergency unlocks |
| Track record | Shipped, widely reviewed | Not shipped yet — no reviews to quote |
Brick
How Brick works
Brick is a battery-free NFC device you tap your phone against to start and end a blocking session, paired with a free companion app for iOS and Android.
You build modes in the Brick app, then tap your phone to the physical Brick to start a session. Blocked apps and their notifications disappear until you tap the same device again. You can start a session without the device by holding the on-screen Brick for five seconds, but you still need the physical device to end one.
Platforms
iOS 17.0 or later and Android 12.0 or later.
Pricing
$59.00 one-time for the device, $15.00 for the optional mount. The app is free on both stores and there is no subscription. Free shipping on orders of two or more; HSA/FSA eligible in the US via Truemed.
How hard it is to get around
Strong, with a documented and finite escape hatch: the app ships with five Emergency Unbricks that unblock everything with no device present, and more can be requested through a support form and are replenished within 48 hours. Strict Mode is described as closing the app-deletion and settings routes.
The difference that matters
The difference is when you pay, not how it works
Both products are built on the same insight, and we are not going to pretend otherwise: software you administer cannot impose a cost you cannot revoke, so the unlock has to depend on an object you can leave somewhere else. Brick got there first and built it well.
Where the two part company is the order of operations. Brick bundles the app with the hardware, so the price of finding out whether a physical key works for you is $59 and a delivery wait. Spark unbundles them: the blocking app is free and has no subscription, so you can run the whole system on a timer today, decide it suits you, and buy the key afterwards — or decide it does not and have spent nothing. When you do buy, it is one payment in rupees quoted ex-GST, with a GST invoice, free shipping across India, Razorpay checkout without an account, and a 7-day replacement if it arrives damaged.
That is a real trade in both directions. Buying the hardware up front is a commitment device in its own right, and a lot of people are better served by having paid. If that is you, Brick is a good product and you should buy it.
To be fair
When Brick is the better choice
Brick is the most established product in this comparison set, and the most widely reviewed — over 47,000 App Store ratings at the time of checking. It is genuinely cross-platform, one device works with unlimited phones, the hardware is battery-free and carries a lifetime manufacturer guarantee, and it ships worldwide with local fulfilment in five countries and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Choose Brick if
- You want to buy from a company with a track record — a returns process, a warranty, and (per its App Store listing) more than 47,000 ratings. Spark has not shipped yet, and that is a real reason to choose Brick today.
- You want the purchase itself to be the commitment. Paying up front works for some people, and unbundling removes that.
- You are ordering from outside India. Spark's key ships within India only for now, and Brick ships worldwide.
- You are in the US and want to pay with HSA/FSA funds.
- You want NFC specifically — a tap with nothing to pair and no battery, ever.
Documented limitations
- $59.00 up front, plus $15.00 if you want the mount.
- The escape hatch is five Emergency Unbricks; more require a support form and up to 48 hours.
- A maximum of 10 custom modes.
- Requires iOS 17.0 or Android 12.0 and later, so older phones are excluded.
- Platform rules bound what can be blocked: on iOS the Phone app cannot be blocked and Safari site blocking is limited to Apple's approved list; on Android the Phone app and launcher cannot be blocked.
Sources: getbrick.com · getbrick.com · getbrick.com
Questions
Brick, answered
Is there a cheaper alternative to Brick?
Yes, several, and they involve real trade-offs. Spark makes the blocking app free with no subscription and sells the key separately, so nothing is spent until you have decided the hardware is worth it. Foqos is a free open-source iPhone app that works with any commodity NFC tag. Neither has Brick's track record.
Does Spark work the same way as Brick?
The principle is the same — the unlock depends on a physical object. The mechanics differ: Brick uses NFC and requires a tap; Spark uses a Bluetooth key that must be in range, verified by a fresh random challenge each time.
Can I lock my phone without the key?
With Spark, always — locking is free, instant and needs no key, no Bluetooth and no network. With Brick you can start a session by holding the on-screen button for five seconds, but you need the physical device to end it.
Is Brick worth $59?
If you have already watched yourself dismiss a Screen Time limit enough times to stop trusting your own promises, a physical key is the category of thing that helps, and $59 once is not much against the time it recovers. If you have not tried the free built-in tools yet, try those first.
Compare something else
The other six
Spark vs Unpluq
Unpluq's Tag needs a Premium subscription to work at all. Spark's app is free and the key is bought once. What each enforces, and when Unpluq fits better.
Read the comparisonfoqos alternativeSpark vs Foqos
Foqos is a free open-source iPhone blocker that works with any NFC tag. Where it genuinely wins, where a Bluetooth key differs, and who should pick which.
Read the comparisonopal alternativeSpark vs Opal
Opal is a polished screen-time app for iPhone at $99.99 a year. Where its hard block is hard, where it is soft, and when it is the better choice.
Read the comparisonfreedom app alternativeSpark vs Freedom
Freedom blocks across Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android in one session. If your problem is a laptop, it wins. If it is a phone, the comparison changes.
Read the comparisonscreen time not workingSpark vs Apple Screen Time
Screen Time is free, built in, and enough for a lot of people. Here is exactly why it fails when you administer it yourself, and the two ways to fix that.
Read the comparisoncold turkey alternativeSpark vs Cold Turkey
Cold Turkey has the hardest locks in the category — reboot to unlock, 40-day delays — but it is desktop only. Where each one belongs.
Read the comparisonFacts checked 24 Jul 2026
Locking is free. Unlocking costs you a walk.
Blocking has no subscription and needs no account — one tap, offline, with Bluetooth switched off. The key is the only thing you buy, and it is the only thing standing between a bad moment and your feed.