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Brick or NIX Scoreboard?
Brick is a device you buy: tap your phone on it to block the apps you pick, and tap again to get them back. NIX Scoreboard is free with nothing to carry: Focus blocks every app when you start it, and you compete with friends on a daily board. Lowest score wins.
Side by side
| Brick | NIX Scoreboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks the apps you choose | Yes You pick the apps, and select Safari websites | No Focus blocks every app at once. |
| Blocks on a schedule | Yes Set start and end times in advance. Up to 10 custom modes | No You start Focus when you want it. |
| Blocks apps on demand, for a set time | On demand: tap your phone on the Brick, and the block holds until you tap it again | Yes Focus blocks every app for 5 to 120 minutes. Phone, Messages, FaceTime, Maps and your Always Allowed list stay open. |
| Compete with friends | Not stated on their site | Yes A daily board with your friends. Lowest score wins. |
| Group competitions | Not stated on their site | Yes Each group has its own board, run weekly, monthly, or as a race of up to 30 days. |
| One session, one end time for everyone | Not stated on their site | Yes Phones down: one code, one end time for everyone, up to 20 people. |
| Adult websites | Has a 'Block mature content' setting; its help center ties it to podcasts and songs, not websites | Yes Blocks adult websites. |
| Price (checked 4 October 2026) | $59 for the Brick, app included. No subscription, no ads | Free forever. No ads, nothing to buy. |
| Devices | The Brick, plus an iPhone (iOS 18.0 or later, per the App Store) or an Android phone (12.0 or later). One Brick works with as many phones as you like | iPhone only (iOS 16.4 or later). |
| A physical key to unblock | Yes You need the Brick to unblock, so you can leave it in another room | No Nothing to buy or carry. |
| Locks your settings during a block | Yes Strict Mode stops you deleting the app or changing settings to unbrick | No |
Why pick Scoreboard
Scoreboard is free, there's nothing to carry, and your friends and groups are on the board with you. If you want a physical key you can leave in another room, or blocks on a schedule, Brick fits better.
FAQ
Does Brick work without the device?
You can start a block from the Brick app with a long press, but Brick says you still need the physical device to unbrick. If you lose it, the app includes five Emergency Unbricks.
Do I need to buy anything for Scoreboard?
No. Nothing to buy or carry. It runs on the iPhone you already have. Scoreboard is free forever, with no ads.
What do my friends see on Scoreboard?
Friends see your score and how it splits by category; never which apps, never what you did in them, never anything on your screen.
New to Scoreboard? The setup guide walks you from download to your first board.
Brick is a trademark of Brick LLC. NIX Scoreboard is not affiliated with or endorsed by Brick LLC. Facts about Brick were read on Brick's own pages on 4 October 2026.
Find out where you'd rank.
Free on the App Store · iPhone, iOS 16.4+ · No ads, nothing to buy