Jolt vs Brick

Jolt vs Brick: a system you carry everywhere, or a tag you tap?

Brick is a physical object you tap to lock your apps. Jolt is software that follows you without one. Here's the honest trade-off, with public pricing from September 2026.

Try Jolt free See the full breakdown

Jolt

Pick Jolt if you'd rather not buy or carry hardware and you want accountability, sleep protection, location rules, and daily insight in one app that's always with you.

Brick

Pick Brick if you love the idea of physical friction and a one-time price with no subscription. Tapping a tag to unlock is genuinely hard to cheat. The catch is you have to buy it, and be near it to unlock.

Jolt vs Brick, feature by feature

Green means the feature is included on the standard paid plan. Prices and ratings are public, as of September 2026.

	Jolt	Brick
What it is	A software system	A $59 physical NFC tag + app
Hardware to buy or carry	None	Yes, the Brick
Accountability partner (1:1)	Yes	No
Sleep protection	Yes	Yes (Sleep mode)
Blocks that are hard to bypass	Hard Mode, no snooze	Physical friction
Works anywhere, no object needed	Yes	Need the Brick nearby
Location-based blocking	Yes	No
Usage insights	Yes (full suite)	Usage stats
Pricing model	From $45/yr, or $70 lifetime	$59 one-time, no subscription
App Store rating	4.9 (~500)	Positive press (count n/a)

Where Jolt pulls ahead

📱

Nothing to buy or carry

Jolt lives in the phone you already carry. There's no tag to purchase, remember, or leave at home when you need it most.

1:1

A person, not just a puck

Brick's friction is physical and solo. Jolt adds a 1:1 accountability partner who sees when you break a block, which reaches people hardware can't.

📍

Blocking by place

Jolt can lock apps when you reach the office or the bedroom, automatically. Brick needs a deliberate tap, and doesn't know where you are.

📊

Deeper insight into your day

Jolt scores your focus, discipline, and sleep and tracks trends. Brick shows usage, but the software side is lighter.

⛒

Enforcement without the object

Jolt's Hard Mode holds even when you don't have a tag on you: no snooze, no delete, no clock change.

🔄

One app, both phones, always current

Jolt updates and syncs in software. Brick's behavior is tied to a physical device you tap.

Where Brick is the better call

Brick's physical approach is a genuinely different idea, and for some people it's the better one. Here's where it wins.

🧱

Physical friction is hard to cheat

If the tag isn't in reach, the apps stay locked. That's a wall software has to work hard to match, and Brick gets it for free.

One price, no subscription

Brick is $59 once, and the app is free forever. That's a little under Jolt's $70 lifetime plan, and far less than any ongoing subscription.

🌙

A real sleep mode, HSA/FSA eligible

Brick has its own Sleep mode and is HSA/FSA eligible, which is a nice touch if you're paying with health funds.

Questions people ask

Do I need to buy hardware for Jolt?+

No. Jolt is software that runs on your phone. Brick requires a $59 physical tag that you tap to lock and unlock your apps.

Is Brick cheaper than Jolt over time?+

Slightly. Brick is a one-time $59 with no subscription, while Jolt is $45/yr or $70 lifetime. Jolt's cost buys accountability, location rules, sleep protection, and deeper insight.

Which is harder to bypass?+

Both are strong. Brick's friction is physical: no tag nearby, no access. Jolt's Hard Mode blocks the software workarounds, including deleting the app and changing your clock, and it's always with you.

What happens with Brick if I leave it at home?+

You have to be near the Brick to unlock your apps, which is the point, but it can be inconvenient. Jolt has nothing to leave behind.

Can I try Jolt free?+

Yes. Block your first app free, no card needed.