A Covenant Eyes alternative for people who want privacy, not monitoring
Covenant Eyes works by watching: its Victory Shield app sends screenshots of your screen to an accountability partner. That suits some people. If you would rather change your habits without being monitored, here is how the options compare.
Facts about other products were checked on 9 November 2026 from their own websites and app store listings. Features and prices change, so check the official site before you decide.
How Covenant Eyes works
Covenant Eyes now sells its service as Victory by Covenant Eyes and describes it as “The #1 Quit-Porn App For Christians”. It comes as two apps:
- Victory (free): daily check-ins, mini-courses and a community with prayer.
- Victory Shield (for subscribers): Screen Accountability, which sends screenshots to an ally you choose; reports of explicit websites; blocking with block and allow lists; and optional forced SafeSearch and YouTube Restricted Mode.
To work, Victory Shield needs an account and a subscription. On iPhone it uses a VPN, a Safari extension and Screen Time, and its website says screenshots cover Safari only. On Android it uses an Accessibility Service, Device Administrator access and a VPN. The website lists $18 a month or $198 a year with a 7-day free trial; in-app prices on the App Store are higher.
Who Covenant Eyes suits
Monitoring with an accountability partner works well for some people: those who want another person to see what they do online, families, and faith communities that build accountability into recovery. If that is you, it is a well-established option.
Why people look for a Covenant Eyes alternative
- Privacy. Screenshots of your screen go to another person. Some people do not want anyone to see that, or do not have someone they would ask.
- Permissions. A VPN, accessibility access and device administrator rights are a lot to give one app.
- Cost. A monthly subscription for monitoring adds up, while basic blocking is free on most phones.
- Framing. Its Christian focus fits some people well and others less so.
- Watching is not the same as learning. Being monitored can stop you in the moment, but it does not teach you what to do with the urge.
Covenant Eyes, UNHOOK and free built-in blocks
| Covenant Eyes (Victory Shield) | UNHOOK | Free built-in blocks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Monitoring and blocking, with reports to an ally | Daily check-ins, urge support and a companion | Filtering adult sites |
| Screenshots or activity reports | Yes, sent to your ally | No | No |
| Blocks porn | Yes | No | Yes (Screen Time, Private DNS, SafeSearch) |
| Account | Required | None | None |
| Special permissions | VPN; on Android also accessibility and device admin | None | Built into the phone |
| Help during an urge | Not the focus of Shield; Victory has courses and community | One-tap tools, offline, always free | No |
| Price | $18 a month or $198 a year (website) | Subscription; urge support always free | Free |
| Faith framing | Christian | None | None |
Want the free route first? See how to block porn on iPhone and Android.
What blockers do well, and where they fall short
A blocker adds friction: it makes the easiest path harder, which is genuinely useful in the first weeks or at your riskiest times of day. But blockers can usually be switched off or worked around in a weak moment, and they do nothing about the boredom, stress or loneliness that often sits behind an urge. That is why habit-based tools work best alongside them:
- Change your environment, such as charging your phone outside the bedroom. See the bedtime plan.
- Plan for your triggers with simple if-then plans.
- Have a response ready for urges: a one-minute breathing break, grounding or urge surfing.
- Track honestly, so you can see your progress add up.
Where UNHOOK fits
- No account. Your check-ins and progress are encrypted on your phone and never uploaded.
- No blocking, no monitoring, no VPN and no screenshots. Nothing is reported to anyone.
- A 20-second daily check-in, and one-tap urge support (breathing, a 60-second timer, grounding, a movement prompt, a change of surroundings, your own reasons) that works offline and is always free.
- Goal days never reset after a slip, and Ember, a pixel-art companion, grows as you show up.
- Discreet reminders, no ads, and export or delete everything at any time.
If a blocker or an accountability partner helps you, use both. Comparing habit apps instead? See Brainbuddy vs Fortify vs UNHOOK and QUITTR alternatives (QUITTR is no longer in the app stores).
Frequently asked questions
What is a good alternative to Covenant Eyes?
It depends on what you want to change. If you want blocking without monitoring, the free Screen Time filter on iPhone or a family-filter Private DNS on Android may be enough. If you want help with urges and habits without anyone watching your screen, a private habit app such as UNHOOK is an option. Many people combine a simple blocker with a habit tool.
Is there a free alternative to Covenant Eyes?
Yes. iPhone has a free Limit Adult Websites filter in Screen Time, Android phones can use a free family-filter Private DNS, and Google SafeSearch is free. These block content but do not report your activity to anyone. UNHOOK’s urge support is also free.
Does Covenant Eyes take screenshots?
Its Victory Shield app offers Screen Accountability, which its App Store listing describes as sending screenshots to an ally you choose. On iPhone, its website says screenshots cover Safari only. Check the current details on covenanteyes.com.
Can I use UNHOOK with Covenant Eyes?
Yes. UNHOOK does not block or monitor anything, so it does not conflict with blockers or accountability software. Some people use a blocker for access and UNHOOK for check-ins and urge support.
Do porn blockers work?
Blockers reduce easy access, which helps many people, especially early on. They can usually be worked around in a weak moment, so they tend to work best alongside habit changes rather than instead of them.
Covenant Eyes and Victory are trademarks of Covenant Eyes, Inc. UNHOOK is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them.