Website Blockers Compared: Which Ones Actually Stick

The website blocker that sticks is the one that's hardest for you to switch off at 3 p.m., and that still covers the browser and devices you actually use. Of the four tools below, desktop apps with locked blocks create the most friction. Browser extensions create the least.

Here is how Cold Turkey, Freedom, LeechBlock NG and StayFocusd compare, ordered by how hard they are to undo.

Quick summary

• Cold Turkey: strictest locks, Windows and macOS only, one-time purchase.
• Freedom: blocks across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chromebook and Linux, with a paid Locked Mode.
• LeechBlock NG: free, very configurable, browser-only.
• StayFocusd: free Chrome extension with a Nuclear Option, Chrome-only.

One caveat before the list. Most "best website blocker" comparisons online are written by vendors or affiliates, and we found no independent controlled test of how well each tool changes behavior. What follows sticks to what each tool's own page says it does, plus the one variable that matters: friction.

Why blockers beat willpower

Stanford's Weidong Cai argues that resisting a distraction draws on limited attention, and that it's better to move the temptation away than to train yourself to resist it. His example is putting your phone in another room while you write or study. A website blocker applies the same idea to your browser.

That's also why a blocker you can disable in five seconds tends to fail. Turning it off is easy, so you're back to relying on willpower, with one extra click. Switching tasks also has a cost of its own, which we cover in attention residue. A hard-to-undo block keeps you from paying it. For a human version of the same idea, see body doubling, where another person's presence does the job of the lock.

Cold Turkey: the strictest lock

Cold Turkey Blocker is a desktop app for Windows and macOS. It blocks websites, YouTube channels, apps, games and keyword searches, and it supports weekly schedules, time allowances and scheduled breaks.

What sets it apart is the lock. The product page lists locked blocks, passwords and uninstall prevention, and says it makes it "almost impossible to stop the block once you lock it." It's a one-time purchase with no subscription, according to the vendor. There's also a free version, though the page doesn't spell out which features it includes. Check the pricing page before you buy.

The trade-off? It covers only Windows and macOS, and a real lock means planning your blocks ahead. If you override anything you can override, try this one first.

Freedom: one session across devices

Freedom runs on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chromebook and Linux, and it can sync a session across your devices. Start a session on your laptop and your phone's distracting apps are blocked too.

It has a free tier with limited features. Premium costs $39.99 per year and adds Locked Mode (which prevents you from quitting a session early), unlimited sessions and cross-device sync. A one-time Freedom Forever option costs $199.

The trade-off is cost: Locked Mode sits behind the paid plan. It fits best if your distraction lives on your phone as much as on your laptop. Built-in options such as iOS Focus Modes and Android Digital Wellbeing are free, but they're also easy to turn off.

LeechBlock NG: free and configurable

LeechBlock NG is a free browser extension for Firefox, Chrome, Edge and other Chromium-based browsers such as Brave, Opera and Vivaldi.

Its strength is control. You can create up to 30 sets of sites, each with its own times and days. A set can block during fixed hours such as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., after a time limit such as 10 minutes per hour, or both. A lockdown option blocks sites immediately for a set duration, and the options page can be protected with a password or a random access code.

The trade-off: it lives inside the browser, so a different browser or a phone app slips past it. For macOS and iOS, the LeechBlock page points to ivBlock, a separate tool based on LeechBlock. Setup takes some patience, so budget half an hour.

StayFocusd: a Chrome speed bump

StayFocusd is a free Chrome extension. Its Nuclear Option blocks sites for the number of hours you choose on the days you pick, and according to the store listing it can't be canceled once activated. Changing settings requires completing a challenging task.

The catch is that it only works in Chrome. One reviewer on the store page also reports that disabling the extension from the browser didn't trigger the challenge. That's one anecdote, not a test, but it fits the general weakness of extensions: they live inside the thing you're trying to control.

It's a fine first experiment when you want something free and quick. It's a weak choice if you know you'll open another browser.

How to pick one

Match the tool to how you actually slip:

1. You override anything you can override: Cold Turkey, with a locked block.
2. Your phone is the problem too: Freedom, with sessions synced across devices.
3. You want free and fine-grained rules: LeechBlock NG, with a password on the options page.
4. You just want a first experiment: StayFocusd's Nuclear Option for a few hours.

On a Mac, also look at Mac Focus and Screen Time before you install anything. Then judge any blocker by one test: are you still using it a month from now? A block that gets turned off by Thursday isn't doing the job, however good its feature list is.

Putting this into practice with Pomlo

A blocker removes the option to wander. It doesn't tell you whether the hours it freed went to real work. That's where Pomlo comes in: a time tracker for iOS, Android and the web, built for freelancers, indie hackers and small teams.

• Focus sessions: start a session when the block starts, so you track focused work, not just total time.
• Reports: compare a week with the block against a week without it and see where the hours went.
• Projects and clients: attach those focused hours to who you're billing.

Pomlo's one-tap start and stop keeps the overhead small, and your data isn't sold or used to train models. Download Pomlo from the App Store or Google Play, or open it on the web, and pair your blocker with a session today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do website blockers actually improve focus?

Removing a distraction takes less effort than resisting it, which is the logic behind blockers. We found no independent controlled comparison of these four tools, so judge by whether you still use yours after a month.

What is the hardest website blocker to bypass?

Of the four here, desktop apps with locked blocks, such as Cold Turkey, and Freedom's paid Locked Mode are harder to undo than browser extensions. Extensions can often be disabled from the browser itself.

Is there a free website blocker?

LeechBlock NG is free, and StayFocusd is a free Chrome extension. Freedom has a free tier with limited features, and Cold Turkey offers a free version too, though its page doesn't list what it includes.

Should I block sites or track my time instead?

They do different jobs. A blocker removes the option, and a tracker shows where your hours went. Many people use both: the blocker protects the session, and the tracker confirms it worked.