Freedom alternatives: 10 focus and website blocker apps tools compared
People weighing a move away from Freedom tend to ask about three things: which controls sit behind Premium, how the tool behaves on each operating system, and whether a single payment is possible instead of a subscription. The options below range from Windows and Mac blockers to phone-first apps, session services and time trackers.
Short answer: The first three alternatives to Freedom in our focus and website blocker apps ranking are Cold Turkey, SelfControl and one sec. Our rule for order: vendors outside the big brands go first, and the largest names are not placed in the top three. Choose Cold Turkey if you use Windows or Mac and would rather pay once than renew. Every one of the 10 products below comes from Best Focus and Website Blocker Apps in 2026, with a note on how it departs from Freedom.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Pricing: Free plan; Premium yearly, monthly and one-time Forever prices published in USD; 7-day trial on yearly
Established in: Not stated by the vendor
Built for: Users blocking across several devices who may prefer a one-time purchase
Not for: Anyone needing a stated legal entity or country before buying
01
Why buyers look past Freedom
01
Scheduling and locked mode are Premium features
Freedom's pricing page lists scheduling, recurring sessions, advance sessions and locked mode under Premium, next to unlimited sessions of two hours or more. The free plan offers blocking of apps, websites or the whole internet on unlimited devices, so a person who wants a morning routine that starts by itself has to pay: $3.33 a month on the yearly plan or $8.99 monthly.
02
What you can block depends on the device
The platform table on the pricing page shows website exceptions on Mac and Windows only, while iOS, Android and Chromebook lack them. Chromebook blocks websites and the whole internet but not apps. Someone who relies on one allowed site inside a blocked category on a phone will find the setting missing.
03
The free plan's session limits are not spelled out
The pricing page does not state how many sessions or how long a session on the free plan can run, only that Premium removes the limit. The homepage calls the free tier basic blocking with limited sessions. A buyer therefore learns the real ceiling by hitting it, and the yearly trial lasts 7 days.
all you need is a Pomodoro timer with reports, and Linux is on your list
#9
03
What each one does differently
1
Cold Turkey
Canada · See profile
Cold Turkey Software, Inc. says its product is made in Canada and sells Pro as a single purchase with free lifetime updates, so nothing renews. The free tier blocks websites with timers and statistics, and Pro adds application blocking, scheduled blocks and every locking feature. One key works on Windows and macOS. A 7-day Pro trial and a 30-day refund are stated on its pricing page.
Switch from Freedom if you use Windows or Mac and would rather pay once than renew.
SelfControl is a free Mac application whose code is public on GitHub under the GNU GPL. You pick sites and a length of time, and the page says the block survives a restart or removal of the program until the timer ends. It speaks only of websites and runs on macOS alone. The vendor names neither a company nor a country behind it.
Switch from Freedom if a Mac is your only machine and a timer that cannot be undone is what you want.
Behind one sec stands riedel.wtf apps S.L. in Barcelona, according to its imprint. Rather than shutting an app out, it interrupts the moment you open it, and a Doomscroll emergency brake caps time in apps that pull you in. A browser extension handles websites on a schedule. The download is free, though the pricing address returned a 404 when we looked.
Switch from Freedom if a pause before opening an app works better for you than a wall.
Opal organises blocking around Rules. Its free plan allows a single Rule, basic timers, soundscapes, app blocking and an Opal Score for today only. Pro unlocks unlimited Rules, Allow Only, score history and Hard Mode, with a week of trial on yearly billing and three days on monthly. A lifetime price is published, and Teams pricing is by conversation.
Switch from Freedom if you want to trial a rule-based blocker and see a score of your day.
Flow, with Yugen GmbH in the copyright line, pairs a Focus Timer with an App Blocker and a Web Blocker on iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch. The page states that basic features cost nothing and need no sign-up, credit card or advertising. Paid prices and any trial length were absent from the page we read, and Windows or Android are never named.
Switch from Freedom if your devices all come from Apple and a timer should sit beside the blocker.
BlockSite puts no cap on blocked sites and apps and adds category and keyword blocking, custom block pages, Focus Mode, schedules and browsing insights. A password can protect the settings and uninstalling can be prevented. Chrome, Safari and Edge extensions, iOS and Android apps and a desktop app sync together. Plan prices did not appear on the pricing page, which shows a 50% offer.
Switch from Freedom if keyword and category blocking inside the browser matters most.
Forest gives you a focus timer, Deep Focus app blocking, Time Guard for one app or site, one soundscape, tracking and group focus rooms at no cost, with no credit card and no expiry. Plus adds an allowlist, several Time Guards, analytics and every soundscape, priced by region. It reaches iPhone, iPad, Android, Chrome and Firefox. Seekrtech Co., Ltd. is the named company.
Switch from Freedom if phones are the problem and you like focusing in a group room.
Focusmate works differently from a blocker: you book a session and work alongside another person. The free plan allows three sessions a week without a card, while Plus removes the weekly cap and costs less on annual billing. A Business plan shows a Learn more link instead of a price. Nothing on the pricing page describes blocking sites or apps.
Switch from Freedom if accountability from another person helps more than a software lock.
RescueTime starts by measuring. Solo and Solo+ serve individuals, Team and Team+ are billed per user, each cheaper when paid annually, and timesheets come only with the plus versions. Focus Sessions, Goals and Alerts are listed, paid plans carry a 14-day trial, and the FAQ mentions a Lite plan the list omits. Site blocking is not described.
Switch from Freedom if you first want evidence of where the hours go before blocking anything.
Pomofocus is a timer that runs in desktop and mobile browsers, with downloads for Mac, Windows and Linux. Basic use covers finish-time estimates, templates, charts of past work and custom settings; Premium adds projects, yearly reports, Todoist and webhook links and removes ads. Prices are not shown, and no blocking of sites or apps is named.
Switch from Freedom if all you need is a Pomodoro timer with reports, and Linux is on your list.
Cold Turkey: Pro is a single payment with free lifetime updates, one key covers Windows and macOS, and the pricing page states a 7-day Pro trial and a 30-day refund.
02
You only work on a Mac and want a block that cannot be undone
SelfControl: It is a free Mac application under the GNU GPL, and the page says the block outlasts a restart or removal of the program.
03
Your hours disappear into phone apps
one sec: It interrupts the moment an app opens, and its Doomscroll emergency brake limits time in addictive apps; the pricing page returned a 404, so confirm the cost yourself.
04
You focus better beside another person
Focusmate: The free plan allows three sessions a week with no credit card, and Plus lifts that weekly cap.
05
You want to see where the time goes before blocking
RescueTime: Its plans list Focus Sessions, Goals and Alerts, and paid plans come with a 14-day trial.
04
When Freedom is still the right choice
Freedom stays the sensible choice when the same blocklist must follow you across devices. Its site lists Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chromebook and Linux, a free plan with unlimited devices, and custom blocklists. Premium adds scheduling, recurring sessions and locked mode, and a one-time Forever option at $99.50 (listed as down from $199) avoids a subscription. If your phones, laptop and a Chromebook all need the same session, few alternatives here cover as many of them.
05
What moving off Freedom involves
01
Write down your blocklists and schedules
Freedom keeps custom blocklists and recurring sessions in your account. Copy the domains, app names and times into a plain file first, because each new tool has its own format and some, such as SelfControl, only take websites.
02
Check each device against the new tool
Make a list of the platforms you use, including Linux or a Chromebook, and compare it with what the replacement says it runs on. Several options here cover Apple devices or Windows and Mac only.
03
Cancel after a trial week of real use
Run the new blocker through one normal working week before you end Premium. If you hold the Forever licence there is no renewal to cancel, so the pressure to switch quickly is lower.
06
Questions about replacing Freedom
7 answers
What is the best alternative to Freedom?
Cold Turkey ranks first in our list of Freedom alternatives for Windows and Mac users.
It blocks websites for free, adds application blocking and scheduled blocks in Pro, and Pro is bought once with free lifetime updates. SelfControl, one sec and Opal follow in the list above.
Is there a one-time-payment alternative to Freedom?
Cold Turkey Pro is a single purchase with a stated 30-day refund. Opal publishes a lifetime price as well. Freedom itself offers a Forever option at $99.50, shown on its pricing page as reduced from $199.
Which Freedom alternative is free on a Mac?
SelfControl is a free Mac application licensed under the GNU GPL, and its block holds until the timer ends. Flow states that its basic features cost nothing on Apple devices, and Forest has a free plan with no expiry.
Do Freedom alternatives work on Linux?
Freedom lists Linux among its platforms. Pomofocus offers downloads for Linux, but it is a timer and names no blocking. Cold Turkey says Linux is not supported, so Linux users should check each vendor before moving.
Can I schedule recurring blocks without paying for Freedom Premium?
On Freedom, scheduling and recurring sessions need Premium. Cold Turkey Pro includes scheduled blocks, BlockSite lists schedules, and one sec runs on a timetable, so compare each page for what its free tier holds.
Which alternative helps if I am distracted on my phone?
one sec interrupts distracting apps as you open them, Opal blocks apps by Rules, and Forest combines Deep Focus app blocking with group rooms on iPhone and Android. Freedom also covers iOS and Android.
Is there an alternative to Freedom that does not block anything?
Focusmate pairs you with another person for a session, RescueTime tracks time with Focus Sessions and Goals, and Pomofocus is a timer. None of them describes blocking sites or apps, so they work beside a blocker.
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Sources
Checked 7 November 2026
Freedom pricing: Free, Premium yearly $3.33 per month with 7-day trial, monthly $8.99, Forever $99.50 (was $199), features by plan, platform table.
Freedom home page: Platforms including Linux, locked mode, limited sessions on free, Premium $39.99 a year.
Freedom FAQ: Choose apps, websites or the entire internet; locked mode wording.
Cold Turkey Blocker pricing: Free and Pro tiers, pay once, lifetime updates, Windows and macOS, 7-day trial, 30-day refund, no Linux.
Founder of The Knowledge Engineers and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page on this site; research and drafting are AI-assisted.
Sebastiaan Smits wrote and checked this page, most recently on 7 November 2026. See how we review.
