These apps and extensions help you stay focused by blocking access to distracting websites.
It is not always enough to want to make your way to your goals. Sometimes you need help staying focused.
Fortunately, website blocking apps can help you steer away from distractions. From planting virtual trees to tracking your biggest distractions, there is something unique about these apps that can help keep you on track.
Find out about the best website blocker apps, their cost, and which devices they’re compatible with.
Freedom
With Freedom, can you block websites and online applications that prevent you from doing your job. What makes the app unique is that it syncs across all of your devices, keeping you distraction-free on the go or at home.
The app can block websites, apps, or the entire internet. You also have a predefined list of the most common apps and websites that people block. If your work schedule is consistent, Freedom has a feature that lets you schedule blocks in advance so you don’t have to worry about manually blocking out your distractions.
You can even set these blocks as recurring for several days in a row to help you with consistent obligations like school or your job. You might be tempted to turn off the blocker so you can get back to your distractions, but with Locked Mode you can’t end a blocked session sooner than you expect.
Freedom is available for iOS, Android, and desktop. It comes with a free trial for up to seven blocked sessions.
There are three different pricing plans for Freedom, including monthly and annual plans, as well as an option for a one-time payment. While the monthly plan costs $ 6.99 / month, the annual subscription is $ 2.42 / month (but you pay annually). If you want to skip subscriptions altogether, you can purchase Freedom for $ 129.
Available for Windows and Mac | iOS | Android | Chrome.
Cold Turkey
Even though Cold Turkey is only available for desktop devices, it is one of the best blocker apps for getting rid of distractions.
While most apps claim to block your websites and apps, there are always workarounds to get to what you want. With Cold Turkey, once you’ve set a blocked session, you won’t be able to deactivate it until the time has passed.
You can block an unlimited number of websites regardless of what plan you have, block specific apps you use, or block the entire internet while you have a connection.
You can also create a whitelist that allows specific websites to remain accessible while blocking the rest of the internet. Enabling the Frozen Turkey feature will create a period during which your blocked websites will be inaccessible.
If you head to a blocked page, Cold Turkey will display an inspiring message to get you back to work. Set time usage limits so you can still access your distractions, but only for short periods of time.
As mentioned above, you will only be able to use Cold Turkey on Mac or Windows operating systems. There are two plans available for Cold Turkey. The free plan offers limited functionality, while the paid plan is $ 39 and gives you lifetime access to the app.
Available for Windows and Mac
Forest
Forest takes home the award for being the most creative website blocking app on the market. Most of the other sites are pretty straightforward and focus on functionality, but Forest actually created a completely unique concept.
Every 25 minutes that you leave the application open, you can expand a virtual tree. Stepping away from the app in any way will immediately kill your new tree. The concept makes it user-friendly for students who need help staying focused on schoolwork.
The more you stay focused on the application without getting distracted, the more trees you will grow. Soon you will be able to have a whole forest of trees standing because of your dedication and hard work.
Forest is available for iOS and Android devices, and is also available as a Chrome extension. It’s free to use on Android but costs $ 1.99 on iOS (not including other in-app purchases).
Upgrade to the pro version of Forest on Android, and you can plant trees in real life thanks to a partnership with the organization Trees For The Future.
Available for Android | Chrome | iOS
RescueTime
This app isn’t all about website blocking and has even more features as a time tracking tool to stay productive. This is what makes RescueTime unique.
The FocusTime feature allows you to block online distractions based on the time tracking history created in the app. RescueTime records all the apps and websites you spend the most time on and lets you categorize them as productive, entertaining, or very entertaining. From these labels, you can enable FocusTime and tell the app which category you want to block.
RescueTime is available on iOS, Android, and desktop devices. There is a free version that you can download, but it does not come with the distraction blocker. To benefit from this feature, you will need to subscribe for $ 12 / month.
Available for iOS | Android | Windows | Mac | Linux | Chrome | Firefox
Mindful Browsing
Only available as a Chrome extension, Mindful Browsing is completely free and helps you make better decisions about how you spend your time.
What makes this website blocker interesting is that it doesn’t block any websites for you. Instead, it displays a friendly message asking if you still want to go to your blocked site.
This user-friendly reminder can be associated with a list of activities that you create in advance. These activities should help you stay focused and be more beneficial than aimlessly surfing the web.
If you choose to go to the blocked website, Mindful Browsing will ask you again in 10 minutes if you are sure you don’t prefer to do something else. Questions are a great way to remind yourself of your dedication to your job so you can stay focused.
Available for Chrome
