Best Website Blockers for Mac (2026 Comparison)

There are dozens of website blockers that claim to work on Mac. Most of them are browser extensions that stop working the moment you open Safari instead of Chrome. Here are the ones that actually deserve your time - ranked by how well they enforce the block, not just how pretty their settings page looks.

What Makes a Good Mac Blocker in 2026

Before the rankings, here’s what we evaluated:

• Enforcement level: Can you bypass it in under 30 seconds? If yes, it’s a suggestion, not a blocker.
• Browser coverage: Does it work across Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Arc, Brave, and everything else? If it only blocks one browser, it’s a speedbump.
• Persistence: Does it survive a restart? Force-quit? Browser reinstall?
• Scheduling: Can you set recurring blocks for work hours?
• Price: What does it actually cost - one-time, monthly, or free?
• Bypass consequences: What happens if you try to get around it?

Quick Comparison Table

Best Overall: FocusJar

FocusJar blocks at the system level on macOS - every browser, every app, surviving restarts and force-quits. What sets it apart is the enforcement model: instead of locking you out with no escape or trusting you to resist, FocusJar charges you a fee to unblock early.

You set the fee yourself when you start a focus session. $5 if you just need a nudge. $100 if you mean business. This leverages loss aversion - the psychological principle that losing money hurts about twice as much as gaining the same amount feels good.

The free tier lets you block with a $1 unlock fee. No subscription required to get started.

• Pros: Free to start, system-level, financial accountability, flexible (always have an exit), survives restarts
• Cons: macOS only (currently)

Best Strict Lockout: Cold Turkey

Cold Turkey ($39 one-time) is the nuclear option. Its “Frozen Turkey” mode locks your entire computer to a whitelist of approved sites and applications. During a Frozen Turkey session, you cannot uninstall the app, change system settings, or access anything not on your list.

The strength is obvious: it’s genuinely impossible to bypass during a session. The weakness is equally obvious: if you forgot to whitelist something you need, you’re stuck waiting. No emergency access, no flexibility.

• Pros: Strongest enforcement available, one-time payment, scheduling, Windows + Mac
• Cons: Zero flexibility during sessions, steep learning curve for whitelisting, $39 upfront

Best Free: SelfControl

SelfControl is a free, open-source Mac app that does one thing well: block domains for a set duration with zero override capability. Once you start a session, the block persists even if you delete the app, restart your Mac, or reinstall macOS. The block simply runs on a timer.

• Pros: Free, open-source, impossible to override, system-level
• Cons: No scheduling, no cross-platform, no whitelist mode, must manually start each session

Best Cross-Platform: Freedom

Freedom ($8.99/mo or $39.99/yr) is the only blocker that works across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Chrome simultaneously. Block a site on your Mac and it’s blocked on your phone too.

The catch: without “Locked Mode” enabled, Freedom sessions can be ended early with a few clicks. Locked Mode prevents this but must be toggled on each session - easy to forget.

• Pros: Cross-platform sync, session scheduling, recurring blocks, established platform
• Cons: Subscription pricing, Locked Mode is opt-in per session, can be bypassed without it

Best for Pomodoro: Focus

Focus ($19.99 one-time) integrates website and app blocking with a Pomodoro timer. Start a 25-minute focus sprint, and your distracting sites are blocked until the timer ends. Take a 5-minute break, and everything opens back up.

• Pros: Pomodoro integration, one-time payment, Mac-native design, blocks apps and websites
• Cons: Mac only, moderate enforcement (can be quit), no cross-platform

Budget Pick: 1Focus

1Focus ($4.99 one-time) is a lightweight Mac blocker with scheduling and category-based blocking. It works within Safari and other browsers through a content blocker approach.

• Pros: Cheap one-time price, simple interface, scheduling, keyword blocking
• Cons: Moderate enforcement, limited to Safari content blocking for some features, no cross-platform

Built-in: macOS Screen Time

Apple’s Screen Time is free and already on your Mac. You can set daily time limits for websites and app categories. But we don’t recommend it for serious focus work.

The “Ignore Limit” button appears every time you hit a limit. One click and the block is gone. Even with a Screen Time passcode, you can reset it through your Apple ID. It’s a notification system disguised as a blocker.

• Pros: Free, built-in, no installation
• Cons: “Ignore Limit” button defeats the purpose, limited browser coverage, weak enforcement

Why Browser Extensions Aren’t on This List

We intentionally excluded browser extensions (StayFocusd, LeechBlock, BlockSite, etc.) from this ranking. They only block one browser at a time, they’re disabled in two clicks, and they don’t survive an incognito window. For a detailed breakdown of why browser-based blockers fail, see our dedicated article.

If a blocker doesn’t work across every browser on your Mac, it’s not a blocker - it’s a suggestion.

Which Blocker Should You Choose?

Here’s a quick decision framework:

• You want consequences, not just barriers: FocusJar. Financial accountability changes behavior long-term.
• You want maximum lockdown: Cold Turkey with Frozen Turkey mode. No escape, no exceptions.
• You want free and strict: SelfControl. Can’t beat the price or the enforcement.
• You need blocking on Mac + phone + Windows: Freedom. Only option that syncs everywhere.
• You work in Pomodoro sprints: Focus. Built-in timer integration.
• You have ADHD: Read our ADHD-specific blocker guide - the criteria are different.

FAQ

What’s the best free website blocker for Mac?

SelfControl is the best free option with strict enforcement. FocusJar also has a free tier with system-level blocking and a $1 unlock fee.

Can website blockers be bypassed?

Browser extensions can be bypassed trivially. System-level blockers (FocusJar, Cold Turkey, SelfControl) are significantly harder to bypass - they survive restarts, force-quits, and browser switching.

Do I need a paid blocker?

Not necessarily. SelfControl is free and strict. FocusJar has a free tier. Paid blockers like Cold Turkey and Freedom offer additional features like scheduling and cross-platform sync, but you can block effectively without spending anything.

Will a website blocker slow down my Mac?

System-level blockers have negligible performance impact. They intercept network requests at the OS level, which adds microseconds of latency - unnoticeable in practice.

The Bottom Line

The best website blocker is the one you can’t talk yourself out of. Browser extensions fail because they’re too easy to disable. Screen Time fails because it asks permission to enforce itself. The blockers that work - regardless of method - share one trait: they make the distraction genuinely harder to access than the work you’re avoiding.

Pick the enforcement level that matches your procrastination level. If gentle reminders work for you, great. If they don’t - and you’re reading a 2,000-word article about website blockers, so they probably don’t - you need something with real consequences.