Key takeaways
- Cold Turkey Freemium is the toughest desktop blocker — its free tier blocks websites with schedules.
- Freedom Paid blocks apps and sites across phone and computer simultaneously.
- LeechBlock NG Free is the best free browser extension for site blocking.
- Your phone's built-in Screen Time (iOS) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) is free and already installed — start there.
- Blockers support willpower; they do not replace it. Pair them with timed focus sessions.
Quick answer: if distractions live in your browser, install LeechBlock NG (free) or Cold Turkey (harder to cheat). If they live on your phone, use the built-in Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing limits first, then Forest for sessions. If you need blocking everywhere at once, Freedom is the paid tool that syncs blocks across devices. Below: the three types of focus apps, the best option in each, and which platforms they cover. For the timing side of focus, see our guide to the best Pomodoro timer apps.
The three types of focus apps
- Site and app blockers cut off access to distracting websites and apps for set periods (Cold Turkey, Freedom, LeechBlock).
- Focus timers structure your work into timed sprints (Pomodoro-style apps — covered in our Pomodoro apps guide).
- Phone locks and friction tools make distraction costly: gamified timers like Forest, or built-in app limits that force a deliberate override.
The best focus apps compared
| App | Type | Platforms | Label | Free option? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeechBlock NG | Site blocker | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Free | Fully free |
| Cold Turkey | Site/app blocker | Windows, Mac | Freemium | Free tier blocks sites with schedules |
| Freedom | Cross-device blocker | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Paid | Limited free trial |
| Forest | Phone focus | iOS, Android | Paid | Free browser extension version |
| Screen Time / Digital Wellbeing | Built-in limits | iOS / Android | Free | Fully free, pre-installed |
LeechBlock NG: best free browser blocker Free
LeechBlock NG is a free browser extension that blocks time-wasting sites on rules you define: blocked entirely during work hours, limited to ten minutes per hour, or available only after lunch. It is the fastest way to test whether blocking helps you — installation to working block takes five minutes, and it costs nothing.
Best for: browser-based distraction. Watch out for: it only protects the browser it is installed in, and determined procrastinators can open a different browser. For that, you need the next option.
Cold Turkey: hardest to cheat Freemium
Cold Turkey's reputation is built on being difficult to bypass: blocks survive restarts, browser changes, and your own second thoughts, especially with its lockable scheduled blocks. The free version blocks unlimited websites with schedules; the paid version adds application blocking, passwords, and stronger locks. Details at Cold Turkey's official site.
Best for: Windows and Mac users who have already defeated gentler tools. Watch out for: no mobile apps — phones need a separate solution.
Freedom: blocks everywhere at once Paid
Freedom's trick is synchronization: start a session and your distracting sites and apps are blocked on your computer, phone, and tablet simultaneously, closing the "I'll just check it on my phone" loophole. It is a paid subscription with a limited free trial — worth it if cross-device cheating is your pattern, overkill if one device is the whole problem. Verify current plans at Freedom's official site.
Forest and built-in tools: fixing phone distraction
Forest Paid gamifies leaving your phone alone: a tree grows during your focus session and dies if you exit the app. It is a small one-time purchase and pairs well with the Pomodoro method. Meanwhile, the most underrated focus apps are already on your phone: iOS Screen Time and Android Digital Wellbeing Free set app time limits, downtime schedules, and focus modes that silence notifications — free, private, and impossible to uninstall.
A three-layer focus setup
- Layer 1 — Environment. Phone in another room or in a drawer. This beats any app and costs nothing.
- Layer 2 — Blocking. LeechBlock NG or Cold Turkey for the sites you drift to; built-in Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing limits on the phone.
- Layer 3 — Timing. Run focus sessions with a Pomodoro timer so "focus" has a start, an end, and a break.
- Review weekly. Check Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing stats every Friday; block whatever new site ate your hours.
Official resources
- Cold Turkey — official website
- Freedom — official website
- Forest — official website
- LeechBlock NG — official website
Related MFA Tools articles
- Best Pomodoro timer apps for focus
- Time blocking: a beginner's guide that works
- Browser-based productivity tools with nothing to install
- Best free productivity tools
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free focus app?
LeechBlock NG is the best free website blocker for browsers — unlimited rules, schedules, and time limits at no cost. On phones, the built-in Screen Time (iOS) and Digital Wellbeing (Android) are free, pre-installed, and cover app limits, downtime, and notification-silencing focus modes. Cold Turkey's free tier is the strongest free desktop blocker.
Do website blocker apps actually work?
They work by adding friction at the moment of weakness, and for most people that is enough: a blocked page interrupts the autopilot habit of opening a distracting site. They fail against determined circumvention, which is why they work best combined with environment changes (phone in another room) and timed focus sessions, not as a sole defense.
How do I block distracting apps on my phone?
Start with the built-in tools: on iPhone, use Screen Time to set app limits and downtime schedules; on Android, use Digital Wellbeing's app timers and focus mode. Both are free and cannot be casually uninstalled like third-party apps. For session-based focus with extra motivation, Forest adds a gamified penalty for leaving the app mid-session.
What is the difference between a focus app and a Pomodoro timer?
Focus blockers (Cold Turkey, Freedom, LeechBlock) remove access to distractions; Pomodoro timers (Pomofocus, Focus To-Do) structure time into work and break intervals. They solve different halves of the problem and work best together: the blocker stops you drifting to distracting sites, and the timer gives the focused work a defined start and finish.