Productivity Tools
Best Distraction Blockers to Stay Focused in 2023
By Alex · Updated Mar 18, 2023
In 2023, the average person will spend more than 8 hours a day staring at a screen. That's more than half of our waking hours! It's no wonder that so many people feel overwhelmed and stressed out.
If you're looking for ways to limit your screen time, we've got you covered. In this post, we will discuss the best distraction blockers to help you get your life back on track.
The best distraction blocking apps
- Best overall: Freedom
- Best free for Windows: StayFocusd
- Best free for Mac: Self-Control
- Best for iPhone: Opal
- Best for Android: AppBlock
How to choose
There are a lot of different distraction blockers on the market, so how do you choose the right one for you? The best way to decide is to think about what features are important to you. Here are some things we considered:
- Is it easy to use?
- How much does it cost?
- Does it block distractions across all apps and services?
Best overall distraction blocker: Freedom
- Pricing: $8.99/month (or $3.33/month billed annually)
- Available on: Chrome, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Chromebook, Linux
- Pro: Feature-rich
- Con: Outdated UI
- Extra features: Cross-device sync, advance scheduling, ambient noise
Easily block websites and apps on your computer, phone, and tablet with Freedom. The original and best website and internet blocker - Freedom blocks distractions so you can be more focused and productive. Try it for free today!
Best free distraction blocker for Windows: StayFocusd
- Pricing: Free
- Available on: Chrome
- Pro: Ease of us
- Con: Blocking limited to browser
- Extra features: In-page blocking
StayFocusd increases your productivity by limiting the amount of time that you can spend on time-wasting websites.
Best free distraction blocker for Mac: SelfControl
- Pricing: Free
- Available on: Mac
- Pro: Open-source
- Con: Outdated UI
- Extra features: Blocklist
SelfControl is a free and open-source application for macOS that lets you block your own access to distracting websites, your mail servers, or anything else on the Internet.
Best distraction blocker for iPhone: Opal
- Pricing: $9.99/month (or $8.33/month billed annually)
- Available on: iPhone
- Pro: Cross-device blocking
- Con: Uses VPN
- Extra features: Schedules, analytics
Get screen time superpowers. The Opal app monitors and blocks distractions so you can create, work, and thrive each day. Try Opal for Free!
Best distraction blocker for Android: AppBlock
- Pricing: Free
- Available on: Android
- Pro: Ease of use
- Con: Time tracking not accurate
- Extra features: Custom reminders
AppBlock is the mobile tracker manager that helps you block annoying apps and websites, track your phone screen time, and set personal reminders to manage your productivity and focus on what is important.
All distraction blocking apps
Name | URL | Platforms |
---|---|---|
BlockSite | Chrome | |
Freedom | MacWindowsiPhoneAndroidLinuxChromebook Chrome | |
One Sec | MaciPhone | |
Cold Turkey Blocker | WindowsMac | |
StayFocusd | Chrome | |
Apple Screen Time | iPhoneiPadMac | |
AppBlock | Android | |
FocusMe | MacWindowsAndroidChrome | |
Self-Control | Mac | |
Opal | iPhone | |
Focus | Mac | |
HazeOver | Mac | |
LeechBlock | Chrome | |
Serene | Mac | |
Focus Bear | Mac |