The best Cold Turkey alternatives for Mac
Cold Turkey is the strongest lock on the Mac, so the best alternative depends on why you’re leaving. For blocking that also covers your phone, try Freedom. For free, try SelfControl or Intentional. If hard blocks keep getting in the way of real work, try a nudge instead: FocusNod ($29 once) asks, and never blocks.
Last updated 25 September 2026 (prices and platforms re-checked)
At a glance
What you have now
Cold Turkey BlockerBlocker
- Price
- Free version; Pro $45 once
- Platforms
- Mac and Windows
- How it works
- Timed or scheduled blocklists with locks that are very hard to undo.
Blocking on your phone too
Blocker · Free tier; Premium $8.99/mo, or $3.33/mo billed yearly; lifetime $99.50 when checked
Free, uncancellable website blocks
Blocker · Free, open source
Free blocklists with calendar sync
Blocker · Free
No blocks, just a nudge when you drift
FocusNod(our app)
AI focus app · $29 once for up to 2 Macs; $23 for the first 100 customers
AI judgment plus a lock
AI focus app · Free with your own AI key; Pro $5/mo or $40/yr
| If you want… | Try | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blocking on your phone too | Freedom | Blocker | Free tier; Premium $8.99/mo, or $3.33/mo billed yearly; lifetime $99.50 when checked |
| Free, uncancellable website blocks | SelfControl | Blocker | Free, open source |
| Free blocklists with calendar sync | Intentional | Blocker | Free |
| No blocks, just a nudge when you drift | FocusNod(our app) | AI focus app | $29 once for up to 2 Macs; $23 for the first 100 customers |
| AI judgment plus a lock | Meoz | AI focus app | Free with your own AI key; Pro $5/mo or $40/yr |
Each pick, in full
Who it’s for, what it costs, where it runs, and one real strength and limitation each.
Freedom
BlockerBest for blocking the same distractions on Mac, iPhone and Android at once.
- Price
- Free tier; Premium $8.99/mo, or $3.33/mo billed yearly; lifetime $99.50 when checked
- Platforms
- Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, Chromebook
- How it works
- Blocks lists of sites and apps (or the whole internet) in sessions that sync across all your devices.
- Where it wins
- One session blocks every device, your phone included.
- Watch out for
- Scheduling, recurring sessions and Locked Mode need Premium.
Source: freedom.to/pricing, checked 25 September 2026.
SelfControl
BlockerBest for a free, unbreakable website block without paying for Pro.
- Price
- Free, open source
- Platforms
- Mac
- How it works
- Set a timer, list sites, press Start; the block can’t be undone until it ends.
- Where it wins
- Free, and genuinely impossible to cancel.
- Watch out for
- Blocks websites only, not apps.
Source: selfcontrolapp.com, checked 25 September 2026.
Intentional
BlockerBest for free scheduled focus sessions tied to your calendar.
- Price
- Free
- Platforms
- Mac (macOS 14+)
- How it works
- Blocklists and presets during focus sessions; closes blocked apps and sites.
- Where it wins
- Free, with Slack status and Google Calendar integration.
- Watch out for
- You maintain the lists; it doesn’t judge what you’re working on.
Source: intentionalmac.com, checked 25 September 2026.
FocusNod(our app)
AI focus appBest for people whose blocks kept catching work they needed, like tutorials or docs.
- Price
- $29 once for up to 2 Macs; $23 for the first 100 customers
- Platforms
- Mac (macOS 14+); launching October 2026
- How it works
- You set a task; each window you settle on is judged by its app name and title, and a small panel asks after about three minutes of clear drift.
- What it reads
- App name and window title; never screen content
- AI
- Built in, no key
- Where it wins
- Tells a tutorial from a detour, never looks at your screen, and costs $29 once.
- Watch out for
- A nudge, not a lock; Mac only; launches in October 2026.
Meoz
AI focus appBest for people who want AI to judge relevance but still want a lock.
- Price
- Free with your own AI key; Pro $5/mo or $40/yr
- Platforms
- Mac (macOS 14+)
- How it works
- AI checks whether your current tab or app fits your focus goal and nudges you.
- What it reads
- Current tab or app; says “zero screen capture”
- AI
- Your own key on the free plan; built in with Pro
- Where it wins
- A commitment lock: no pausing or changing settings until midnight.
- Watch out for
- Built-in AI is a subscription.
Source: meoz.ai, checked 25 September 2026.
How we chose
We picked the Mac apps most often weighed against Cold Turkey Blocker, across blocking, tracking and AI. For each one we checked the price and platforms on its own site or App Store listing on 25 September 2026, and wrote down one real strength and one real limitation. We didn’t include apps we couldn’t verify.
Launching October 2026
Try the nudge instead of the wall
FocusNod reads window titles, never your screen, and costs $29 once. The first 100 pay $23 (refundable), or get one email when it’s ready.
- No card for the waitlist
- Full refund until 7 days after launch
- No subscription, no account
Questions
Is Cold Turkey a one-time purchase?
Yes. Cold Turkey Pro is $45 once and covers your own computers; the free version blocks websites with timers. It runs on Mac and Windows, with no phone version.
What if Cold Turkey blocks things I need for work?
That’s the usual reason people leave blockers: the same site is work one minute and a detour the next. A judgment-based tool like FocusNod checks each window against your task instead, so a tutorial passes and a music video gets a question.
Is there a free Cold Turkey alternative?
Yes. SelfControl is free, open source, and just as hard to undo for websites. Intentional is free and also closes blocked apps.