The best SelfControl alternatives for Mac
SelfControl is free and impossible to cancel, but it only blocks websites. To block apps with locks just as firm, try Cold Turkey Pro ($45 once). For free app and site blocking with calendar sync, Intentional. To block your phone too, Freedom. If blocks keep catching work you need, 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
SelfControlBlocker
- 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.
Block apps too, with locks just as firm
Blocker · Free version; Pro $45 once
Free app and site blocking with calendar sync
Blocker · Free
Blocking on your phone too
Blocker · Free tier; Premium $8.99/mo, or $3.33/mo billed yearly; lifetime $99.50 when checked
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block apps too, with locks just as firm | Cold Turkey Blocker | Blocker | Free version; Pro $45 once |
| Free app and site blocking with calendar sync | Intentional | Blocker | Free |
| Blocking on your phone too | Freedom | Blocker | Free tier; Premium $8.99/mo, or $3.33/mo billed yearly; lifetime $99.50 when checked |
| 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.
Cold Turkey Blocker
BlockerBest for blocking apps as well as sites, with locks that stay on once a block starts (Pro).
- 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.
- Where it wins
- The strongest locks here: when a block starts, it stays.
- Watch out for
- Blocking apps, scheduling and locks need Pro; no phone version.
Source: getcoldturkey.com/pricing, checked 25 September 2026.
Intentional
BlockerBest for free focus sessions that close blocked apps and sites and follow 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.
Freedom
BlockerBest for blocking the same distractions on your 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.
FocusNod(our app)
AI focus appBest for people who stopped using SelfControl because it kept blocking work they needed.
- 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 until midnight.
- 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 SelfControl, 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 SelfControl still free?
Yes. SelfControl is free and open source, and runs on the Mac. You set a timer, list the sites, and press Start.
Can SelfControl block apps?
No, SelfControl blocks websites only. Cold Turkey Pro and Intentional can block apps as well as sites.
Can I stop a SelfControl block early?
No, and that’s the point: the block stays until its timer ends. If that keeps stopping work you need, a nudge that knows your task, like FocusNod, may suit you better than a harder lock.