Cold Turkey Blocker vs Freedom
We give Cold Turkey Blocker a 3.0 GPA and Freedom a 3.4, out of 4.0. Freedom grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cold Turkey Blocker
Website and app blocker for Windows and Mac with strict locks
Freedom
Website and app blocker that runs across computers and phones
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACold Turkey BlockerVery good | 3.4GPAFreedomVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is a one-time $45 and covers every computer you personally use, with no subscription. Fair for what it does. The pricing page loads the figure from its payment provider, which gives $45 for a buyer in the US. | B$39.99 a year covers every device you own, and there's a pay-once Forever plan listed at $199. Fair, not cheap. ScreenZen is free and one sec is $19.99 a year. Monthly is $8.99, so go yearly if you pay at all. |
| Free plan and trial | BBlocker Free blocks websites for a set time and shows your stats. But the locks, schedules and app blocking are all Pro, and they're the reason to pick this one. You get 7 days of Pro to try them. | BFree blocks sites, apps or the whole internet on as many devices as you like. But sessions stop at 2 hours and you have to start each one by hand. Scheduling and Locked Mode are paid. |
| Features | ABlocks sites, single pages, YouTube channels, apps or the whole internet. Then it locks: by timer, restart, password or up to 5,000 characters of random text. A locked block even stops you uninstalling it. | ABlocks websites, apps or the entire internet, on several devices in one session. There are ready-made blocklists, an allow-only mode on Mac and Windows, schedules, Locked Mode and focus sounds. |
| Ease of use | BMake a list, set a timer, start the block. There's no rating on record to show how people get on, so a B. Think before you lock, because a locked block won't let you change your mind. | B4.4 from about 5,900 App Store ratings. Starting a session takes a few taps. iPhone is the fiddly one, with Screen Time permissions to grant, and reviewers say scheduled sessions sometimes wait until you open the app. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows and Mac only, and one purchase covers both. Cold Turkey says Linux, ChromeOS, Android and iOS are not supported, so your phone is still fair game. | AMac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android apps, and one session can cover all of them. Chromebook and Linux get a browser extension that blocks websites only. There's no API, and it doesn't hook into other apps. |
| Best for | a block on your computer you can't undo | blocking your laptop and phone in one go |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cold Turkey Blocker and Freedom. How we grade
Where they differ
- Cold Turkey Blocker starts at $45 one-time purchase (Blocker Pro). Freedom starts at $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99).
- Only Freedom lists iOS and Android apps.
- Cold Turkey Blocker also covers Pomodoro timer.
- Freedom also covers focus music.
At a glance
| Cold Turkey Blocker | Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $45 one-time purchase (Blocker Pro) | $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99) |
| Free plan | Blocker Free: website blocking, website exceptions, timed blocks and statistics, plus a 7-day trial of all Pro features. | Block websites, apps or the whole internet on unlimited devices, with custom blocklists and focus sounds. Start Now sessions only, up to 2 hours each. |
| Free trial | 7-day trial of all Pro features, included in the free version | 7-day free trial on the yearly Premium plan |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Cold Turkey Software, Inc. | Eighty Percent Solutions Corporation |
| Price read from | getcoldturkey.com | freedom.to |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Cold Turkey Blocker
- People who talk themselves out of softer blockers mid-session
- Buyers who want a one-time purchase instead of a subscription
- Blocking desktop applications and games as well as websites
Freedom
- People who want one blocking session to cover a computer and a phone together
- Cutting off the whole internet, not only selected sites, for a set period
- Buyers who would rather pay once for lifetime access than subscribe
Worth knowing
Cold Turkey Blocker
- Windows and macOS only: the vendor states that Linux, ChromeOS, Android and iOS are not supported.
- The free version blocks websites only; application blocking, schedules, locks, breaks and allowances need Pro.
- The pricing page fills in the Pro price by the buyer's country: $45 is the US figure in the price data the page loads, read on October 9, 2026.
Freedom
- Free accounts are limited to Start Now sessions of up to 2 hours; scheduling, recurring sessions and Locked Mode need Premium.
- Linux and Chromebook are supported through the browser extension only, and app blocking is not available on Chromebook.
- Website exceptions, which allow only the sites you list, work on Mac and Windows only.
Key features
Cold Turkey Blocker
- Website blocking with wildcards
- Block whole domains, single URLs, YouTube channels or search keywords, using wildcards for patterns. Blocking everything and listing exceptions turns it into an allow list.
- Application blocking
- Pro blocks applications or whole folders of them. On Windows it can also block Microsoft Store apps and match on window titles.
- Locks
- A block can be locked by timer, time range, delay, restart, password or a string of random text up to 5,000 characters. A locked block also prevents uninstalling the app.
- Weekly schedule
- Pro lets you drag blocks onto a schedule that repeats every week, and can lock, log off or shut down the computer at set times.
- Breaks and allowances
- Pro adds Pomodoro cycles that switch blocking on and off, time allowances for blocked items, and breaks earned after a set period of work.
- Usage statistics
- Tracks website and application use to show your main distractions. The data stays on your computer and can be exported as JSON.
Freedom
- Website, app and internet blocking
- A session can block chosen websites, chosen apps or all internet access. App blocking covers Mac, Windows, iOS and Android but not Chromebook.
- Preset and custom blocklists
- Start from a preset list of distracting sites and apps or build your own. On Mac and Windows a list can also work in reverse, allowing only the sites you name.
- Sessions across devices
- One session can include several devices at once, such as a laptop and a phone. Every plan, including Free, allows unlimited devices.
- Scheduled and recurring sessions
- Premium lets sessions start automatically at a set time and repeat on a schedule. Free accounts can only start a session immediately.
- Locked Mode
- A Premium setting that prevents a session from being ended before its timer runs out.
- Focus sounds
- Background audio for a session, with a choice of music and ambient recordings such as cafes, libraries and nature.
Plans
Cold Turkey Blocker
Blocker Free$0
Website blocking, website exceptions, timed blocks and statistics.
Blocker Pro$45
one-time purchase
Adds application blocking, scheduled blocks, all locking features, breaks and allowances, and passwords. One purchase covers every computer you personally use.
Freedom
Free$0
Website, app and internet blocking on unlimited devices with custom blocklists. Start Now sessions only, capped at 2 hours.
Premium Yearly$3.33
per month, billed yearly ($39.99)
Adds scheduled, recurring and start-later sessions, Locked Mode, sessions longer than 2 hours and partner discounts.
Premium Monthly$8.99
per month, billed monthly
The same Premium features as the yearly plan, paid month to month.
Forever$199
one-time purchase
Lifetime Premium access with no recurring charge. The pricing page showed it marked down to $99.50 on the date checked.
Ways to pay less
Cold Turkey Blocker
- Education
Students can request 20% off
The pricing page says students can request 20% off through a link in the support page FAQ, which checks that the email address belongs to a school.
- Other savings
Save 10% on the three-product bundle
Buying Blocker, Writer and Micromanager together is advertised at 10% off. Each is a one-time payment with no subscription.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On October 9, 2026 the pricing page showed Blocker Pro at ₹2,499.00, tax included, to a reader in India. The price data it loads for a US buyer gives $45.00.
Freedom
- Annual discount
Lower price with yearly billing
Premium costs $39.99 billed yearly, shown as $3.33 a month, against $8.99 billed monthly. The pricing page labels the yearly option "Save 40%".
- Lifetime license
Forever plan: pay once for lifetime Premium
Freedom sells lifetime Premium access as a single payment with no recurring charges. The list price is $199; the pricing page showed $99.50 on the date checked.
