Cold Turkey Blocker vs SelfControl
We give Cold Turkey Blocker and SelfControl the same GPA: 3.0 out of 4.0. Cold Turkey Blocker grades higher on features and platforms. SelfControl grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on 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
SelfControl
Free Mac app that blocks distracting sites until a timer ends
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACold Turkey BlockerVery good | 3.0GPASelfControlVery 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. One caveat: the pricing page doesn't show the figure as text, so $45 comes from a Zapier roundup. | AIt's free and open source under the GNU GPL, and the site lists no paid version. It's a volunteer project. |
| 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. | AThe complete app is free: timed blocks, blocklists or allowlists, saved lists and a command-line interface. There's nothing to upgrade to. |
| 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. | BBlocks that hold until the timer ends, even after a restart or deleting the app, with a blocklist or an allowlist that can also name mail servers and ports. That's its one job, and it does it hard. But there's no built-in scheduling or recurring blocks, and blocks don't work properly over a VPN. |
| 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. | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is as far as we'll go. Set a duration, add your sites, click Start. Firefox has to be quit and restarted after each block starts, and the FAQ warns that support replies can take months. |
| 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. | DmacOS only. The project's FAQ says there are no plans for Windows, Linux or iOS versions, and no integrations are listed. |
| Best for | a block on your computer you can't undo | a free Mac blocker you can't switch off mid-block |
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 SelfControl. How we grade
Where they differ
- Cold Turkey Blocker starts at $45 one-time purchase (Blocker Pro). SelfControl is free.
- Only Cold Turkey Blocker lists a Windows app.
- Only Cold Turkey Blocker lists a browser extension.
- Cold Turkey Blocker can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- SelfControl is open source, according to its own site.
- Cold Turkey Blocker also covers Pomodoro timer.
At a glance
| Cold Turkey Blocker | SelfControl | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $45 one-time purchase (Blocker Pro) | Free |
| Free plan | Blocker Free: website blocking, website exceptions, timed blocks and statistics, plus a 7-day trial of all Pro features. | Free and open-source software under the GNU GPL. The site lists no paid version. |
| Free trial | 7-day trial of all Pro features, included in the free version | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Cold Turkey Software, Inc. | Charlie Stigler and Steve Lambert |
| Price read from | zapier.com (not the vendor's own page) | selfcontrolapp.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 5, 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
SelfControl
- Mac users who want a free blocker they cannot switch off mid-block
- Blocking a fixed list of sites for a set number of hours
- People who prefer open-source software they can inspect or modify
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 vendor's pricing page did not show the Pro price as readable text; the $45 figure comes from a Zapier roundup updated in August 2026.
SelfControl
- macOS only: the project's FAQ says there are no plans for Windows, Linux or iOS versions.
- A running block cannot be ended early, and the app has no built-in scheduling or recurring blocks.
- Blocks do not work properly over a VPN, and Firefox has to be quit and restarted after each block starts.
- It is maintained by volunteers, almost entirely one person, and the FAQ warns that support replies can take months.
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.
SelfControl
- Blocks that cannot be undone
- Set a duration, add sites to the blocklist and click Start. The block holds until the timer expires, even after a restart or deleting the app.
- Blocklist or allowlist
- Block the domains you list, or switch to an allowlist that permits only its entries. Entries can also name mail servers or specific ports.
- Saved lists
- A list can be saved as a file from the File menu and opened again later or on another Mac, where it replaces the current list.
- Command-line interface
- SelfControl can be run from the Terminal, which lets advanced users write scripts that start blocks.
- Blocks longer than 24 hours
- Longer blocks are possible but hidden by default; the project wiki explains how to enable them and advises testing a list with a short block first.
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.
SelfControl
SelfControl$0
The complete Mac app: timed blocks, blocklists or allowlists, saved lists and a command-line interface.
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.
SelfControl
No public discounts listed.
