Focus vs Unhook (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Unhook grades higher than Focus: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Focus grades higher on features. Unhook grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. 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.
Focus
Mac app that blocks distracting websites and apps on a schedule
Which one is for you
Pick Focus if
- Fits if you work on a Mac and want the same sites shut at the same hours every day
- Makes sense if you'd rather pay $49 once than subscribe, and want a session you can't cancel
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows, or if your phone is the real problem, as it's Mac only
- Not for you if you want a free version to stay on, because after the 7-day trial it's $49
- Pricey if you want every future update: $49 covers a year of major updates, and lifetime updates are the $129 license
- Watch out: Firefox needs the Focus add-on installed; Safari, Chrome and the other big Mac browsers don't
- Tight if you're buying for a team, as bulk licenses are by custom quote with no price published
Pick Unhook if
- Fits if you open YouTube for one video and leave
- Works for people who want the home feed and comments gone
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to block sites other than YouTube
- Skip it if you use Safari, as no version is listed
- Watch out: settings live in each browser and do not carry between devices
- Too light for a phone, since it is an extension for desktop browsers
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFocusFair | 3.0GPAUnhookVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$49 once for Focus 2, no subscription. Focus apps that bill monthly sit around $3.99, so $49 pays for itself inside two years of one. The catch is that the licence covers a year of major updates; every future update means the $129 Lifetime. | AFree with no paid plan, only a voluntary contributions request on its Firefox page. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. You get a 7-day trial before you buy and a 30-day money-back guarantee after, and a guarantee isn't a trial. One week is all you get free. | AEverything is free and toggled from the popup. |
| Features | BBlocks sites in the popular Mac browsers, or everything bar an allow list, hides blocked apps and force quits the stubborn ones, runs on schedules and Pomodoro rounds, and locks a session so a restart won't end it. Password-locked profiles, stats and Bash scripts too. The listing shows no gap in the blocking job. | CHides the home feed, related videos, comments, Shorts and other parts and turns off autoplay. It does that one job fully, but it is only YouTube. |
| Ease of use | BDrag an app or a site onto the menu bar icon to block it. Firefox needs the Focus add-on; Safari, Chrome and the rest don't. No rating on record to check it against. | BNo rating on record, but you install it and flip switches with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac, and only Mac. No Windows, iPhone or Android version is listed, so one operating system is the whole of it. AppleScript and your own Bash scripts are the only hooks listed. | CBrowser extension only, for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. |
| Best for | blocking sites and apps on a Mac, on a schedule | cutting YouTube recommendations |
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: Focus and Unhook. How we grade
Where they differ
- Focus can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Focus also covers Pomodoro timer, time tracking and menu bar app.
At a glance
| Focus | Unhook | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $49 one-time purchase (Focus 2); the older Focus 1 is $29 | Free |
| Free plan | None | The extension is free. The developer asks for voluntary contributions on its Firefox add-on page. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee after purchase | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Extremely Studios | Unhook |
| Price read from | heyfocus.com | addons.mozilla.org |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Focus
- Mac only: the vendor lists no Windows, iPhone or Android version.
- There is no free plan; after the 7-day trial a license costs $49, or $129 with lifetime updates.
- The $49 Focus 2 license covers one year of major updates and three years of minor updates.
- Firefox needs the Focus add-on installed; Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera and Vivaldi work without one.
Unhook
- Works only on YouTube.
- Settings live in the browser, so they do not carry between browsers or devices on their own.
- Its privacy policy says extension data stays in the browser's local storage and nothing is transmitted.
- No Safari version is listed; the site links Chrome, Firefox and Edge.
Key features
Focus
- Website blocking
- Blocks chosen websites in the popular Mac browsers, or blocks the whole internet apart from an allow list. Rules can also target specific pages and words.
- App blocking
- Hides a blocked Mac app and, if it keeps reappearing, closes or force quits it. Apps and sites can be added by dragging them onto the menu bar icon.
- Timers and Pomodoro mode
- Built-in timers, including a Pomodoro mode with a chosen number of work rounds, pair blocking with planned breaks.
- Schedules
- Daily, weekly or weekend schedules start blocking at set times without any action from you, and schedules can run overnight.
- Locked Mode and password locks
- A locked session or schedule cannot be stopped until it ends, even after quitting the app or restarting the Mac. Profiles can be locked behind a password.
- Statistics and scripting
- Tracks focused time by day, week, month and year for each profile. Workflows run Bash scripts when a session or break starts or ends, alongside URL handlers and AppleScript.
Unhook
- Hide the home feed
- Removes homepage recommendations, the trending tab and the Explore section.
- Hide related videos
- Removes the sidebar suggestions and the end-screen video wall and cards.
- Hide comments
- Removes the comments section, with options for profile photos and live chat.
- Hide Shorts and more
- Options cover the Shorts tab, notification bell, top header, video description and buttons bar.
- Turn off autoplay
- Disables autoplay and annotations.
Plans
Focus
Focus 1$29
one-time purchase
The original version with core blocking features, still sold on the checkout page as an older release.
Focus 2$49
one-time purchase
Website and app blocking, schedules, timers and Pomodoro, locked sessions, profiles, password locks, statistics and scripting, with a year of free updates.
Lifetime$129
one-time purchase
Everything in Focus 2, plus early access to new versions and lifetime updates.
Bulk licensesCustom
Special pricing for teams and organizations, by custom quote from the vendor.
Unhook
Free$0
All options, toggled from the extension popup; no paid plan is listed.
Ways to pay less
Focus
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license with every future update
The Lifetime license is a one-time $129 payment that adds lifetime updates and early access to new versions; the $49 Focus 2 license includes one year of free updates.
- Other savings
Bulk pricing for teams and organizations
The checkout page's FAQ says Focus offers special pricing for teams and organizations and asks them to get in touch for a custom quote.
Unhook
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Focus or Unhook?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Focus starts at $49 one-time purchase (Focus 2); the older Focus 1 is $29, and Unhook is free.
Which has a free plan, Focus or Unhook?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Unhook has a free plan. Focus does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Focus and Unhook run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Focus lists a macOS app and only Unhook lists a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.