FocusMe vs Freedom
We give FocusMe a 3.0 GPA and Freedom a 3.4, out of 4.0. Freedom grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on 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.
FocusMe
Website and app blocker with hard-to-bypass enforced plans
Freedom
Website and app blocker that runs across computers and phones
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFocusMeVery good | 3.4GPAFreedomVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPlans start at $9.95 a month, about twice the typical focus app, and the exact monthly and yearly amounts only appear when the pricing page loads. Lifetime is $249, which is more than four years of a typical subscription. A plan does cover up to 5 computers plus 2 phones or tablets, and students get 30% off. | 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 | BThe Android and iOS apps are free, and blocking, schedules and time limits work without paying. The desktop apps are another story: 14 days with every feature and no credit card, then you need a paid plan. | 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 | ABlock sites by URL, page title or RegEx, any desktop app or game, or just YouTube Shorts. Plans can block outright, set a daily time budget, cap launches or force screen breaks, on a schedule or in Pomodoro cycles. There's a task manager and an AI coach with weekly reports as well. | 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 | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is as far as we'll go. It's an app you install and use, though with this many kinds of plan and protection there's a fair bit to set up first. | 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 | BWindows, Mac and Linux, plus Android and iPhone apps and a browser extension. That's nearly everything. But no integrations or API are listed, and plan sync for Android is still in development. | 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 blocker you can't talk your way out of | 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: FocusMe and Freedom. How we grade
Where they differ
- FocusMe starts at $9.95 / month (per the pricing page title); $249 lifetime. Freedom starts at $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99).
- Only FocusMe lists a Linux app.
- FocusMe also covers tasks, Pomodoro timer and time tracking.
- Freedom also covers focus music.
At a glance
| FocusMe | Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.95 / month (per the pricing page title); $249 lifetime | $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99) |
| Free plan | The Android and iOS apps are free to download, and blocking, schedules and time limits work without paying. The desktop apps need a paid plan after the 14-day trial. | 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 | 14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required | 7-day free trial on the yearly Premium plan |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Reclaim Time Ltd. | Eighty Percent Solutions Corporation |
| Price read from | focusme.com | freedom.to |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FocusMe
- People who tend to switch off or uninstall their own blocker
- Blocking websites and desktop apps on Windows, Mac or Linux
- Buyers who want a lifetime licence instead of a subscription
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
FocusMe
- Monthly and yearly prices are filled in by the payment provider when the pricing page loads; its text states only plans from $9.95 a month and $249 for lifetime.
- The US App Store lists in-app subscriptions at $3.99 and $15.99 a month and $24.99 and $119.99 a year, without saying what each one covers.
- The desktop apps have no free tier once the 14-day trial ends; only the Android and iOS apps can be used without paying.
- On Android, uninstall protection exists only in the direct-download version, not the Play Store one, and plan sync for Android is still in development.
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
FocusMe
- Website and app blocking
- Block sites by URL, partial URL, page title or RegEx across all browsers, and any desktop app or game. Short-form video such as YouTube Shorts can be blocked while the rest of a site stays open.
- Enforced Mode and plan protection
- An enforced plan cannot be stopped once it is active. Lighter settings include typing a string of random characters, stop delays, pause limits and approval from an accountability partner.
- Block, limit or break plans
- Each plan can fully block its targets, give them a daily, weekly or monthly time budget, cap how many times a day they can be launched, or enforce full-screen breaks.
- Schedules and Pomodoro cycles
- A plan can run from an on-demand Quick Timer, a weekly schedule, Pomodoro work and break cycles, or a multi-day plan.
- AI Productivity Coach
- Weekly reports compare your screen time with your tasks and goals and recommend changes. Turning Coach on sends the names of the sites and apps you used, with times, to the service.
- Built-in task manager
- Tasks have priorities, due dates, categories, recurrence and streaks, and the Coach reads the list when it writes its reports.
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
FocusMe
Mobile apps$0
Android and iOS apps are free to download; blocking, schedules and time limits work without paying. Syncing plans with a computer needs Premium.
Monthly or YearlyFrom $9.95
per month; per-plan amounts are filled in at page load
All features on up to 5 computers plus 2 phones or tablets. The page title gives plans from $9.95 a month; the exact monthly and yearly amounts could not be read.
Lifetime$249
one-time
Pay once for the same features with free updates. The vendor defines lifetime as for as long as the product exists.
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
FocusMe
- Lifetime license
Lifetime licence for a one-time $249
The pricing page lists a Lifetime plan at $249, paid once, with free updates. FocusMe defines lifetime access as lasting for as long as the product exists.
- Education
30% off for students and educators
FocusMe offers a 30% educational discount to students and people who work in education, requested through a form with an educational email address.
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.
