The best website blockers for distraction-free work

Start with the browser and the site

Website blockers differ in what they can restrict. Some work inside one browser. Others cover multiple applications or synchronize sessions between devices. Blocking a whole domain can also remove useful pages along with the distracting ones.

This is the Clank team's editorial shortlist, checked against official documentation on September 9, 2026. We have not performed comparative hands-on testing. Clank ranks first for our preferred combination of free MIT-licensed iPhone software, app and website choices, and an ordinary compatible NFC tag. It is not publicly available yet. The other tools below offer options you can use today.

1. Clank for website and app choices on iPhone

Clank's development build uses Apple's Screen Time controls to shield selected apps, categories, and websites. A paired NFC tag provides a physical way to clank and unclank. That combination is our editorial first choice when the distraction is on an iPhone and you want to leave the way to unblock across the room. See the tag workflow.

Clank does not provide a desktop browser extension or a computer-wide domain filter. Its website choices come through Apple's picker. Do not assume that a site selection covers every browser, embedded page, or alternate app route.

Clank targets iPhone on iOS 17 or later. As of September 9, 2026, its MIT-licensed codebase remains in a private repository, with no public source access, download, App Store build, or TestFlight link. Check availability before making plans around it.

2. LeechBlock NG for rules inside your browser

LeechBlock NG is a free extension for Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium browsers. It supports scheduled restrictions, time allowances, wildcard rules, and exceptions. This is a useful choice when you need to block a distracting part of your browsing while preserving access to specific pages. Read LeechBlock's capabilities.

The boundary is the configured browser. Another browser or the site's native app needs separate attention. Its developer also notes that blocking a page does not necessarily prevent the browser from briefly connecting to the site. Treat it as a browsing aid, not a network privacy control.

3. SelfControl for a timed Mac block

SelfControl is a free, open-source macOS app for temporarily blocking internet destinations, including websites and mail servers. Its official description says the block continues until the timer expires, even after restarting the computer or deleting the app. See SelfControl's scope.

Choose it when you want a fixed period without access to a known set of destinations. Check the list carefully and begin with a short interval. If you need fine distinctions between useful and distracting pages on the same site, inspect the available rules before choosing a domain-wide restriction.

4. Freedom for the website you open on every device

Freedom includes synchronized sessions across devices in its free plan, making it relevant when blocking a laptop site simply sends you to your phone. Its plan comparison identifies supported platforms and which scheduling features require Premium.

On iOS, Freedom documents a local VPN profile for website filtering across browsers and many apps, alongside Screen Time blocking. It can also use Apple's suggested website selections through Screen Time. Read the iOS blocking explanation. Check the required setup on each device instead of assuming identical behavior everywhere.

Freedom's custom blocklists block domains and subdomains, not individual URL paths. Adding a domain also blocks its subdomains. Website exceptions can allow individual pages on Mac and Windows, but do not work on iOS or Android and must be configured separately on each computer.

Browser support depends on mode. Freedom's Mac exception and non-proxy modes support Safari, Chrome, and Edge among other browsers, but hide Firefox because it is unsupported in those modes. Check this before relying on an exception in your work browser.

5. Cold Turkey for detailed desktop website rules

Cold Turkey Blocker serves Windows and macOS. Its documented website rules include whole domains, specific URLs, wildcard patterns, and website exceptions. It also describes blocking embedded content and locking blocks against changes. Review Cold Turkey's feature details.

Consider it when a broad site block removes resources you need. You might want to restrict one entertainment section while leaving a reference page available. Build the narrow rule first and verify it in your supported browsers. Check the current edition's features before paying for a setting you intend to rely on.

Its user guide explains that exceptions apply to the block you edit. Another active block can still restrict the page. The free edition includes website exceptions and timed blocks; schedules require Pro.

Check coverage before starting a long session

Test the paths you actually use to reach a distraction. Open the main domain, a bookmarked inner page, another browser profile, and the native app if you have it. Private windows may require separate extension permissions. The relevant result is whether your usual route is blocked, not whether one demonstration page works.

Then test the pages you need for work, including sign-in redirects and linked reference material. Keep the first session short enough to recover from a mistaken rule. Choose LeechBlock for browser rules, SelfControl for a timed Mac restriction, Freedom for several devices, or Cold Turkey for detailed desktop controls. Follow Clank if the physical iPhone approach is your priority. For tasks, notes, and planning around the session, see our productivity app guide. Our broader focus app guide also covers timers and progress feedback.