The best website blockers for Chrome, compared

Quick comparison

• Pawse: cute cat design, right-click blocking, six friction levels from one click to hard lock, presets for Shorts and Reels, time and visit allowances. Free for 5 sites; Pro $4.99/month or $24.99/year. Chrome, Edge and Brave on desktop.
• LeechBlock NG: free and open source, with very flexible block sets, time limits and lockdowns. Plain, settings-heavy interface. Chrome, Firefox and Edge.
• StayFocusd: limits the total time you spend on distracting sites each day, with a “nuclear option” to block for a set time. Chrome.
• BlockSite: popular blocker with schedules and a focus mode, plus phone apps. Many features need a subscription.
• Cold Turkey: a desktop app for Windows and Mac rather than an extension. Very strict blocks that are hard to get around. Free basic version, paid Pro.
• Freedom: blocks sites and apps across your computer and phone at the same time. Paid subscription.

Details and prices can change; check each product's site for the latest.

When Pawse is the right pick

• You've quit strict blockers before because they felt like punishment.
• You want to block only the addictive part of a site, like Shorts or Reels.
• You want a budget (“30 minutes a day”) instead of an all-or-nothing block.
• You like tools that are nice to look at.

When something else is better

• You need blocking on your phone: Pawse is desktop-only, so look at Freedom or BlockSite.
• You want it free with every feature: LeechBlock NG.
• You want blocks you truly can't undo: Cold Turkey.

Questions