The 10 best website blockers for studying and focus

We are surrounded by distractions in the digital world. With constant notifications and endless entertainment just a click away, a simple task like sending an email can easily morph into a two-hour YouTube viewing session. Online distractions can disturb you while working or studying, stealing your time, and ruining your productivity.

Fortunately, there are many tools you can use to eliminate distractions. If you’re looking for a distraction blocker, website blockers are especially effective. Read on to learn how website blockers work and what the top 10 solutions available right now are.

What are website blockers, and how do they work?

Website blockers are apps and extensions that restrict access to specific websites. When set up by the user, they can help create a distraction-free browsing experience by letting you make a list of websites to blacklist during a specific time of the day.

Website blockers are used for several purposes, from parental control to maintaining focus. They can help prevent procrastination and improve your workflow.

There are also smartphone apps that can help you stay focused by blocking distracting apps on your iOS or Android device. This way, you won’t have to uninstall your distracting apps to stay on track.

10 best website blockers

There are many website blockers to choose from. To help you pick the right one for you, we’ve put together the following list.

Freedom

Freedom helps you reclaim your productivity by steering clear of distracting websites. When this app is active, you will see a reminder that directs you back to your work whenever you try to access a blocked website. The app also lets you schedule when you want your block lists to be active. Freedom is available on all major platforms, including Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Chromebook, and Linux devices.

Forest

The Forest app is a creative take on website blockers. It’s a self-motivated focus app that rewards users with a virtual forest when they keep their screen time low. Your in-app trees can also contribute to a better cause. The team behind Forest donates some of their proceeds to make the Earth greener. Forest is available for Android and iOS devices, where it helps users stay focused by blocking apps, but it is also available as a Chrome extension.

PawBlock

PawBlock is the perfect website-blocking browser extension for cat lovers. This free Google Chrome and Firefox extension is simple but effective. After installing it, you’ll be able to define the list of sites you want to avoid. When you attempt to open the blocked site, a reminder with a cat picture will pop up.

RescueTime

RescueTime is an excellent productivity app with advanced features. This app was designed to make users feel motivated by tracking their daily to-do lists and giving them guidance. It also provides users with detailed reports, so they’ll learn about their time management habits. RescueTime is available for macOS and Windows devices.

Pause

Pause is another helpful tool from the creators of Freedom. This Chrome browser extension prevents users from mindlessly opening distracting websites. Although it doesn’t hard block the sites in question, it gives the user time to rethink their decision and leave the page before it loads. It fosters good time management habits.

Focus

Focus is an app blocker for Mac users that fosters productivity and motivation. When Focus is active on your device, an inspirational quote will help you stay on track every time you try to open something on your blacklist. You can even block the entire internet and whitelist only the apps and pages you need for studying, like Slack.

Cold Turkey Blocker

Website blockers are often easy to bypass. Cold Turkey is for those looking for a solution that’s harder to ignore. The free version offers many custom lock modes, from time limits to random text locks. The pro version also lets you password-lock your blocker or use Pomodoro timers to optimize your workday. Cold Turkey is available as a desktop app for Windows and macOS and as a browser extension for all major browsers, including Edge, Opera, Brave, etc.

Limit

Limit, from the developers of Freedom, is another extension that helps you control the amount of time you spend on distracting websites. This app lets you set a daily time limit for any website you want. This prevents you from spending the whole day on social media. Decide which sites are worth your attention and get back to studying when the timer’s up.

SelfControl

SelfControl is an open-source app available for macOS devices. While most other apps will allow you to access distracting websites if you override their reminders, SelfControl will keep you away no matter what. The app will block blacklisted websites until the timer expires, even if you remove it from your device.

StayFocusd

StayFocusd is another web browser extension that lets you take charge of your time with time tracking functionality. You can set a time limit for accessibility to any website to block distractions. After the time is up, the website will be inaccessible for the remainder of the day. The free app is only available for Chrome.

Honorable mentions

Although we’ve already covered the top 10 website blockers, here are a few more honorable mentions which will help you boost your productivity.

FocalFilter

FocalFilter is a cost-free productivity utility that enables you to concentrate better by temporarily restricting access to web pages that cause distraction. You decide which websites to block and the duration of the blockage. Once the block period is over, you regain access to these websites. FocalFilter is compatible with Windows and Mac OS X.

BlockSite

BlockSite is a browser add-on capable of blocking websites as per your preference. It offers a unique feature to block specific pages within a site. BlockSite is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. It also includes a work mode setting to block all distracting websites and applications.

FocusMe

FocusMe is a specialized app designed to enhance your focus by obstructing access to distracting websites and applications. It also offers other features like timetable setting, integration with the Pomodoro technique, and usage statistics. FocusMe can be used on Windows, Mac OS X, Android, and iOS.

Serene

Exclusively designed for Mac OS, Serene is a web-blocking tool that restricts access to distracting websites and applications during a session. It also aids in forming an optimal deep work setting by muting your phone, updating your Slack status, and managing Internet-connected lights, among other features.

Leechblock NG

Leechblock NG is a simple website blocker and is accessible as a browser add-on for either Google Chrome or Firefox. It offers additional features such as scheduling and password protection. The blocker also allows users to block up to 30 websites at different times and days. For example, you can block sites with different time periods, such as 10 minutes, or a schedule block between 9 AM and 5 PM on Mondays.

Opal

Opal is a web-blocking tool designed to keep your focus intact by restricting access to distracting websites. It incorporates features such as schedule setting and usage statistics. It also allows users to block all apps and websites except the ones you whitelist. Opal is available for use on iPhone and Chrome.

Boost your focus with Speechify

There are undeniably many tools that can remove distractions by blocking websites. To take it a step further, you can also look into other tools that help boost your focus and productivity while you’re studying. For instance, reviewing your materials in a new way might help you remember them better.

Speechify is a text to speech app you can use to listen to digital text spoken by a human-like voice. You can use it for your study materials, textbooks, or even educational websites and absorb information simultaneously through multiple channels. It can be helpful if you’re an auditory learner or preparing for a presentation or speech.

Try Speechify for free to see how it works. You can also upgrade to the premium version to unlock even more helpful text to speech features. Additionally, the app is available on all platforms, from mobile devices like Android or iOS (iPhone and iPad), to Mac or Windows computers, and even web browsers like Chrome and Safari—so you’ll be able to study no matter where you are.

FAQ

What are some distracting websites?

Endless social media feeds, video streaming sites, shopping pages, and news sites are some of the most distracting pages.

What are the benefits of using a website blocker?

A website blocker will help you stay focused on studying by preventing you from opening distracting sites.

What is the best way to study?

You should take regular breaks and keep your study area organized and free of distractions. Using the Pomodoro technique can also help you stick to an important work schedule.