The best website blockers for Chrome in 2026: an honest comparison

Five questions sort most blockers quickly:

• Where does it work? Chrome only, every browser on your computer, or your phone too.
• How does it block? A whole site, part of a site, just the feed, or a pause before the site opens.
• How hard is it to undo? One click, a waiting period, or a lock until a date you chose.
• What does it cost? Free, a one-time purchase, or a subscription that adds up over the years.
• Will you still use it next month? A timer, stats or a streak make it far more likely.

StayFocusd has been free since 2010 and still covers the basics well: daily time allowances, active hours, and the Nuclear Option, which can't be cancelled once it's on. If a strict daily limit is all you want, it's hard to beat for the price.

LeechBlock NG is free, open source and works in Firefox as well as Chrome. Up to 30 block sets, each with its own sites, times and limits, make it the most flexible option here. The trade-off is setup time, and it has no focus timer.

Cold Turkey is a desktop app rather than an extension, so it can block apps and every browser on the computer, and its locked blocks are genuinely hard to get around. Pro is a one-time $39 to $45. It doesn't run on Chromebook or Linux.

If your phone is the bigger problem, you want a tool with phone apps. Freedom runs synced sessions across your phone and computer ($39.99 a year, or $99.50 once). BlockSite syncs one blocklist across devices ($33.50 a year on its website). Both need an account.

one sec makes you take a breath before a distracting app or site opens. It's gentle enough to keep on for years, and works on phones too. The free version covers one app or site; pro is $19.99 a year in the US.

ZenTab is a Chrome extension that pairs blocking with a reason to come back every day. Intent Mode asks how long you need a site and closes it when time is up. Feed Eraser hides YouTube Shorts and feeds while keeping the useful parts of a site. A focus timer, ambience and a GitHub-style streak graph sit on your New Tab.

The free plan blocks 10 sites and adult sites, with no time limit on the plan itself. Pro is $10 once and adds unlimited blocking, schedules, Strict Mode and every feed filter. It's Chrome only, and it doesn't block apps.

• Only YouTube is the problem: Unhook, free.
• You want feeds gone everywhere, for free: News Feed Eradicator.
• Strict daily limits for free: StayFocusd.
• You need to block desktop apps or games: Cold Turkey.
• Your phone is where you lose time: Freedom or one sec.
• Chrome on your computer, with a timer and a streak: ZenTab.