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A SelfControl alternative for Mac

SelfControl is a free Mac app that blocks websites for a set time and can't be stopped until the timer runs out. If that works for you, keep it. This page is for people who want the same system-level blocking on a schedule, with a way to take a break.

Checked September 2026

Focus Firewall window showing the Browsing Report: a focus score of 87, time per site and an hourly timeline Menu bar popover with the firewall running, today's focus time and the blocked categories
Which one fits

SelfControl and Focus Firewall

SelfControl

Free and open source, for Mac only. A direct download from selfcontrolapp.com.

Good when you want a block with no way out. Start a timer and the sites on your list stay blocked until it ends, even if you restart the Mac or delete the app. It works in every browser, with no extensions.

Falls short when you want it to start by itself. There is no schedule, so each block is started by hand. It doesn't block apps, a running block can't be paused or edited, and the latest release is from November 2021.

The one we make

Focus Firewall

A system-level blocker for Mac that runs on your work schedule. Free for 7 days.

Good when you want blocking that is already on when you sit down, every workday, and a pause that ends by itself. It blocks apps too, comes with 155+ sites already listed, and shows where your time went.

Falls short when you want a block you truly can't get out of. Focus Firewall can always be stopped with Touch ID or your password. It's also a paid app after the 7-day trial, and SelfControl is free.

More blockers, compared: our roundup of focus apps for Mac

Side by side

What each one does

Disclaimer: Focus Firewall is our app. The SelfControl column comes from selfcontrolapp.com, the SelfControl FAQ and its GitHub repository, as they stood in September 2026. If something has changed since, tell us and we'll fix it.

SelfControl
Focus
Firewall
Blocks in every browser, with no extensions
Blocks apps as well as websites
Turns on and off by schedule
Can be paused for a break
Can be stopped early
Never
With Touch ID
Distracting sites already listed
Two short lists
155+ sites
Shows your time on distracting sites
Latest release
Nov 2021
Sep 2026
Price
Free
From $2.99 a month
macOS asking for Touch ID because Focus Firewall is trying to turn off blocking Menu bar popover with the pause menu open: 1, 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes, 1 hour, or until tomorrow
The main difference

Off takes a deliberate step. Pause takes one click

Stopping the block asks for Touch ID or your password. Pausing is easy on purpose: pick one, five, ten, fifteen or thirty minutes, or an hour, and blocking comes back by itself when the time is up. Tomorrow morning it starts again on schedule, whatever happened today.

“I was looking for a SelfControl alternative and stumbled on this. Turns out it's way better.”
★★★★★Mac App Store review
Setup

Running in under a minute

  1. InstallDownload from the Mac App Store. macOS asks once for the permission that lets Focus Firewall filter traffic.
  2. Pick what distracts youSocial Media, Streaming Video, News and Shopping are ready-made lists. Add any other site or app yourself.
  3. Set your work hoursBlocking turns itself on and off on that schedule from then on.
The Social Media blocklist: LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Bluesky, Reddit, Facebook and more, each with a switch Add website sheet with chess.com typed in; it will block the site and all of its subdomains

Try it beside SelfControl for a week

No extensions, no account. Nothing leaves your Mac.

Download on the Mac App Store Free for 7 days. Plans from $2.99 a month or $29.99 once.

Questions about switching from SelfControl

No. It's free for 7 days, then $2.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $29.99 once. Every plan has every feature.

Yes, and that's on purpose. Stopping or pausing takes a few clicks and Touch ID or your password, which is enough friction to make you think twice. If you want a block that can't be undone until a timer ends, SelfControl is the better tool for that.

Yes. You set your work days and hours once, and blocking turns on and off on that schedule. There's nothing to start each morning.

Probably not many. 155+ distracting sites are already listed in categories like Social Media, Streaming Video and News, and you can add any other site or app yourself.
Focus Firewall application icon
Minimalist web blocker for Mac

©2024 Focus Firewall • Developed by Terran
App Store, Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.