Cold Turkey alternatives for Mac

The short answer

The best Cold Turkey alternatives on Mac are SelfControl and Screen Time if you want something free, and Cactus, Focus or Freedom if you'll pay. Cactus is the closest fit if the browser extensions are your problem: it blocks at the system level, repeats on a weekly schedule, and costs $19.99 once. Cold Turkey is still stronger on app blocking, Windows support, multiple schedules and lock options.

This page is written by Maxi, who makes Cactus. Everything about other apps comes from their official pages, and prices are as of October 2026.

Why people look for a Cold Turkey alternative

Cold Turkey Blocker has a loyal following, and for good reason. Still, three reasons come up when people look elsewhere.

Pro costs $45

The pricing page doesn't print the price. It loads it from checkout, which charges US buyers $45.00 for Blocker Pro as of October 2026. Some comparison pages still say $39, which looks out of date. One r/productivity user summed up the reaction: "Cold Turkey but it's $45" (thread).

It's a one-time price that covers every computer you personally use, on Mac and Windows. That's fair value if you need it. But scheduled blocks are a Pro feature, so a free user who wants the same hours blocked every week has to pay.

On Mac it blocks through browser extensions

Cold Turkey's user guide has you install its extension in each browser it finds and allow it in incognito. A locked block requires the extension to stay enabled.

That works, but extensions are the part people learn to get around. One Mac user on r/coldturkeyblocker said guest mode, incognito and other Chrome profiles got past the block. The developer replied, "you need to lock the block to ensure the extension is there" (thread). Other users report that some Chromium browsers, such as Opera, Brave and Vivaldi, leave the extension inactive or let them remove it (thread).

The general complaint about extension blockers is blunt. One r/productivity user called them "willpower with extra steps" and said, "The moment I'm tired/stressed, I disable it, switch browsers, use incognito, or it just randomly breaks after an update" (thread).

It's a lot of tool for a simple rule

Seven lock types, Frozen Turkey, breaks, allowances and statistics are useful. If your rule is "no YouTube or X on weekdays from 9 to 5", most of that is settings you'll never open.

What Cold Turkey does better

Be clear on what you'd give up before you switch.

• App blocking. Pro blocks desktop apps. Cactus and SelfControl don't.
• Windows. One purchase covers your Macs and Windows PCs. Cactus is Mac only.
• Several schedules. Each Pro block has its own weekly schedule. Cactus has one schedule with one site list.
• Lock options. Timer, time range, random text, delay, restart, schedule and password locks, and a locked block stops the uninstaller. Some users rate it highly for this. One r/macapps user said "Cold Turkey is the hardest one" to bypass (thread).
• A real free tier. Blocker Free blocks websites, supports exceptions and timed blocks, and shows statistics.
• A 30-day refund and 20% off for students.

If you need app blocking or use Windows, the honest answer is to keep Cold Turkey.

The best Cold Turkey alternatives for Mac

1. Cactus: system-level blocking on a weekly schedule

Cactus for Mac blocks websites below the browser. Its background helper writes blocked domains into /etc/hosts and adds pf firewall rules, so the block applies in Safari, Chrome, Arc, Brave, Firefox and other browsers without an extension. There's no extension to disable, and incognito or a new browser profile doesn't change anything.

You set one schedule: weekdays, a start time, an end time and a site list. It starts every week on its own. Once a block is active, Cactus has no way to end it early. Edits made during a block apply to the next one.

What it doesn't do:

• No app blocking, and only one schedule.
• Whole sites only. Cactus blocks domain and www.domain, plus m.youtube.com for youtube.com and twitter.com for x.com. Add other hostnames like youtu.be yourself.
• It isn't as strict as a locked Cold Turkey block. A Mac administrator can still remove Cactus, and secure DNS in Chrome or Firefox, iCloud Private Relay, proxies and some VPNs can affect blocking. How Cactus blocks websites covers the details.
• No notifications. Status shows in the menu bar while the app is open.
• Mac only, macOS 14 or later.

It's $19.99 once with a 7-day trial that starts when you turn on your first schedule, no account or card (pricing).

Cactus suits Mac users who want the same work hours blocked every week in every browser, and don't need app blocking.

2. SelfControl: free, system-level, no schedule

SelfControl is free and open source. Like Cactus, it blocks with the pf firewall and the hosts file, so no extension is involved. Once a block starts, it can't be stopped, even if you restart or delete the app. Its FAQ says there's no scheduling, and no Windows version.

SelfControl suits anyone who wants a free, very strict block and is happy to start each one by hand. See SelfControl alternatives for the schedule problem.

3. Focus: one-time price, multiple schedules, app blocking

Focus is $49 for Focus 2 with one year of major updates, or $129 lifetime, as of October 2026. It has multiple schedules, app blocking and a Locked Mode that survives a restart. It controls browsers through macOS Automation permission, and Firefox needs its add-on. Mac only, with a 7-day trial.

Focus suits Mac users who want most of Cold Turkey Pro's features in a native Mac app.

4. Freedom: Mac, Windows and phone

Freedom runs on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chromebook and syncs blocklists. Its free plan includes app blocking and "Start Now" sessions up to 2 hours. Recurring sessions and Locked Mode need Premium, which is $8.99 a month, $3.33 a month billed yearly, or a Forever plan shown at $99.50 as of October 2026. It needs an account and uses a local proxy on Mac by default.

Freedom suits people who want one blocklist across a computer and a phone. More in Freedom alternatives.

5. 1Focus: cheap and in the Mac App Store

1Focus has a free tier with unlimited websites and apps and blocks of up to 6 hours, and "Active blocks cannot be canceled." Recurring schedules need Pro, which is $1.99 a month or $9.99 a year. It needs browser permission and supports Safari, Chrome, Brave, Edge, Opera and Arc, but not Firefox. No account.

1Focus suits people who want a low-cost Mac App Store app with app blocking.

6. Screen Time: free and already installed

Screen Time's Downtime runs every day or on custom hours per day, but it limits the whole Mac to the apps you allow rather than blocking a list of sites. "Block at Downtime" needs a Screen Time passcode.

Screen Time suits a free evening cut-off, especially if someone else keeps the passcode.

Cold Turkey vs the alternatives

Free Cold Turkey alternatives

If price is the only reason you're looking, start with Cold Turkey's own free tier. It still blocks websites. After that, SelfControl is the strongest free option on Mac, Screen Time is the only free one with a real schedule, and the free plans of 1Focus and Freedom work for shorter sessions. None of the free options gives you a recurring site-list schedule on Mac.

Which one should you pick?

Keep Cold Turkey if you need app blocking, Windows, or several schedules. Pick Cactus if you want the same hours blocked every week without browser extensions and one schedule is enough. Pick SelfControl if you want free and strict and don't mind starting each block by hand. Pick Focus for a native Mac app with more features, and Freedom if your phone needs blocking too.

For a wider view, see the best website blocker for Mac or Cold Turkey vs Freedom.