The following table was compiled by Jeff Hascall, who did the research on behalf of Plucky.
It is hoped that the information contained in this table will be merged into this more comprehensive site before too long.
-- Jon Wilkes, 2022-06-16
| Software / Site | Cost Model | Platforms | Audience | Support Model | How it works | Continual vs. Scheduled/Manual | How easy to bypass or turn off | Accountability Partner | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Plucky https://www.pluckyfilter.com |
$0-15 subscription; min $2 requested in developed countries | Linux, Windows, MacOS, Android | Adults/families/teens looking to limit Internet content and access to certain sites | Online manual, help documentation, FAQ, forums, contact form, direct contact | Blocks content (e.g. images) on sites or entire sites based on customizable options, including additional features for filtering and accountability | Blocking is continually active with the ability to schedule changes in configuration throughout the day. | If installed with "system" feature enabled, it is very difficult to bypass, users can access sites through the approval of an accountability partner or after a preset delay | Results can be sent to an accountability partner | Flexible, supports a wide range of individuals from self-motivated to compulsive users, allows blocking of content within a page instead of blocking entire pages | No iOS, can be difficult to configure |
|
SelfControl https://selfcontrolapp.com |
Free; open-source | Mac OS | DIY users who want a way to effectively block websites | Support docs and FAQ. Author or other users may address issues through Github | Very straightforward: websites are specifically blacklisted and then those sites are blocked for a predetermined amount of time | Blocking is only active when a manual session is initiated with a time limit | Nearly impossible to turn off when blocking | Not available | Simple, free, extremely difficult to circumvent | Mac OS only, limited support, doesn’t work for certain networks like VPN's or some university networks |
|
Remojo https://www.remojo.com/ |
$4-$5/mo subscription (free 3-day trial) | Windows, MacOS, Android | Adults/teens who want to break the habits of viewing pornography and/or self-gratification | Online contact form, community support through app | Focused around a 90-day program that not only blocks apps and sites but also provides regular content to help you understand addiction and address the myths about porn and self-gratification | Blocking is continually active and what you can see is controlled by your steps through the program | Could not find specifics but based on the program, I have to believe it's very hard to circumvent | Automatically provided through program community | Supplemental content is provided about the dangers of adult content and addiction, guided program creates awareness around user's core motivations, community support built into app | No iOS, light support model, designed for specific user base |
|
Truple https://truple.io |
$16/mo or $160/yr subscription (no free option), student discount available | Mac OS, Windows, Android, iOS (limited), ChromeOS, Linux, Kindle Fire | Anyone who needs complete device and Internet monitoring, targeted specifically at porn users and families | Online manual, FAQ, contact email | Takes regular screenshots unbeknownst to the user and sends them to an accountability partner | Screen capture is continually active while the monitored device is being used | Cannot be disabled once installed | Relies on results sent to an accountability partner | Addresses all potential unwanted behaviors on the device from porn usage to chatting to reducing distractions, extremely tamper-proof, little configuration required, algorithms will attempt to redact or blur personal information | Effectiveness is dependent on accountability partner's engagement, requires high trust of accountability partner due to potential exposure to personal information, iOS is limited to web history only (no screenshots), some streaming apps prevent screenshots |
|
Freedom https://freedom.to/ |
$9/mo, $40/yr subscription model or $96 one-time (free limited trial) | Mac OS, Windows, Android, iOS, ChromeOS | Individuals looking to increase productivity and establish better usage habits through removing distractions | Online manual, searchable help documentation, Knowledge Base, contact form, online chat | User selects sites or platforms to block at scheduled times, including preset lists of sites (such as Adult Content | Blocking is designed to be active when scheduled or when a manual session is initiated though continual blocking of specific sites can be configured | Can be turned off but it is strongly discouraged, user can only manually stop a session 3 times (for the entire lifetime of the product) or by contacting support | Can be configured to send to an accountability partner | Syncs blocking across all devices at once, premade filters will block all site/app access to a platform (e.g. Youtube or Facebook), browser extensions to track and analyze Internet history, limit time on specific sites/platforms if needed, individual configurations for each user | Limited filtering capabilities for families or multi-users, blocking can be turned off without wait period, more expensive than other options |
|
Cold Turkey https://getcoldturkey.com |
Free limited version or $39 one-time purchase for Pro version for all devices, student discount available | Mac OS, Windows | Individuals looking to increase productivity and establish better usage habits through removing distractions | Online manual, help documentation, FAQ, contact form | Comprehensive blocking platform that blocks sites, applications, or even the entire computer | Blocking is only active when scheduled or when a manual session is initiated | Can configure methods to make bypass impossible or turn off once certain steps are taken to enforce a cooldown period | Not available | Highly configurable, allows very targeted blocking of apps and sites, inexpensive one-time purchase model preferred by some users, produces data on Internet usage for self-analysis | No mobile or Linux, requires significant configuration to set up, limited support |
|
Focus https://heyfocus.com |
$2.50-$4.00/mo or $89 one-time purchase (free limited trial) | Mac OS, iOS | Individuals looking to increase productivity and establish better usage habits through removing distractions | Online manual, searchable help documentation, contact form | Configurable blocking platform that blocks sites and apps | Blocking is only active when scheduled or when a manual session is initiated | Can be stopped by choosing to "take a break" | Not available | Simple but highly configurable, affordable subscription, very accessible, has scripting interface for integration with other apps | Limited to Mac OS and iOS, fewer features than comparable options |
|
Leechblock NG https://www.proginosko.com/leechblock/ |
Free | Browser based for Firefox, Chrome, Edge | Improve productivity in web browsing | Online examples, FAQ, community forum, contact email | Installed as an extension for the browser with scheduled blocking sessions | Blocking is only active when scheduled | Can be stopped any time | Not available | Simple, free | Specific to self-motivated users, no additional features being added, limited support, can be easily circumvented |