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Best for Someone trying to cut their own screen time across multiple devices — not managing a child's phone — who wants one block list that follows them from laptop to phone.

Freedom

Block your own apps and sites, across every device at once.

Bottom line

Blocks apps and sites across every device at once, with a Locked Mode that's genuinely hard to cheat once it's on — but turn Locked Mode on deliberately, and don't fully trust scheduled sessions to start themselves without checking.

Free plan available; Premium $39.99/year (7-day free trial); Freedom Forever lifetime $199 one-time

Pros & cons

Pros
  • Blocks apps and sites simultaneously across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chromebook, and Linux, according to the manufacturer — one block list, every device
  • "Block all except" mode blocks the entire internet except a work allowlist, which reviewers note is more effective than blocking distractions one at a time
  • Recurring scheduled sessions let you pre-commit to a routine (e.g. no social media 7–9am on weekdays) without remembering to start it manually
  • Locked Mode, once turned on, is genuinely hard to cheat — reviewers report it reliably prevents quitting a session early
  • Free plan and a 7-day trial of Premium exist, so you can test it before paying
Cons
  • Reliability is the most consistent complaint in independent reviews — scheduled sessions failing to start, timing glitches, and occasional crashes are recurring reports
  • Locked Mode is not on by default — the base experience lets you bail out of a session whenever you want, which undercuts the point for anyone who needs hard enforcement
  • Determined users can still route around blocking entirely — disabling the VPN profile in iOS Settings, switching to Airplane Mode, or uninstalling the app all remain open, according to reviewers

How it works

Freedom blocks selected apps and websites for the duration of a session you start manually or on a recurring schedule, according to the manufacturer. Sessions sync across every device signed into the same account, so blocking Instagram on your phone also blocks it in a desktop browser at the same time. A "block all except" option flips the model — instead of listing distractions to block, you list the handful of work sites to allow and everything else on the internet is blocked for the session. Locked Mode, a separate setting, is what actually prevents ending a session early once it's started.

Who should buy it

People who already use multiple devices during the day — a work laptop and a personal phone, say — and want one block list that applies everywhere at once, rather than configuring a blocker separately on each device. The recurring scheduling is a particular fit for anyone with a predictable routine they want automated rather than manually triggered every day.

Who should skip it

Anyone who has been burned by unreliable focus software before should read the reliability complaints carefully — independent reviews consistently describe scheduled sessions sometimes failing to start or ending early on their own, which is close to the worst failure mode for a tool whose entire job is enforcing a block. And anyone who wants managed restriction on someone else's device, like a child's phone, needs a parental-control app instead — Freedom is built around a single person restricting their own devices, not overseeing another person's.

The bottom line

Freedom's cross-device sync and Locked Mode solve a real problem — most blockers only cover one device, and most let you quit the moment you feel like it. The catch, per independent reviews, is that the scheduling and session reliability aren't as airtight as the enforcement is once a session actually starts, so it rewards checking in on whether a session ran rather than trusting it completely.

The takeaway

Blocks apps and sites across every device you own at once, with a genuinely hard-to-cheat Locked Mode — if you turn it on, and if the session actually starts on schedule.

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FAQ

Does Freedom stop me from quitting a session early?

Only if Locked Mode is turned on — it isn't the default. With Locked Mode on, independent reviewers report it's genuinely difficult to end a session early. Without it, you can stop a session whenever you want.

Does blocking on my phone also block on my laptop?

Yes, according to the manufacturer — sessions sync across every device signed into the same Freedom account (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chromebook, Linux), so starting a session on one device blocks the same list everywhere.

What does Freedom cost?

As of this review, Freedom offers a limited free plan, a Premium plan at $39.99/year with a 7-day free trial, and a one-time lifetime option called Freedom Forever for $199, according to the manufacturer.

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Last reviewed: 2026-09 Research-based · Screen Free Zone