Best software · Productivity
9 Best Focus Apps of 2026
This list is for remote and hybrid workers who lose hours to feeds, chat pings and open tabs and want software that protects blocks of deep work. It covers three kinds of tools: blockers that cut off distracting sites and apps (Freedom, Cold Turkey, Opal, Forest), session tools that structure the work itself (Focusmate, Session, Sukha), and support tools that track time or play focus music (RescueTime, Brain.fm). We compared documented features, platforms and published US prices from each vendor's own pages; we did not run hands-on tests. Scores weigh features at 40%, ease of use at 30% and value at 30%, and the overall score sets the order.
By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 12, 2026 · 9 tools compared · Prices checked on vendor pages, latest November 12, 2026
Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com
Mojolin is self-funded How we score
Freedom ranks first because it blocks websites, apps or the entire internet across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chromebook, and Premium adds recurring schedules and Locked Mode for $3.33 per month on the yearly plan. Cold Turkey Blocker is the stricter choice for Windows and Mac: locks can require a restart, a password or a delay of up to 40 days, and Pro is a one-time purchase. Focusmate is the pick when the problem is starting work rather than resisting tabs, since it pairs you with a live partner for 25, 50 or 75 minute sessions. Opal is the strongest phone-first blocker with Hard Mode, Session is a low-cost Pomodoro timer for Apple users, RescueTime adds automatic time tracking with Focus Sessions, Forest gives a free gamified phone timer, Brain.fm supplies focus music, and Sukha bundles music, blocking and a task timer in the browser.
Top picks
Best overall
Freedom
9.0 / 10
remote workers who get distracted on both laptop and phone
Read the review →Comparison table
| # | Tool | Pricing | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freedom | remote workers who get distracted on both laptop and phone | Free plan; Premium $3.33 per month billed yearly or $8.99 billed monthly; Forever Premium one-time payment | 9.0 |
| 2 |  Cold Turkey Blocker | people who override softer blockers | See vendor pricing (USD check pending); Blocker Free available, Blocker Pro is a one-time lifetime purchase | 8.6 |
| 3 |  Focusmate | remote workers who need accountability to start | Free plan with 3 sessions per week; Plus $8 per month billed annually or $12 billed monthly | 8.5 |
| 4 |  Opal | people whose phone is the main distraction | Free plan with 1 rule; Opal Pro $8.29 per month billed annually ($99.99 per year), $19.99 billed monthly, or $399 lifetime | 8.4 |
| 5 |  Session | Apple users who work in timed sprints | Free plan; Pro $3.33 per month billed as $39.99 per year, or $4.99 monthly | 8.3 |
| 6 |  RescueTime | remote workers who want data on where their time goes | Free Lite plan; Solo Focus $7 per month billed annually ($84 per year) or $9 monthly; Team Focus $10 per user per month billed annually | 8.2 |
| 7 |  Forest | people who respond to visual rewards | See vendor pricing (USD check pending); free core app, optional Forest Plus subscription billed through the App Store or Google Play | 8.1 |
| 8 |  Brain.fm | remote workers who need sound to block out noise | Yearly plan $99.99 per year (about $8.33 per month); monthly plan $14.99; free trial | 8.0 |
| 9 |  Sukha | people who want one app instead of four | $20 per month; Lifetime $400 one-time; 3-day free trial | 7.9 |
Scoring weights
Every tool gets three editorial scores out of 10, from vendor documentation, product pages and the published price. The overall score is the weighted average below, the same method on every list. Full method
The full ranking
Rank 1 · Best overall
Freedom
A cross-device website, app and internet blocker with scheduled and locked focus sessions.
freedom.to9.0
out of 10
Best for: remote workers who get distracted on both laptop and phone
Freedom is built for the remote worker whose distractions follow them from laptop to phone. A single blocking session can cover any mix of devices, and it can block websites, desktop apps or the whole internet. The free plan is more generous than most: it includes unlimited devices, custom blocklists, desktop app blocking, Website Exceptions on Mac and Windows, and focus music and ambient sounds. Premium adds what makes deep work routine rather than a daily decision: sessions that start on their own, recurring schedules across the week, advance sessions for later today, sessions longer than two hours, and Locked Mode, which stops you from quitting early. Freedom says it has no streaks, points or leaderboards, which suits people who dislike gamified apps. The limits are that the strongest features sit behind Premium and that the monthly price of $8.99 is far higher than the $3.33 per month yearly rate.
Standout feature
Freedom is the only app here that runs one blocking session across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chromebook at once.
Use cases
Remote developers
Schedule a recurring morning block of chat apps and news sites
Outcome: Two protected hours of coding every weekday
Writers
Block the entire internet with Website Exceptions for a research doc
Outcome: Drafting without tab hopping
Managers
Sync a session across laptop and phone during planning time
Outcome: No feed checking on any device
Key features
- Blocks websites, apps or the entire internet
- One session can sync across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chromebook
- Website Exceptions on desktop allow only the sites you list
- Recurring and advance scheduled sessions on Premium
- Locked Mode stops you from quitting a session early
Pros
- Free plan covers unlimited devices, custom blocklists and focus music
- Premium costs $3.33 per month on the yearly plan
- Can block desktop apps such as chat tools and email on Mac and Windows
Cons
- Scheduling, Locked Mode and sessions over 2 hours need Premium
- Website Exceptions work on Mac and Windows only
- Monthly billing is $8.99, almost three times the yearly rate
Rank 2 · Runner-up
Cold Turkey Blocker
A strict website, app and device blocker for Windows and macOS sold as a one-time purchase.
getcoldturkey.com8.6
out of 10
Best for: people who override softer blockers
Cold Turkey Blocker is for people who have already beaten every blocker they tried. The free version blocks websites with exceptions and timed blocks and shows statistics. Pro adds application blocking, a weekly schedule you draw by dragging on a calendar, breaks and allowances, and the locks that give the product its name: a block can be locked until a set time, during a time range, behind a typed string of up to 5,000 characters, behind a countdown from 1 minute to 40 days, until a restart, or behind a password held by someone else. A locked block also stops you from disabling the browser extension or uninstalling the app. Adding *.* blocks the whole internet, and a Pause for a Cause option lets you buy a 10 minute break with a donation to the World Wildlife Fund. The trade-offs are that it only runs on Windows and macOS, so your phone stays unprotected, and that setting up locks takes more thought than in Freedom.
Standout feature
Cold Turkey Blocker is the only tool here that can keep a block on until you restart the computer or wait up to 40 days.
Use cases
Freelancers on deadline
Lock social sites until Friday evening with a timer lock
Outcome: No way to undo the block mid-week
Gamers working from home
Block game launchers by folder during working hours
Outcome: Games unavailable until the schedule ends
Students and researchers
Use Pomodoro breaks that toggle the block on and off
Outcome: Short planned breaks instead of open-ended ones
Key features
- Blocks domains, specific URLs, YouTube channels and keyword searches
- Blocks applications, folders, Microsoft Store apps and window titles
- Device blocks can lock, log off or shut down the computer
- Locks by timer, time range, typed text, delay of up to 40 days, restart or password
- Pomodoro, allowance and reward breaks instead of a full block
Pros
- Blocker Pro is a single payment with free lifetime updates
- One purchase covers all computers you personally use, on Windows and macOS
- Locked blocks prevent disabling the extension or uninstalling the app
Cons
- No support for iOS, Android, Linux or ChromeOS
- App blocking, scheduled blocks and locks need Blocker Pro
- The price is not shown as text on the pricing page, so we could not verify it
Rank 3 · Also great
Focusmate
Virtual coworking that pairs you with another person on live video for timed focus sessions.
focusmate.com8.5
out of 10
Best for: remote workers who need accountability to start
Focusmate addresses a different problem from the blockers on this list: getting started at all when nobody is around to notice. You book a session, join a video call with a member of the community, say what you plan to do, work with cameras on, and check in at the end. Sessions run 25, 50 or 75 minutes, and task modes cover desk work, moving tasks and a mix of both. Quiet Mode and session chat let you use it where you cannot talk, such as a library, and picture-in-picture keeps your partner visible while you work in another window. You can favorite partners, use gender matching, and receive calendar invites for Apple, Google and Outlook. The free plan gives 3 sessions per week, and Plus removes the cap for $8 per month billed annually. It does not block anything, so people whose main weakness is a phone may still want Opal or Freedom alongside it.
Standout feature
Focusmate is the only tool here that uses a live human partner instead of software blocks to keep you on task.
Use cases
Solo founders
Book 50 minute sessions for admin work they keep postponing
Outcome: Tasks finished while someone is watching
Remote employees with ADHD
Start the day with a 25 minute session
Outcome: A fixed start time without a commute
Writers
Use favorite partners for recurring writing sessions
Outcome: A steady writing routine
Key features
- Live video sessions of 25, 50 or 75 minutes with a matched partner
- Favorite partners to book sessions with people you liked
- Quiet Mode and session chat for libraries and shared offices
- Calendar invites for Apple, Google and Outlook calendars
- Integrations with Google Calendar and Beeminder, plus a developer API
Pros
- Free plan includes 3 sessions per week with no credit card
- Plus costs $8 per month billed annually for unlimited sessions
- Native video in the browser, no extra app to download
Cons
- Does not block any websites or apps
- You must keep your camera on for the whole session
- Sessions need booking, so it is less suited to spontaneous work
Rank 4
Opal
A screen time and app blocking app for iPhone, Android and Mac with focus timers and a daily score.
opal.so8.4
out of 10
Best for: people whose phone is the main distraction
Opal starts from the phone. Focus Rules block the apps you choose on a schedule, after a time limit or after a number of opens, and the free plan includes one such rule plus basic timers, soundscapes and today's Opal Score. Opal Pro adds unlimited rules, advanced timers and soundscapes, Allow Only mode, Opal Score history and Hard Mode, which Opal describes as no way out: you cannot turn the app off during a block. The app runs on iPhone, Android and Mac, and a Teams Pro plan with a single invoice is available on request. Opal says it has more than 150,000 app ratings averaging 4.8. Pricing is the main drawback: Pro is $8.29 per month on the yearly plan but $19.99 if paid monthly, and Lifetime costs $399. Students can apply for up to 50% off. Remote workers on Windows laptops will need a separate desktop blocker.
Standout feature
Opal Pro's Hard Mode is the firmest phone lock on this list, since you cannot switch Opal off until the block ends.
Use cases
Remote marketers
Set an open limit on social apps during the workday
Outcome: Fewer reflexive phone checks
Mac-based designers
Run an Allow Only rule for design tools during client work
Outcome: Only work apps reachable during the block
Parents working from home
Schedule evening blocks on work apps
Outcome: A clear end to the workday
Key features
- Focus Rules block chosen apps on phone or desktop
- Schedules, time limits and open limits on the free plan
- Hard Mode on Pro means you cannot turn Opal off
- Allow Only mode and unlimited rules on Pro
- Opal Score combines sleep, focus and rest signals into one measure
Pros
- Free plan works on iOS, Android and Mac
- Hard Mode removes the option to quit a block early
- 30 day money back guarantee on purchases made through Stripe
Cons
- Free plan is limited to 1 rule
- Monthly Pro billing is $19.99, the highest monthly price on this list
- No Windows app
Rank 5
Session
A Pomodoro focus timer for Mac, iPhone and iPad with analytics, Slack status updates and Mac app blocking.
stayinsession.com8.3
out of 10
Best for: Apple users who work in timed sprints
Session is a Pomodoro timer designed around 25 minute sessions that asks what you plan to focus on before you start and what you learned when you finish. The free plan includes unlimited sessions and rest, calendar events shown inside the app, and analytics from the past 2 days. Pro adds the pieces remote workers on Slack care about: Session can update your Slack status when the timer starts and restore it when it ends, and it can mute Slack while you focus. On a Mac, Pro also blocks the apps and websites you choose during a session, in Safari, Chrome, Brave and Microsoft Edge. Sessions sync in real time between Mac, iPhone and iPad, so a timer started on the Mac can notify your iPhone or Apple Watch when it ends. Pro is $39.99 per year or $4.99 per month, and the vendor notes that prices vary slightly by region. The limit is the platform: there is no Windows or Android version.
Standout feature
Session is the only timer here that updates your Slack status automatically when a focus block starts and ends.
Use cases
Remote engineers on Slack
Start a session that mutes Slack and sets a focus status
Outcome: Fewer interruptions without telling the team manually
Freelance designers
Log each session and review the day's progress
Outcome: A record of where focus time went
Mac power users
Trigger Do Not Disturb and music with Shortcuts when a session starts
Outcome: A one-click deep work setup
Key features
- Unlimited focus and rest sessions on the free plan
- Website and app blocking on Mac during a session (Pro)
- Automatic Slack status update and Slack mute while focusing (Pro)
- Real-time sync between Mac, iPhone and iPad
- Automation with AppleScript and Apple Shortcuts
Pros
- Pro costs $39.99 per year, the cheapest paid plan on this list
- Tells Slack teammates you are focusing without manual status changes
- Website blocker works in Safari, Chrome, Brave and Microsoft Edge
Cons
- Apple only, with no Windows or Android app
- Website and app blocking works on Mac only
- Free plan shows analytics for only the past 2 days
Rank 6
RescueTime
Automatic time tracking for apps and websites with Focus Sessions that block distractions.
rescuetime.com8.2
out of 10
Best for: remote workers who want data on where their time goes
RescueTime suits remote workers who suspect they lose time but do not know where. Its Focus product tracks time on apps and websites automatically, detects idle time and offline activity, and builds activity, productivity, category and highlight reports with unlimited history. Goals and alerts let you set a daily target and get a nudge when you drift, and Focus Sessions block distracting websites, apps, and even email or chat when it is time to concentrate. Solo Focus costs $7 per month billed annually or $9 monthly, and Solo+ adds RescueTime Timesheets, which tracks time by client, project and task, for $12 per month billed annually. Team plans add team productivity and daily pattern reports, role-based access control and SSO. Every paid plan starts with a 14-day trial, and accounts drop to the free Lite plan if you cancel. If you only want a blocker, Freedom or Cold Turkey do more for less, but neither shows you this much data.
Standout feature
RescueTime is the only tool here that tracks every app and website automatically and turns it into focus reports.
Use cases
Remote knowledge workers
Set a daily focus goal and get alerts when it slips
Outcome: A measurable deep work target
Consultants
Bundle Focus with Timesheets on Solo+
Outcome: Client time logged without timers
Team leads
Review team daily pattern reports
Outcome: Meeting times moved away from peak focus hours
Key features
- Automatic tracking of time spent on apps and websites
- Focus Sessions block distracting websites, apps, email and chat
- Daily target goals, focus zone detection and alerts
- Detailed activity, productivity and category reports with unlimited history
- Team plans add team reports, role-based access control and SSO
Pros
- Tracking runs in the background with no timers to start
- All paid plans include a 14-day free trial
- Team Focus plans at $10 per user per month billed annually
Cons
- Blocking is one part of a tracking product, not the main feature
- Timesheets for client billing cost extra on Solo+ at $12 per month
- Accounts fall back to the limited Lite plan when a subscription ends
Rank 7
Forest
A gamified focus timer that grows a virtual tree while you stay off your phone.
forestapp.cc8.1
out of 10
Best for: people who respond to visual rewards
Forest turns focus into a small game: pick a length and a tree species, and the tree grows while you stay in the app and dies if you leave for something else. Finished sessions add trees to a forest that doubles as a record of your focus time. The free tier, which needs no credit card and does not expire, includes the timer, Deep Focus mode for blocking apps, Plant Together group sessions where everyone's trees fall if one person quits, and Mindful Space for breaks. It shows occasional ads, never during an active session. Forest Plus is an optional subscription that removes ads and adds Focus Analytics, custom allowlists, full soundscapes and extra tree species. Forest says more than 60 million people have used it since 2014 and that it has planted over 2 million real trees with Trees for the Future. It is a phone tool first, so remote workers who drift on a laptop will need a desktop blocker too.
Standout feature
Forest is the only app here where group focus fails for everyone if one person gives up.
Use cases
Remote workers who doomscroll
Start a 45 minute tree before a writing block
Outcome: The phone stays face down
Distributed teams
Run a Plant Together session during a team focus hour
Outcome: Shared accountability across time zones
Students working part-time
Track focus history in the forest view
Outcome: A visible streak of study time
Key features
- Focus timer that grows a tree and kills it if you leave for another app
- Deep Focus mode app blocker included in the free tier
- Plant Together group focus where the whole group's trees depend on everyone
- Mindful Space for breaks without scrolling
- Forest Plus adds Focus Analytics, custom allowlists and full soundscapes
Pros
- Core timer, app blocking and group focus are free with no expiration
- Forest says it has planted over 2 million real trees
- No ads during active focus sessions on the free tier
Cons
- The free tier shows ads outside focus sessions
- The one-time Forest Pro purchase is no longer sold
- Plus prices are only shown in the app stores, so we could not verify them
Rank 8
Brain.fm
Functional music for focus, relaxation and sleep, with modes for different kinds of work.
brain.fm8.0
out of 10
Best for: remote workers who need sound to block out noise
Brain.fm is not a blocker; it is the soundtrack for the blocks you protect with other tools. It streams music made for a task, with focus modes for Deep Work, Creativity, Learning, Light Work and Motivation, plus modes for relaxing, meditating and sleeping. Brain.fm says its patented audio technology uses phase-locking neural modulation, and you can raise the neural effect level for more stimulation, including a High Neural Effect setting aimed at people with ADHD. Tracks have no lyrics and run long to avoid interruptions, and built-in infinite, countdown and interval timers let you structure sessions without a separate Pomodoro app. It runs on web, iOS, Android and desktop. Pricing is $99.99 per year or $14.99 per month after a free trial, and there is no permanent free tier. Remote workers in noisy homes will get the most from it, ideally next to a blocker such as Freedom, which already includes basic focus music on its free plan.
Standout feature
Brain.fm is the only product here that sells music made for specific work modes such as Deep Work and Light Work.
Use cases
Parents working from home
Play Deep Work mode through noise-canceling headphones
Outcome: Household noise fades into the background
Remote workers with ADHD
Raise the neural effect level for hard tasks
Outcome: More stimulation without lyrics
Writers
Use the interval timer with Creativity mode
Outcome: Timed writing sprints with music
Key features
- Focus modes for Deep Work, Creativity, Learning, Light Work and Motivation
- Adjustable neural effect levels, including High Neural Effect music for ADHD
- Infinite count-up, countdown and interval timers
- Music without lyrics and with extra-long tracks
- Apps for web, iOS, Android and desktop
Pros
- One tap starts a focus stream with no playlist searching
- Covers focus, relaxation, meditation and sleep in one subscription
- No contract, cancel any time from the account page
Cons
- Does not block websites or apps
- No free plan after the trial
- Monthly plan costs $14.99
Rank 9
Sukha
A browser-based flow state app that combines focus music, distraction blocking, a task list, a timer and an AI focus assistant.
thesukha.co7.9
out of 10
Best for: people who want one app instead of four
Sukha packs the main parts of a deep work setup into one browser app: music to block out the world, a task list and timer, distraction blocking, and an AI focus assistant. Its music includes lofi and binaural tracks among several sound worlds, and blocking covers both apps and sites on desktop and phone. The AI task manager and automated Pomodoro timer keep sessions moving, and the assistant suggests a next step when a task stalls. Sukha runs in any Chromium browser on Mac, Windows and Chromebook, with an optional free Chrome extension for wider blocking. Every new user gets a 3-day free trial, then pays $20 per month or $400 once for Lifetime, which the vendor notes equals twenty months of the monthly plan. Sukha also says it will help users who need a discount. The price is the obvious catch: Freedom plus a free music source costs a fraction of this, so Sukha suits people who value having it all in one place.
Standout feature
Sukha is the only tool here that bundles focus music, app and site blocking, a task manager and an AI assistant in one subscription.
Use cases
Remote workers on Chromebooks
Run focus sessions in the browser without installing software
Outcome: A full focus setup on a locked-down laptop
Solo consultants
Ask the AI assistant to break a stalled proposal into steps
Outcome: A clear next action
Writers
Pair flow music with site blocking during drafting
Outcome: One tab handles sound and distractions
Key features
- Unlimited daily focus sessions
- Lofi and binaural flow music that stays on while you work
- Distraction blocking for apps and sites on desktop and phone
- AI task manager and automated Pomodoro timer
- AI focus assistant that breaks a stuck task into a next step
Pros
- Runs in the browser with nothing to install
- Works on Mac, Windows and Chromebook in any Chromium browser
- Lifetime plan at $400 includes all future features
Cons
- $20 per month is the highest entry price on this list
- No free plan, only a 3-day trial
- Desktop support is limited to Chromium browsers on Mac, Windows and Chromebook
Frequently asked questions
+What is the best focus app for remote workers?
Freedom is the best focus app for remote workers in 2026. It blocks websites, apps or the entire internet across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chromebook, and Premium costs $3.33 per month billed yearly. Cold Turkey Blocker and Focusmate are the closest alternatives.
+What is the best free app to block distractions?
Freedom has the most useful free plan for blocking, with unlimited devices, custom blocklists and desktop app blocking at $0. Cold Turkey Blocker Free covers websites on Windows and macOS, and Forest includes its Deep Focus app blocker in the free tier.
+Which focus app is hardest to turn off?
Cold Turkey Blocker Pro is the hardest to turn off. Its locks can require a restart, a password, typed random text of up to 5,000 characters or a countdown of up to 40 days. Opal Pro's Hard Mode and Freedom Premium's Locked Mode are the strictest options on phones.
+Is Focusmate free?
Yes, Focusmate has a free plan with 3 sessions per week and no credit card required. Focusmate Plus gives unlimited sessions for $8 per month billed annually or $12 billed monthly.
+How much does Freedom cost?
Freedom Premium costs $3.33 per month on the yearly plan or $8.99 billed monthly, plus tax where applicable. Freedom also has a free plan and a one-time Forever Premium option, and Premium comes with a 7-day free trial.
+What is the cheapest paid focus app?
Session Pro and Freedom Premium are the cheapest, both $3.33 per month on yearly billing. Session Pro is billed as $39.99 per year and runs only on Apple devices, while Freedom works on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chromebook.
+Do focus music apps like Brain.fm block distractions?
No, Brain.fm plays focus music but does not block websites or apps. It costs $99.99 per year or $14.99 per month, so most remote workers pair it with a blocker such as Freedom or Cold Turkey.
About this list
Updated November 12, 2026 by the Mojolin research desk. Mojolin is self-funded
Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com
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