Head to head
Freedom vs Cold Turkey: Which Blocker Should You Use?
Both block distracting sites. They differ on how many devices they cover and how hard they are to escape — which is the only question that really matters.
The short answer
Choose Freedom if you need one blocklist working across phone, tablet and computer at once. Choose Cold Turkey if you only need the computer but need it to be genuinely inescapable.
How they differ
FreedomCold Turkey
Devices coverediOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Chrome, synced togetherMac and Windows only
How hard to undoFirm. A locked session is difficult to end early, but it is a single app you control.Very hard. Its stricter modes are designed so that restarting, reinstalling or deleting will not lift a block.
Cost modelSubscriptionFree tier, with a one-off payment for the stricter version
Best suited toSomeone whose distraction moves between devices — blocking a site on the laptop only pushes it to the phone.Someone doing focused desk work who will talk themselves out of anything less absolute.
Where to get them
VisitFreedom
Block distractions across all devices
The most comprehensive cross-device blocker available.
Read our Freedom review →
VisitCold Turkey
The strictest blocker — no workarounds
When you block something, it stays blocked. Period.
Read our Cold Turkey review →
Common questions
- Can you use both?
- Yes, and some people do — Cold Turkey locking down the work machine, Freedom covering the phone. It is redundant for most people, but it is not a conflict.
- Which is better for someone who cheats?
- Cold Turkey, without much question. Its strictest settings are the closest thing to a commitment device in this category. Freedom is firm rather than absolute.