What's the best free website blocker for Chrome in 2026?

It depends on what you mean by free. Focuh is the most genuinely free option — no account, no telemetry, no 3-site cap. StayFocusd is also free but is owned by Sensor Tower, an ad-intelligence company. LeechBlock NG is free, open-source, and the most flexible, but the UX is dense. BlockSite calls itself free but caps you at 3 sites and pushes you to a paid plan. If 'free' means no account, no cap, and no data collection, Focuh is the clearest match.

Does BlockSite actually have a free version?

Yes, but the free tier of BlockSite limits you to blocking only 3 sites and requires an account to use. Anything beyond that — scheduling, password protection, additional blocked sites, or syncing — is locked behind their paid plan starting around $7/month. The free tier is best understood as a trial, not a full product.

Is StayFocusd safe to use?

Functionally, StayFocusd works — it's been a popular blocker since 2010. However, it was acquired by Sensor Tower, an ad-intelligence and analytics company. While the extension itself runs locally, it's reasonable to weigh that ownership against blockers built by independent or product-focused teams. The extension is also no longer under active development.

Can a Chrome extension actually block websites strongly enough?

Browser extensions can block tabs in Chrome but cannot block apps, other browsers, or system-wide network requests. For most distractions — YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, X — a Chrome extension is enough because that's where you go to scroll. For stricter, OS-level blocking that survives switching browsers or opening native apps, you need a desktop tool like Focuh for Mac or Cold Turkey.

Do free Chrome blockers slow down your browser?

Generally no. Well-built blockers like LeechBlock NG and Focuh only check the top-level hostname against a local list when a tab navigates, which is negligible CPU work. Heavier extensions that scan page content, sync to a server, or load remote scripts can add noticeable overhead — but those are usually the freemium ones, not the genuinely lightweight free ones.

What's the difference between a Chrome website blocker and a Pomodoro extension?

A website blocker blocks specific domains for a defined period regardless of what you're doing. A Pomodoro extension typically runs a timer and may block sites only during work intervals. Strict Workflow combines both. Focuh is a pure blocker focused on long, self-imposed challenges (days to months), while StayFocusd and Strict Workflow lean more toward daily-budget or session-based blocking.

Can free Chrome blockers be bypassed?

Yes — any Chrome extension can be disabled from chrome://extensions, so a determined user can always bypass them. The point of a free blocker isn't to be unbreakable; it's to interrupt the reflex. If you need genuinely hard-to-bypass blocking, the Focuh desktop app for macOS uses Accessibility APIs to block at the OS level, which is much harder to disable mid-session than any browser extension.

Chrome extensionwebsite blockerfreeproductivityfocus

Best Free Website Blocker for Chrome (2026)

May 29, 202611 min readFocuh

If you've ever tried to focus and ended up on YouTube three seconds later, you don't need a productivity book — you need a website blocker. And if you don't want to pay for one, the good news is the Chrome Web Store has plenty of free options. The bad news is "free" means six different things across them: some are genuinely free, some are crippled trials, some are owned by analytics companies, and some only block 3 sites unless you pay.

This guide compares the best free Chrome website blockers in 2026 — what's actually free, what's free in name only, and how they stack up on the things that matter: cap on sites, account requirements, telemetry, and how well they actually block.

Free Chrome website blockers compared

Extension	Truly free?	Site limit	Account	Telemetry	Best for
Focuh	Yes	Unlimited	None	None	Long self-imposed challenges, no signup
StayFocusd	Yes	Unlimited	None	Owned by Sensor Tower	Daily time budgets, legacy users
LeechBlock NG	Yes	Unlimited (30 blocksets)	None	None	Power users who want scheduling + regex
BlockSite	No (trial)	3 sites	Required	Yes	Trying before paying
Strict Workflow	Yes	Unlimited	None	None	Pomodoro + blocking in one
Mindful Browsing	Yes	Small list	None	None	Gentle nudges, not enforcement

The single most important column is the third one. A blocker that caps you at 3 sites is not a free blocker — it's a paid blocker with a 3-site demo. If you only want to block YouTube and Reddit, fine. If you want to block X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, HackerNews, and Twitch, you'll hit the cap by lunchtime.

What is Focuh?

Focuh is a free Chrome extension that blocks distracting websites during a self-imposed focus challenge of any length — 30, 91, or 180 days, or a custom number. It has no account, no signup, no telemetry, no ads, no upsells, and no cap on how many domains you can block. Settings and the daily attempt counter are stored locally in Chrome storage and never leave the device.

The extension is built by the same team that ships the free Focuh desktop app, and the two are designed to work together: Focuh handles browser tabs, the macOS app handles system-wide blocking when you need it stricter.

Strengths

Truly unlimited sites on the free (and only) tier
No account required
No telemetry or remote code — verified in the privacy policy
Designed for long challenges, not just daily budgets
Free desktop app available for stricter blocking

Limitations

macOS-focused team; the Chrome extension works on any platform but desktop blocking is Mac-only for now
Like any extension, can be disabled from chrome://extensions by a determined user
No "lockdown" mode — the philosophy is interruption, not unbreakable enforcement

Try Focuh

Is StayFocusd still good in 2026?

StayFocusd has been a free Chrome blocker since 2010 and still has roughly 700,000 users. It's also unmaintained in any meaningful sense and has been owned by Sensor Tower — a mobile and web ad-intelligence company — for several years. The extension itself is locally focused (no server calls for blocking), but the ownership is a relevant consideration if you care about who's building the tools you trust with your browsing habits.

Functionally, StayFocusd is built around the "daily time budget" model: you allow yourself, say, 30 minutes per day on blocked sites, and once you've used it up, those sites are blocked for the rest of the day. The Pomodoro Focus Mode adds session-based blocking on top. The UX shows its age — settings live in a packed options page with sparse documentation — but it works.

StayFocusd is a reasonable choice if you've used it for years and it fits your workflow. For a new user in 2026, the ownership story and the dated UX make it harder to recommend over alternatives.

When does LeechBlock NG make sense?

LeechBlock NG is the Chrome extension power users actually use. It's free, open-source, and offers 30 independent "blocksets" — each with its own list, schedule, time limit, and lockdown rule. You can block by domain, URL pattern, or even keywords using regular expressions. You can set different blocking schedules for different days. You can require a password or a delay before disabling a blockset.

The downside is the UX. LeechBlock NG's options page is dense with toggles, dropdowns, and nested settings. If you enjoy configuring software, you'll love it. If you want to install a blocker, block YouTube, and start working, the setup will feel intimidating.

Choose LeechBlock NG if you want maximum control and don't mind spending 15 minutes configuring it once. Choose something simpler if you want to start blocking in under a minute.

Why BlockSite is not actually free

BlockSite has 5+ million Chrome Web Store users and is one of the most-installed website blockers in the world. It's also one of the most aggressively freemium. The free tier:

Caps you at 3 blocked sites total
Requires you to create an account
Surfaces frequent upsell prompts to the paid plan
Routes through their service for some features

Beyond the 3-site cap, every meaningful feature — scheduling, password protection, sync across devices, additional sites — is locked behind a paid plan that runs around $7–$10/month or roughly $40–$120/year depending on the package.

There's nothing inherently wrong with selling a paid product. But calling something "free" when it caps you at three sites is closer to a trial than a free tier. If the 3-site limit fits your needs, BlockSite is well-designed and works. If it doesn't, you'll either pay or look elsewhere.

For users specifically frustrated by BlockSite's limits, see our free BlockSite alternative comparison.

What about Strict Workflow and Pomodoro blockers?

Strict Workflow is a free Pomodoro extension that combines a 25/5 timer with a blocklist. When the work timer is running, blocked sites are blocked; during the break, they're not. It's an elegant model for people who already think in Pomodoros, and it's free with no account or telemetry.

The limitations: no scheduling, no advanced configuration, and no analytics. It's a single-purpose tool. If you want the Pomodoro structure plus blocking and nothing else, Strict Workflow is great. If you want long-form blocking that runs for hours or days, a dedicated blocker like Focuh or LeechBlock NG fits better.

For more on choosing between Pomodoro and other methods, see Timeboxing vs Pomodoro vs Time Blocking.

Gentle blockers vs strict blockers

Not every blocker tries to make sites inaccessible. Mindful Browsing and similar "nudge" extensions show a prompt when you try to visit a blocked site — asking what you intended to do, how long you'll stay, or simply waiting a few seconds before letting you through. The philosophy is interruption, not enforcement.

This works for people whose distraction problem is autopilot rather than craving. A 5-second pause is sometimes enough to break the loop. For people whose problem is genuine compulsion, a nudge isn't enough — you need actual blocking. Most of the extensions in this guide can be configured either way; Mindful Browsing is one of the few that's nudge-only by design.

Chrome extension vs desktop blocker — when do you need both?

A Chrome extension blocks Chrome. That's it. If your distraction problem lives entirely in Chrome (you scroll YouTube and Reddit in tabs), a free extension is enough. If it doesn't — you switch to Safari to bypass the block, you open the native YouTube or Slack desktop app, you check Twitter on your menu bar app — an extension alone won't help.

System-level blockers like Focuh for Mac, Cold Turkey, and SelfControl block at the operating system level. They work across every browser and every native app on the machine. They're also harder to disable mid-session because they don't live in chrome://extensions. See our system-level vs browser blocking explainer for the full breakdown.

The most reliable setup: a free Chrome extension for your browser plus a free desktop blocker for the rest of the system. Both Focuh and the Focuh desktop app are free, so you can run both without paying.

Which free Chrome blocker should you choose?

The right choice depends on what kind of "free" matters to you.

"I want truly free, no account, no cap, no tracking" — Choose Focuh. It's the cleanest match for genuinely free with no asterisks.

"I want maximum control and don't mind complex settings" — Choose LeechBlock NG. The most powerful free option once configured.

"I want a Pomodoro that also blocks" — Choose Strict Workflow. Single-purpose and focused.

"I only need to block 3 sites and don't mind an account" — BlockSite's free tier will cover you.

"I've used StayFocusd for years and it works" — Keep using it, but weigh the Sensor Tower ownership if data integrity matters to you.

"I want gentle nudges, not hard blocks" — Choose Mindful Browsing or configure LeechBlock NG with a delay rule.

No Chrome extension is going to fix your focus by itself. But the one you stick with is the one that doesn't make you sign up, doesn't cap you at three sites, and doesn't quietly send your data somewhere. In 2026, that's a smaller list than the Chrome Web Store makes it look.

Install Focuh — free, forever, no account. Or get the free Focuh desktop app if you need to block more than just Chrome.