Focuh vs SelfControl: 2026 Comparison

What is SelfControl?

SelfControl is a free, open-source macOS app that blocks access to websites for a set period of time. It works by modifying your Mac's hosts file and adding firewall rules to prevent connections to blocked domains. The defining feature: once you start a block, it cannot be undone until the timer expires. Restarting, deleting the app, or even reinstalling macOS won't remove the block.

SelfControl has been around since 2009 and remains one of the most popular free blockers for Mac, with a devoted following among students and writers.

What is Focuh?

Focuh is a free macOS app that combines website and app blocking with a focus timer, kanban-style task management, and Google Calendar sync. Built with Tauri, it uses macOS Accessibility APIs for system-level blocking during focus sessions.

While SelfControl focuses on one thing — unbreakable website blocking — Focuh takes a broader approach, giving you a complete focus workflow alongside blocking.

How does blocking compare between the two?

SelfControl's blocking is stronger — arguably the strongest of any free Mac app. It modifies low-level system files (hosts file and packet filter firewall) so that blocked domains are unreachable at the network level. No browser, no app, no workaround can reach those sites until the timer expires. You can't even disable it yourself.

Focuh blocks websites and apps through macOS Accessibility APIs. This works at the system level across all browsers, but it can be disabled by revoking Accessibility permissions in System Settings. For most users this is sufficient — the friction of going to System Settings is enough of a barrier. But if you need truly unbreakable blocking, SelfControl is harder to defeat.

Feature	Focuh	SelfControl
Website blocking	Yes, system-level	Yes, hosts file + firewall
App blocking	Yes	No
Unbreakable blocking	No (can revoke permissions)	Yes (survives reboot + uninstall)
Focus timer	Yes, built-in	Timer for block duration only
Task management	Yes, kanban board	No
Google Calendar sync	Yes	No
Block scheduling	Session-based	Manual start only
Custom blocklists	Yes	Yes
Platforms	macOS	macOS
Price	Free	Free (open-source)

Does SelfControl block apps?

No. SelfControl only blocks network domains — websites and internet services. It can't block desktop applications like Slack, Messages, or games. If you need app blocking, SelfControl can't help.

Focuh blocks both websites and macOS applications during focus sessions. If Slack notifications are your biggest distraction, Focuh can block the app entirely while you focus.

Does SelfControl have a focus timer or task management?

SelfControl has a timer, but only to set the duration of a blocking session. There's no Pomodoro-style focus timer, no session tracking, no task management, and no calendar integration. SelfControl does exactly one thing and does it well.

Focuh includes a visual focus timer with session history, a drag-and-drop kanban task board, and Google Calendar sync. If you want to plan what you'll work on and then focus on it with blocking enabled, Focuh provides that entire workflow.

Both are free — so what's the real trade-off?

This is a rare comparison where both apps are completely free. The choice comes down to what you need:

SelfControl gives you one unbreakable tool. You set your blocklist, set the timer, and you're locked in. No task management, no app blocking, no frills. But the blocking is ironclad.

Focuh gives you a complete focus system. Blocking, timer, task management, and calendar sync — but the blocking is softer. You could technically disable it if you really wanted to.

When should you choose SelfControl over Focuh?

Choose SelfControl if:

• You need website blocking you absolutely cannot bypass
• You only need website blocking, not app blocking
• You already have a task manager and timer you like
• You want the simplest possible tool with no setup
• You're having a particularly distractible day and need the nuclear option

Choose Focuh if:

• You want blocking + task management + timer in one app
• You need app blocking in addition to website blocking
• You have ADHD and benefit from structured focus sessions
• You want Google Calendar sync with your task planning
• You prefer session-based blocking tied to active work

The bottom line

SelfControl is the best free unbreakable website blocker on Mac. Full stop. If you know you'll try to bypass your own blocks, SelfControl makes that impossible. But it's limited to website blocking and doesn't help you plan or structure your work.

Focuh is the more complete focus tool. It combines blocking with everything else you need to actually get work done — tasks, timer, calendar. The blocking is effective but not unbreakable.

Many users run both. SelfControl for the domains that absolutely must be blocked (social media, news sites), and Focuh for the structured focus sessions with task tracking. They complement each other well since SelfControl handles network-level blocking while Focuh handles app blocking and workflow.