Alternative
A free Cold Turkey alternative.
Cold Turkey is a strong desktop blocker, but the features most people want sit behind Cold Turkey Blocker Pro. If you mostly want to block a few sites while you work, and you would rather not pay or run a separate scheduler, GoFlow is a free option that ties blocking to a focus timer.
GoFlow is a free Cold Turkey alternative. It blocks your chosen distracting sites automatically while a focus timer runs, works on desktop Chrome, Edge, and Brave, and needs no account or payment. Cold Turkey still wins if you want strict scheduled locks that are hard to bypass.
Why look for a Cold Turkey alternative?
Cold Turkey Blocker is free to install, but the parts people usually reach for, like scheduled blocks, locked sessions you cannot quit, and blocking that spans the whole day, push you toward a one-time Pro purchase. That is fair for a serious blocker. It is also more than some people need.
Plenty of folks just want to stop wandering to the same handful of sites during a work session. They do not need a locked schedule. They want to press start, focus for a set time, and have the usual time-sinks closed off until the round ends. That is the gap GoFlow fills.
How does GoFlow compare?
- It is free, with no account. Open it in your browser and start. There is no Pro upgrade and nothing to buy.
- Blocking is tied to your timer. The free Focus Guard extension blocks the sites you pick the moment a focus round begins, then lets them back in on your break. You do not manage a separate schedule.
- It tracks your work. Tasks carry across days and GoFlow adds up your focus time per task, so you see effort building up, not just a blocked-sites list.
- It is private and offline-first. Your data stays on your device. No server stores your sessions.
- It runs as a web app. Nothing to install for the timer itself. The blocker is a small extension you add once.
Where does Cold Turkey win?
To be straight with you, Cold Turkey is the stronger blocker for hardcore use. Its scheduled blocks can run on a calendar without you lifting a finger, and its locked sessions are genuinely hard to escape once you commit, even tempting you to restart your computer to get out. It also blocks at the system level, so it can reach beyond the browser to whole apps and even your full screen during a block.
GoFlow does none of that. It blocks websites in your desktop browser while a round is active, and an honest user could close the extension if they really wanted to. If you have tried softer tools and you keep talking yourself past them, Cold Turkey's locks may be exactly the friction you need.
Quick comparison
| Feature | GoFlow | Cold Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free, key features paid |
| Built-in focus timer | Yes | No |
| Site blocking | Yes, during rounds | Yes, very strict |
| Scheduled locked blocks | No | Yes |
| Cross-day task tracking | Yes | No |
| Account required | No | No |
This is a snapshot. Features and prices move, so check Cold Turkey's own site before you decide.
How much friction do you actually need?
This is the honest heart of the choice. Blockers exist on a spectrum of friction. At one end sits a gentle nudge you can dismiss in a click. At the other sits Cold Turkey's locked block, which can refuse to let you out until a scheduled time, even if you restart your computer. More friction means more protection but also more risk: a locked block at the wrong moment can get in the way of real work, and undoing it on purpose is meant to be hard.
GoFlow sits in the middle. The block is real, it closes your chosen sites the second a round starts, but it is tied to a session you chose to begin, and it lifts on your break. That suits people whose problem is drift, not desperation, the ones who do not need to be locked out, they just need the easy path to the feed removed while they work. If you have honestly tried middle-of-the-road tools and kept defeating them, that is a signal you need Cold Turkey's harder locks. If you have never given a timer-based block an honest run, start with the lighter option first.
Who is GoFlow a good fit for?
GoFlow suits you if you want one clean place to run a focus session and keep a few sites closed while you do it, for free. It is built around the idea from Cal Newport's Deep Work: protect a block of time, remove the easy distractions, and let the focus add up. If you want a wall you cannot climb over, Cold Turkey is the better tool. If you want a timer with a blocker baked in and no cost, GoFlow is worth a try.
Frequently asked questions
Is GoFlow really free?
Yes. The app and the Focus Guard extension are free, with no Pro tier and no account.
Does it block as strictly as Cold Turkey?
No. Cold Turkey wins on locked, scheduled blocks. GoFlow blocks your chosen sites automatically while a round runs, which is enough for most people.
Does GoFlow work on Windows and Mac?
Yes. The web app runs in any modern browser, and Focus Guard works on desktop Chrome, Edge, and Brave on both.
Can it block phone apps?
No. GoFlow blocks websites on your desktop browser, not native phone apps.
Try the free alternative
A focus timer with site blocking built in. Free, private, and no account. Open it and start a round.
Open GoFlow free