Alternative

A LeechBlock alternative with a focus timer.

LeechBlock is a great free browser blocker with deep scheduling rules. But rules are not the same as focus. If you want blocking that switches on when you start working and tracks what you got done, GoFlow takes a different angle while staying free.

Prices and features change. Confirm current details on each app's site.

What is LeechBlock good at?

LeechBlock is a well-loved free browser extension built entirely around scheduling. You can set block sets, choose exact time windows, cap daily minutes on certain sites, and mix rules in detailed ways. For people who like to define the rules once and let them run, it is hard to beat, and it costs nothing.

The trade-off is that LeechBlock is a blocker and only a blocker. It does not time your work or keep a record of it. You also have to think in schedules, which is powerful but takes setup, and some people never quite get their rules right.

How does GoFlow compare?

• Blocking follows your focus, not a clock. Instead of mapping out time windows, you start a round and the free Focus Guard extension blocks your chosen sites until the round ends. No schedule to maintain.
• It is a timer too. Pomodoro, fixed-length, and open-ended modes are built in, so the same tool that blocks also times the session.
• It tracks your work. Tasks carry across days and GoFlow sums your focus time per task, so you see effort building. LeechBlock has no tracking.
• It is free and private. No paid tier, no account, and your data stays on your device, the same no-cost promise as LeechBlock.

Where does LeechBlock win?

To be fair, if your real need is fine-grained block scheduling, LeechBlock is the better tool and it is free. Its time-window rules, daily allowances, and per-set configuration go far beyond anything GoFlow tries to do. GoFlow deliberately keeps blocking simple: on during a round, off during a break. If you want a site available only between 6pm and 8pm on weekdays, or a 30-minute daily budget on a site, LeechBlock handles that and GoFlow does not.

Quick comparison

This is a snapshot. Features and prices move, so check LeechBlock's own site before you decide.

How does each one work day to day?

With LeechBlock, the work is up front. You sit down once, build your block sets, pick your time windows, set any daily limits, and from then on it runs quietly in the background. The payoff is automation: you never think about it again, and the rules apply whether you are in a focus mood or not. The risk is that a rule you set in January may not match how you actually work in June, and loose rules quietly let you drift.

With GoFlow, there is almost no setup. You add the sites you want closed once, then your only daily action is starting a round. The blocking is tied to that decision, so it is always in sync with whether you are trying to focus right now. The trade-off is that nothing blocks you outside a round, so the tool only helps when you choose to start one. For people who keep tweaking schedules but never quite follow them, that simpler loop can be the thing that finally sticks.

Who is GoFlow a good fit for?

GoFlow suits you if you want blocking and focus in one move, without building a schedule first. You press start, the distractions close, and your work gets logged. It follows the idea in Cal Newport's Deep Work: protect the block, remove the easy pull, and let focus add up. If you would rather set precise rules and let them run, LeechBlock is the better, and also free, choice.

Frequently asked questions

---

Keep reading