Best Website Blockers for Windows (2026)

For most people, the strongest website blocker on Windows is Cold Turkey Pro. Once a block is locked, you can’t uninstall the app or turn off its browser extension until the lock ends. If you need the same blocks on your phone, Freedom covers more devices. If you want something free, LeechBlock NG, the hosts file or an Edge browser policy will each do the job, though each is easier to undo.

Blockers differ in how easy they are to switch off, and that depends on where the block happens: in a browser extension, in a browser policy, in a local filter run by an app, or in Windows’ own name lookup. This guide compares the tools on that basis, using each vendor’s own documentation. Prices were checked in October 2026.

If you are still on Windows 10, keep in mind that Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. Consumer Extended Security Updates continue until October 12, 2027. Cold Turkey still lists Windows 10 as supported. For the other tools, check the vendor’s page.

Why where a blocker works decides how easy it is to undo

Each blocking method has one obvious off switch. With an extension, you disable it in chrome://extensions or edge://extensions, or you open a different browser. A hosts file entry or a registry policy can be deleted by anyone with admin rights. A desktop app with a lock is the only kind that makes you wait.

This is why the ranking below favours desktop apps with real locks. You can always get around a blocker on your own PC. What helps is how much effort it takes in the moment you want to.

Cold Turkey: the hardest to switch off

Cold Turkey is a desktop app that blocks websites through browser extensions and can also block whole applications. On Windows it supports Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Opera, Opera GX, Vivaldi, Arc and several other browsers. It runs on Windows 11, and on Windows 10, 8.1 and 7 SP1 with .NET 4.8 (system requirements).

What the lock does

According to the user guide, the uninstaller fails while a block is locked, and the browser extension has to stay enabled. Brave’s Tor windows and guest browsing are blocked as well. The “Block unsupported browsers” setting (Settings › Blocking) closes any browser Cold Turkey can’t filter, and you can’t turn it off during a locked block.

You can lock a block in several ways:

• Timer: the block can’t be changed until the time runs out.
• Random Text: you have to type out a random string of 1 to 999 characters.
• Time Range: changes are only allowed during a window you set.
• Password: someone else holds the password (Pro only).
• Restart: the block ends only after the PC restarts.
• Schedule: the block follows a recurring schedule.

Frozen Turkey is the most extreme option. It locks, logs off or shuts down the computer for a set amount of time.

Free vs Pro

The free version gives you website blocking, exceptions, timed blocks and statistics. Pro adds app blocking, scheduled blocks, an application password, all locking features, and breaks and allowances. Pro is a one-time purchase, and the price is on the pricing page. That page also lists a 7-day Pro trial inside the free app, a 30-day refund, a 20% student discount, and one key that covers both Windows and macOS.

The trade-off is that Cold Turkey has no Android or iOS app. If your phone is the bigger distraction, look at Freedom instead. For a Mac comparison, see the Cold Turkey alternative page.

Freedom: one blocklist on your PC and your phone

Freedom blocks websites, apps or the whole internet on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, and websites only on Chromebook. You set up “sessions” and they apply on every device you’ve linked. No other tool here covers as many platforms from one account.

How it blocks on Windows

On Windows, Freedom runs a local proxy-based filter, and the app has to be running (look for the butterfly icon in the system tray). Its browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Opera show the block screen and deal with browser VPN extensions.

Freedom’s Windows troubleshooting guide lists known conflicts with NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Cisco corporate VPNs and some antivirus software. It also describes a “Non-Proxy Mode” for when those conflicts happen. If you use a work VPN, test Freedom before you rely on it.

Pricing and the lock

The free plan blocks websites, apps or the entire internet on unlimited devices, with custom blocklists. Locked Mode, which stops you from ending a session early, is Premium only. In October 2026 Premium cost $3.33/month billed yearly, $8.99 month to month, or $99.50 once for “Forever”. The Forever price was shown as a discount from $199, and the page doesn’t say when the discount ends. The 7-day trial applies only to the yearly plan.

FocusMe: time budgets and detailed rules

FocusMe is for people who want limits rather than a hard wall, for example 30 minutes of Reddit a day and then a block. It does time limits, scheduled blocks, app blocking and built-in Pomodoro cycles. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, with extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. It’s the only dedicated app in this guide that also runs on Linux.

Its lock is called Enforced Mode, which FocusMe describes as “difficult to disable, bypass, or change until the session ends.”

According to the pricing page, one licence covers 5 computers and 2 phones or tablets. The yearly plan cost $119.40 ($9.95/month) in October 2026, and monthly billing was $17.95. The lifetime price shown on that page wasn’t consistent, so check the current figure there. There’s a 14-day trial with no card required and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Browser extensions: LeechBlock NG, BlockSite, StayFocusd

Extensions are the quickest to set up and the easiest to get around. They only work in the browser where they’re installed, and you can turn them off in a few clicks. They’re useful as a reminder, but not as a lock. The guide to blocking websites on Chrome goes into this in more detail.

LeechBlock NG

LeechBlock NG is free and works in Firefox, Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers such as Brave, Opera and Vivaldi. You can set up to 30 block sets. Each one can use fixed time periods, time limits (for example 10 minutes per hour) or both, along with wildcards and exceptions. A lockdown mode, plus a password or random access code on the options, makes it harder to change settings on impulse. It’s the most capable free option, but it can still be disabled like any other extension.

BlockSite

BlockSite offers extensions for Chrome, Edge and Safari, a desktop app that blocks across several browsers, and iOS and Android apps. Password protection is listed among its features, but the pricing page doesn’t say which plan includes it. In October 2026 the only price shown was $39.99 for lifetime access, labelled a limited-time offer, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

If you only install the BlockSite extension, opening another browser gets around it. The desktop app covers more browsers.

StayFocusd

StayFocusd is a Chrome extension built around a daily time allowance for distracting sites. Like the others, it only works in Chrome and can be disabled there.

Free methods built into Windows

There are two ways to block sites without installing anything. Both need admin rights and neither has a lock, so they’re best for blocking a few domains you never want to see.

The hosts file (every browser)

1. Open Notepad as Administrator.
2. Open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts (set the file filter to “All files”).
3. Add a line for each domain, and include IPv6 too: 127.0.0.1 reddit.com, 127.0.0.1 www.reddit.com, ::1 reddit.com, ::1 www.reddit.com.
4. Save the file, then run ipconfig /flushdns in Command Prompt.

You have to list every subdomain yourself, and the block lasts only until you delete the line. Browsers that use DNS over HTTPS may resolve names in their own way. Firefox’s documentation explains how it handles hosts entries. If a blocked site still loads, turn off Secure DNS in your browser (in Chrome: chrome://settings/security) and test again.

An Edge URLBlocklist policy (inside the browser)

Edge reads a URLBlocklist policy from the registry. In regedit, create the key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\URLBlocklist. Then add string values (REG_SZ) named 1, 2, 3 and so on, each containing a pattern such as reddit.com. Restart Edge.

The policy accepts up to 1,000 entries. Because it’s built into the browser, there’s no extension to disable, but it only applies to Edge, and anyone with admin rights can delete the key. Chrome has an equivalent policy, listed among the Chrome Enterprise policies. For a practical example, see blocking Reddit during work hours.

Blocking websites on a child’s PC: Microsoft Family Safety

If you’re blocking sites for a child, Microsoft’s own parental controls fit better than a productivity blocker. Family Safety’s web filters work in Microsoft Edge while the child is signed in to their Microsoft account on Windows. Other common browsers are blocked rather than filtered, so the child can’t get around the filter just by installing Chrome.

The blocking is tied to the child’s account rather than the PC, so make sure they use their own Windows sign-in and not a shared or administrator account.

Does Windows Focus block websites?

No. In Windows 11, the feature once called Focus Assist was renamed Do Not Disturb. It silences notifications and nothing else. Focus is a separate feature in Settings › System › Focus. It starts a timed session that turns on Do Not Disturb, hides taskbar badges and flashing, and uses the Clock app (Microsoft’s guide).

Neither of them blocks a website or an app. You can run a Focus session together with one of the blockers above if you also want notifications silenced.

Which one should you pick?

Tool	How it blocks	Lock	Free option	Price (Oct 2026)
Cold Turkey	Desktop app + extensions	Yes (Pro)	Free version	One-time purchase
Freedom	Local filter + extension	Locked Mode (Premium)	Free plan	$3.33/mo yearly, $99.50 Forever
FocusMe	Desktop app + extensions	Enforced Mode	14-day trial	$119.40/yr
LeechBlock NG	Extension	Lockdown, access code	Free	Free
BlockSite	Extension or desktop app	Password	Yes	$39.99 lifetime offer
Hosts file	Windows name lookup	No	Built in	Free
Edge policy	Browser policy	No	Built in	Free

• You keep turning blockers off: Cold Turkey Pro with a Timer or Random Text lock.
• Your phone is where you lose the time: Freedom Premium, so the same session applies to every device.
• You want limits, not bans: FocusMe, or LeechBlock NG if you want it free.
• You need two or three sites gone, for free: the hosts file, or the Edge policy if you only use Edge.
• It’s for your child: Microsoft Family Safety.

For tools on other platforms, see the cross-platform website blocker comparison.

If you also use a Mac

Browwwser doesn’t run on Windows. It’s a Chromium browser for macOS 12 or later with blocking built into the browser rather than added as an extension. Blocked sites don’t load, and Lock mode freezes your blocklist behind a recovery password you choose, with no unlock button and no timer. It can also close the macOS apps you add to the list.

Browwwser has limits: blocking only applies inside Browwwser itself, and after the 7-day trial it costs $99 a year or $199 once (pricing). For the other Mac options, read how to block websites on Mac.

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest website blocker to bypass on Windows?

Cold Turkey Pro with a locked block. While a block is locked, the uninstaller fails, the browser extension has to stay enabled, and unsupported browsers can be closed automatically. Because you are the administrator of your own PC, no blocker is impossible to get around.

Can I block websites on Windows without installing anything?

Yes. You can add domains to the hosts file at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts, which affects every browser. You can also add a URLBlocklist policy for Microsoft Edge in the registry. Both need admin rights, and both are easy to undo because neither has a lock.

Does Focus in Windows 11 block websites?

No. Focus starts a timed session that turns on Do Not Disturb and hides taskbar badges. It does not block websites or apps. In Windows 11 the old Focus Assist feature is now called Do Not Disturb.

Do these blockers still work on Windows 10?

Cold Turkey lists Windows 10 in its system requirements. For other tools, check the vendor's site. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, and Consumer Extended Security Updates run until October 12, 2027.

Is there a free Windows blocker with a lock?

LeechBlock NG is free and has a lockdown mode plus an optional password or random access code. It is still a browser extension, so it can be disabled. Freedom's free plan and Cold Turkey's free version both block sites, but their locking features (Locked Mode and Cold Turkey's locks) require the paid tiers.