Cold Turkey Blocker

★ 4.6

Desktop-only blocker with the strictest lockouts on Mac and Windows, one-time purchase

Last verified: May 2026

Install Cold Turkey Blocker →
Type
app
Pricing
one-time · Free tier blocks sites with no schedule. Pro is $39 one-time (lifetime updates).
Platforms
mac, windows
Targets
all

Strengths

  • ✓ One-time $39 purchase for Pro — no subscription
  • ✓ Frozen Turkey mode locks you out of your entire computer for a set duration
  • ✓ Allowance system: 'only 30 minutes of Reddit per day' style limits
  • ✓ Blocks at the system level — works in every browser without extensions
  • ✓ Random text-typing challenge to remove a block (deliberate friction)
  • ✓ Active development with regular updates

Weaknesses

  • ✕ Desktop only — no iOS, Android, or cloud sync
  • ✕ Windows-first UX; Mac version slightly behind on polish
  • ✕ Free tier has no schedules and no allowance — Pro is effectively required
  • ✕ Importing/exporting block lists is fiddly

Best for

Desktop users who want the strongest available lockouts and don't want a recurring subscription

#distraction-blocker#desktop#one-time#unbypassable#hard-blocker

Cold Turkey Blocker is the strictest desktop distraction blocker available in May 2026 and the only major one sold as a $39 one-time purchase instead of a subscription. Pick it when you work on a single laptop and want unbypassable lockouts without paying yearly.

At a glance

FieldValue
PricingFree (basic) / $39 one-time for Pro (lifetime)
PlatformsMac, Windows
Sync across devicesNo
Locked / unbypassable modeYes — Frozen Turkey locks the entire PC
Last verifiedMay 20, 2026

What Cold Turkey does well

  • One-time purchase. $39 once, lifetime updates. Over five years it’s roughly one-fifth the cost of Freedom.
  • Frozen Turkey. A nuclear “lock me out of the computer entirely for N minutes” mode. Nothing else on this scale matches it.
  • Allowance system. Cap a site at “30 minutes per day” without blocking it outright — useful for sites you legitimately need but abuse.
  • System-level blocking. Works across Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Vivaldi, and Arc with no per-browser extensions to maintain.
  • Removal friction. Disabling a block can require typing a randomly-generated paragraph. By the time you’ve finished, the urge has passed.

What Cold Turkey doesn’t do

  • Mobile. No iOS, no Android, no plans. If your problem is your phone, look at Freedom or Opal.
  • Sync. Each install is its own island. Want the same blocklist on two laptops? You copy it manually.
  • A usable free tier. Free Cold Turkey can permanently block a site, but cannot schedule or do allowances. Pro is effectively required.

Best for

Desktop-only users who want the lowest lifetime cost and the strictest available lockouts, and who are honest that their distraction problem lives mostly on the laptop.

Setup in 5 minutes

  1. Download Cold Turkey from getcoldturkey.com.
  2. Buy Pro ($39 one-time) — the free tier won’t do what you need.
  3. Create a block list — add the 5–10 sites that pull you in.
  4. Schedule it (e.g. weekdays 8:00–17:00). Tick Locked so you can’t end it early.
  5. Optional: enable Frozen Turkey for evenings.

Alternatives

  • Freedom — subscription, but syncs across every device you own. Pick if you’re a phone+laptop person.
  • SelfControl — free, Mac only, unbypassable. Pick if you want zero cost and zero features beyond a timer.
  • FocusMe — closest feature parity to Cold Turkey on subscription pricing.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions — click any to expand.

Yes, as of May 2026. Cold Turkey Blocker Pro is a one-time license with free updates. The company has held this pricing since 2018.

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