The best Flow alternatives

For most people the best alternative to Flow is one sec, and the best free one is Cold Turkey.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

one secPick it if you open social apps on autopilot and a short pause is enough to change your mind.Free to start

Cold TurkeyPick it if you always find a way to disable blockers and need one on your Mac you can't undo.Free to start Also great

ScreenZenPick this if you want a pause plus daily open limits on your iPhone without paying anything.Free

Compare at a glance

Flow is highlighted, so you can see what you give up and what you gain.

App	Price	How you pay	Rating
Flow	Free to start	Free, with paid upgrades	4.8
one sec	Free to start	Free, with paid upgrades	4.8
Cold Turkey	Free to start	Free, with paid upgrades	Too few ratings
ScreenZen	Free	Free	4.9
Freedom	Free to start	Free, with paid upgrades	4.5
Opal	Free to start	Free, with paid upgrades	4.7
HazeOver	$4.99 once	Pay once	Too few ratings
Session	Free to start	Free, with paid upgrades	4.8
Endel	Free to start	Free, with paid upgrades	4.6

Swipe the table sideways to see more

The alternatives, in order

1
one sec
Free to startBest alternative4.8

Pick it if you open social apps on autopilot and a short pause is enough to change your mind.

A short breathing pause before Instagram or TikTok opens, enough friction to make you rethink the scroll without blocking anything.

Prices and full verdict App Store
2
Cold Turkey
Free to startBest free

Pick it if you always find a way to disable blockers and need one on your Mac you can't undo.

A blocker you can't talk your way out of, with locked blocks and 1 lifetime price for every computer.

Prices and full verdict Developer's site
3
ScreenZen
Free4.9

Pick this if you want a pause plus daily open limits on your iPhone without paying anything.

A free speed bump before Instagram or TikTok opens, with daily open limits and settings you can lock away from yourself.

Prices and full verdict App Store
4
Freedom
Free to start4.5

Pick this if you drift from your laptop to your phone and need both blocked at the same time.

Block the same apps and sites on your phone and computer at once, so there's nowhere left to drift off to.

Prices and full verdict App Store
5
Opal
Free to start4.7

Pick it if you keep tapping Ignore Limit in Screen Time and want iPhone sessions you can't cancel.

An iPhone app blocker whose Pro plan adds sessions you can't cancel, for when Screen Time limits are too easy to dismiss.

Prices and full verdict App Store
6
HazeOver
$4.99 once

Pick it if you work on a large display or 2 monitors and keep typing into the wrong window.

Background windows fade so the one you are working in stands out, a $4.99 fix for busy screens.

Prices and full verdict Developer's site
7
Session
Free to start4.8

Pick this if you work in Pomodoro sprints on a Mac and want Slack and distracting sites silenced until the break.

A Pomodoro timer for Mac that blocks distracting sites and apps and mutes Slack until your break.

Prices and full verdict App Store
8
Endel
Free to start4.6

Pick this if you want background sound that shifts with your day instead of a playlist that ends.

Background sound that adapts to your day and your heart rate, with the classic focus and sleep modes free.

Prices and full verdict App Store

When Flow is still the right pick

You work in focused blocks and want a timer that stays out of the way in the menu bar.

Flow prices and verdictFree to start