Focus and app blocker apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head
ScreenZen vs Cold Turkey
ScreenZen ranks #2 and Cold Turkey ranks #3 in our guide to the best focus and app blocker apps for Mac and iPhone. ScreenZen is the better pick for most people.
ScreenZenPick ScreenZen if you want a pause plus daily open limits on your iPhone without paying anything.Free#3 in the guide
Cold TurkeyPick Cold Turkey if you always find a way to disable blockers and need one on your Mac you can't undo.Free to startWhat decides it
- On price: ScreenZen is free. Optional tips support the developer. Cold Turkey is free. Pro is $45 once for every computer you use.
- Both run on Mac. Only ScreenZen runs on iPhone and iPad.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | ScreenZen | Cold Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. Optional tips support the developer | Free. Pro is $45 once for every computer you use |
| How you pay | Free | Free, with paid upgrades |
| 3 years of use | Free | Depends on the plan |
| Free trial | Free to start | Free to start |
| Runs on | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Mac |
| Where to buy | App Store | Developer |
| Rating | 4.9 53K ratings | Too few ratings |
| Features | None flagged | Free trial |
| Made by | ScreenZen LLC | Not listed |
| Last updated | 6 Sept 2026 | Not tracked |
Who should get which
Get ScreenZen if
You open Instagram on autopilot and want a short pause before it loads, not a total ban.
Get Cold Turkey if
You have installed blockers before and always found a way to switch them off.
Skip ScreenZen if
You want 1 block running on your phone and computer at the same time, which is where Freedom comes in.
Skip Cold Turkey if
You want a gentle reminder rather than a lock, and Screen Time's free limits are enough for that.
Our verdicts
ScreenZen
Every feature in ScreenZen is free, while one sec and Opal limit their free tiers to 1 app or 1 rule. It makes you wait a few seconds before a distracting app opens, caps how many times a day you can open it, and locks your settings so you cannot quietly switch it off. It runs on optional tips, and Freedom is the pick if you want 1 block running on your phone and computer at the same time.
Cold Turkey
Screen Time limits on a Mac are easy to ignore, while Cold Turkey can lock a block in place and stop you uninstalling it mid-block. The free version blocks websites on a timer in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Arc and most other browsers. App blocking, schedules and the locks need Pro at $45 once for every Mac and Windows PC you use, cheaper than Freedom's $39.99 a year, though Freedom also covers your phone.
What each one helps you do
ScreenZen
- Pause before opening apps you overuse
- Cap Instagram at a few opens a day
- Block social apps during work hours
- See screen time for only distracting apps
Cold Turkey
- Block distracting websites in every browser
- Lock a block so you can't undo it
- Schedule blocks for your work hours
- Block games and apps, not just websites
Where to get them
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best focus and app blocker apps for Mac and iPhone.
one secPick it if you open social apps on autopilot and a short pause is enough to change your mind.Free to start
FreedomPick this if you drift from your laptop to your phone and need both blocked at the same time.Free to start
OpalPick it if you keep tapping Ignore Limit in Screen Time and want iPhone sessions you can't cancel.Free to start
SessionPick this if you work in Pomodoro sprints on a Mac and want Slack and distracting sites silenced until the break.Free to start
EndelPick this if you want background sound that shifts with your day instead of a playlist that ends.Free to start
Read the full guideAll ScreenZen alternativesAll Cold Turkey alternatives