Freedom vs Cold Turkey: Which Blocker Holds Up?

The verdict

Choose Cold Turkey if you only need to block distractions on a Windows or Mac computer. Once a block is locked, it’s the harder of the two to escape, and it’s a one-time purchase.

Choose Freedom if you also need to block your phone. It’s the only one of the two that works on iPhone and Android, and its Locked Mode is strict enough for most people once you switch off its optional early exits.

Over two years, Cold Turkey Pro costs a one-time fee in the $40 range. Freedom costs about $80 on the yearly plan.

Both apps promise blocks you can’t wriggle out of. That’s the whole point of paying for them. So this comparison focuses on the question that matters most: when temptation hits mid-block, can you uninstall the app and get your sites back?

We compared both apps platform by platform using their official documentation, then looked at the escape hatches each one leaves open, and what each costs over two years.

Freedom vs Cold Turkey at a Glance

The Strictness Test: Can You Uninstall Each One Mid-Block?

This is where the two apps differ most. Here’s what each one’s documentation says happens if you try to remove it during an active, locked block.

Freedom

Freedom’s protection depends on stacking settings. On Windows, its uninstall protection guide recommends turning on Locked Mode, Block Task Manager, Block System Settings and Run on Startup. With all four active, you can’t uninstall the app during a session.

On Mac, Locked Mode stops you quitting the app, and an optional setting blocks Activity Monitor so you can’t force-quit it. Freedom warns that moving the app to the Trash only partly removes it, and it may keep running.

On iPhone, Uninstall Protection blocks deleting every app on the phone, not only Freedom. Once Locked Mode is on, you can’t turn it off. That’s strict, but it’s a setting you have to choose.

The key detail from Freedom’s Locked Mode documentation: Locked Mode can’t be disabled during a running session, so you have to set it up in advance.

Cold Turkey

Cold Turkey is simpler. On its homepage, the company says it’s almost impossible to stop a block once you lock it, and that you can’t just uninstall the app. Uninstall prevention is a core feature on both Windows and Mac. If you disable its browser extension during a locked block, Cold Turkey blocks the browser instead.

You don’t need to remember four separate settings. You lock the block, and that’s it.

Verdict on strictness: on desktop, Cold Turkey is stricter by default. Freedom can get close, but only if you configure it fully. On phones, Freedom wins by default, because Cold Turkey doesn’t run there at all.

The Escape Hatches Each App Leaves Open

No blocker is a vault. Both apps include deliberate exits, and knowing them helps you decide which to switch off.

Freedom:

• On iPhone, optional settings allow a Weekly Early Exit (end a locked session once every 7 days) and a Daily Session Break (5 minutes a day). There’s also a setting that stops you ending locked sessions entirely. Freedom’s iOS options guide lists all three.
• If you’re truly stuck, Freedom’s support team can help end a session.

Cold Turkey:

• Pause for a Cause lets you pause a block by donating to the World Wildlife Fund. You can disable it.
• Lock types vary in strength. A short timer or a random-text lock is easier to get past than a password held by someone else.
• Browser extensions must be allowed in private browsing. Skip that step, and an incognito window becomes a loophole.

The pattern is the same for both. The app is only as strict as your setup on day one.

Price Over 2 Years

Freedom’s yearly plan is often shown as “$3.33 a month,” but it’s billed as $39.99 upfront. Its Forever plan has a $199 list price and is frequently discounted to $99.50.

Cold Turkey’s Pro licence is a one-time payment with free lifetime updates, and one purchase covers every computer you personally use, on both Windows and Mac. Its pricing page also lists a 7-day Pro trial, a 30-day refund guarantee, and 20% off for students. The exact Pro price appears at checkout.

Verdict on price: Cold Turkey is cheaper over any timeframe. Freedom only gets close with the discounted Forever plan.

How to Make Either Blocker Stricter

Whichever app you pick, a few minutes of setup closes most of the gaps above.

Freedom

1. Turn on Locked Mode from your Freedom dashboard and on each device. Freedom treats them as separate settings.
2. On Windows, also enable Block Task Manager, Block System Settings and Run on Startup.
3. On Mac, enable Block Activity Monitor so the app can’t be force-quit.
4. On iPhone, turn on Uninstall Protection, and leave Weekly Early Exit and Daily Session Break switched off.

Cold Turkey

1. Install the browser extensions for every browser you use, and allow them in private or incognito windows.
2. Switch off Pause for a Cause if you know you’d use it.
3. For the strongest lock, use a password and let a friend or partner keep it.
4. Use scheduled blocks for your usual distraction hours, so you don’t have to decide each day.

Freedom App Review: Where It Wins

Freedom’s biggest strength is reach. One account blocks the same sites and apps on your laptop, phone and tablet at the same time. That matters because most people who block a site on their computer simply pick up their phone instead.

Other strengths:

• Scheduling and recurring sessions that sync across devices.
• Phone blocking on iPhone and Android, which Cold Turkey can’t do.
• Gentler options when you want them, such as a daily 5-minute break on iPhone.
• Focus sounds built in.

The trade-off is the subscription, and the fact that its strongest protection takes some setting up. If you want a deeper look at phone-only tools, see our list of the best app blockers for iPhone.

Cold Turkey: Where It Wins

Cold Turkey is built for people who know they’ll try to cheat. Lock a block, and it stays locked. It can also block apps, games, keyword searches, the whole internet, or even your entire computer with its full-lockout mode.

Other strengths:

• One-time price with lifetime updates.
• Settings and stats stay on your device, so there’s no account to manage.
• Breaks and allowances in Pro, such as a daily YouTube allowance.

The trade-off is that it only covers computers. For our full breakdown of its features and lock types, read our Cold Turkey Blocker review.

Which Blocker Should You Choose?

Start with where your distraction happens.

• Mostly on a laptop or desktop? Choose Cold Turkey. It’s stricter, cheaper, and needs less setup to hold firm.
• Mostly on your phone, or on every device? Choose Freedom, and turn on Locked Mode and Uninstall Protection from the start.
• Both, on a budget? Use Cold Turkey on your computer and a phone-only blocker on your phone.

Strictness isn’t everything, though. A block you resent tends to get removed, one way or another. If you find hard locks make you anxious, a short pause before opening an app can work better than a wall. That’s the idea behind ComfortZoneCheckin. For more options across every device, see our roundup of the best focus apps.

FAQ