Site Blocker vs StayFocusd: A Private StayFocusd Alternative
StayFocusd is one of the best-known Chrome website blockers, with 700,000 users and strong time-limit controls. Site Blocker is a newer, free blocker whose developer collects no data. Here is an honest look at how they differ.
Last verified: . Facts about StayFocusd are taken from its Chrome Web Store listing and published extension (version 4.6.14).
Quick verdict
Choose Site Blocker if you want a website blocker whose developer collects nothing, with regex rules, URL redirects and a simple timed Focus Mode. Choose StayFocusd if you want a daily time allowance, an active-hours schedule, the uncancellable Nuclear Option, a challenge before settings can change, or blocking of in-page content like videos.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Site Blocker | StayFocusd |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, all features | Free to install |
| Publisher | gowebsiteblocker.com | Sensor Tower |
| Data disclosed on Chrome Web Store | None collected | Web history, user activity, website content |
| Blocking approach | Block sites outright | Daily time allowance for blocked sites |
| Block specific paths or pages | Yes | Yes |
| Regex rules | Yes | Not advertised |
| URL redirects | Yes | Not advertised |
| Block everything except allowed sites | Yes (Focus Mode, 15–120 min) | Yes (Nuclear Option) |
| Usage statistics | Yes, built on your device | Yes, plus Gen AI usage analytics |
| Active days and hours (schedule) | No | Yes |
| Daily time allowance | No | Yes |
| Uncancellable block (Nuclear Option) | No | Yes |
| Challenge before changing settings | No | Yes (Require Challenge) |
| Block in-page content (videos, images) | No | Yes |
Is StayFocusd safe? What it discloses
StayFocusd is published by Sensor Tower. Its Chrome Web Store privacy section says the extension handles web history, user activity and website content. The listing also advertises Gen AI Analytics, a feature for tracking and analyzing your own usage of AI chat platforms, and says StayFocusd does not collect personal data from the pages you visit.
Site Blocker's own listing discloses no data collection. It has no account and no server of ours that receives your data; your rules are stored in your browser and your statistics are built on your device. If you want a blocker whose developer collects nothing, that is the main difference.
Different philosophies on blocking
StayFocusd is built around a time allowance. You set a maximum time per day for the sites on your blocked list, and it blocks them once you use it up. Site Blocker is direct: a site is either blocked or it is not. That makes Site Blocker quicker to set up, while StayFocusd gives finer control over how much time you spend on sites you don't want to block completely.
Focus Mode vs the Nuclear Option
Site Blocker's Focus Mode blocks every website except the ones you whitelist, for a timed session of 15 to 120 minutes, and you can end it yourself. StayFocusd's Nuclear Option blocks websites for a set number of hours, either your blocked list or everything except your Allowed Sites, and once started it cannot be cancelled from inside the extension. If you need that level of enforcement, the Nuclear Option is stronger. If you want a timed session you stay in control of, Focus Mode fits better.
Rules Site Blocker adds: regex and redirects
Site Blocker supports regex blocking rules and URL redirects (send reddit.com to your task list, for example), which StayFocusd's listing does not mention. Its usage statistics, including daily visits, top sites and an hourly heatmap, are built on your device and never sent to us.
Where StayFocusd wins
StayFocusd is the stronger tool for self-discipline. It offers a daily time allowance, active days and hours, the Nuclear Option, Require Challenge (you must complete a task before changing settings), and blocking of specific in-page content such as videos. Site Blocker has none of these today: a site is either blocked or it isn't.
Frequently asked questions
Is Site Blocker a good StayFocusd alternative?
Yes, if your priority is privacy or you want rule-based blocking. Site Blocker's developer collects no data, it needs no account, and it offers regex rules and URL redirects, which StayFocusd's listing does not mention. It does not have StayFocusd's daily time allowance, active-hours schedule, uncancellable Nuclear Option or Require Challenge, so if you depend on those, StayFocusd is still the better fit.
Is StayFocusd safe?
StayFocusd is published on the Chrome Web Store by Sensor Tower. As of October 1, 2026, its store listing discloses that it handles web history, user activity and website content, and it advertises Gen AI Analytics, a feature for tracking and analyzing your own usage of AI chat platforms. The listing also states it does not collect personal data from the web pages you visit. Whether that is acceptable is your call; you can review the disclosure yourself in the privacy section of its Chrome Web Store page.
Is StayFocusd free?
StayFocusd is free to install from the Chrome Web Store. We have not verified whether any features require payment, so check the current listing. Site Blocker is free with every feature included and no paid tier.
Which is better for students?
If you want to block everything except your study resources for a fixed session, Site Blocker's Focus Mode does exactly that: set a timer, whitelist the sites you need, and everything else is blocked. If you want to allow yourself a limited amount of time on distracting sites each day, StayFocusd's daily time allowance suits that better.