LeechBlock vs StayFocusd: Best Free Site Blocker?

6 min read · Brainrot Test

LeechBlock vs StayFocusd: LeechBlock NG is the more powerful free site blocker, with detailed schedules, multiple block sets and support for Firefox, Chrome and Edge. StayFocusd is simpler, Chrome-based and built around one daily time allowance for distracting sites. If you want precise study-session rules, use LeechBlock; if you want a "30 minutes of YouTube a day, then done" budget, StayFocusd is quicker to set up.

A site blocker handles your laptop, but if you also reach for your phone between every paragraph, Brainrot Test scores that reflex and helps you shrink it. Check my brainrot

Most pages comparing these two are years old. Here's a fresh head-to-head, plus a setup you can finish before your next study session.

The quick verdict: LeechBlock or StayFocusd?

Extensions get updated and occasionally change, so check the store listing before installing.

What each one blocks

LeechBlock NG

LeechBlock NG (the "next generation" version of the original LeechBlock) organizes everything into block sets. Each set has:

• A list of sites (YouTube, Reddit, TikTok web, whatever)
• When to block (e.g. 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays)
• A time limit (e.g. 10 minutes per hour)
• Optional exceptions, so you can allow a specific page, like a YouTube lecture playlist link, while blocking the rest

You can have one set for study hours, another for late-night scrolling and another for weekends.

StayFocusd Chrome extension

StayFocusd gives you a max time allowed per day across your list of "blocked sites." When you use up your minutes, those sites are blocked until tomorrow. You can set active days and hours, and add allowed sites as exceptions.

It's the "screen-time budget" approach applied to your browser.

What about uBlock and BlockSite?

• LeechBlock vs uBlock: uBlock Origin is an ad and content blocker. You can block a site with a custom filter, but there are no schedules or time limits, and it's trivially easy to switch off. Not a focus tool.
• BlockSite vs LeechBlock: BlockSite is friendlier-looking, works on phones too, and puts some features behind a paid plan. LeechBlock does more for free on desktop.
• LeechBlock vs Cold Turkey: Cold Turkey blocks at the computer level, not just inside one browser, so it's much harder to dodge by opening another browser. We compare it with Freedom in Freedom vs Cold Turkey.

How strict they get

Every extension shares one weakness: you can open a different browser, or go to the extensions page and switch it off. The question is how much friction each one adds.

LeechBlock lockdown and settings protection

• Lockdown blocks all your chosen sites immediately for a set time.
• Options access can be protected with a password or a random access code you have to type out.
• You can prevent access to the browser's extensions page during a block and add a delay before the settings open.
• A "delaying page" can make you wait a few seconds before a site loads, which kills a lot of autopilot clicks.

StayFocusd Nuclear Option and the challenge

• The Nuclear Option blocks sites for a set number of hours, no matter how much time you have left.
• The challenge makes you retype a passage without errors before you can change settings. People on StayFocusd Reddit threads describe it as surprisingly effective, because one typo restarts it.

Strictness winner: LeechBlock, by a little, mainly because of block sets plus extensions-page protection. StayFocusd's challenge is great at stopping impulse edits, though.

Setup in 5 minutes: how to set up LeechBlock for a study session

1. Install LeechBlock NG from your browser's extension store.
2. Open its options. In Block Set 1, name it "Study."
3. Paste your list, one per line: youtube.com, reddit.com, tiktok.com, instagram.com, plus your personal weak spot.
4. Set times, e.g. 0900-1200 and 1600-2100, and tick Monday to Friday.
5. Under advanced options, tick the setting that stops you reaching the extensions page during blocks.
6. Go to General options and set a password or random access code for the options page.
7. Test it: open YouTube. If you see the block page, you're done.

StayFocusd setup in 3 minutes

1. Add the StayFocusd extension in Chrome.
2. Set Max Time Allowed to something honest, like 20 minutes.
3. Add your blocked sites.
4. Set Active Days and Active Hours to your study times.
5. Turn on the Require Challenge option so settings are hard to edit.

StayFocusd not working? Quick fixes

• Incognito: allow the extension in incognito, or the block is easy to dodge.
• Wrong profile: it only runs in the Chrome profile you installed it on.
• Subdomains: check the site is listed the way StayFocusd expects (e.g. youtube.com rather than a single video URL).
• Extension disabled after an update: re-check it's switched on.

The bit no extension handles

Blocking the browser is easy. The harder part is that the second a site is blocked, many of us just pick up the phone instead. You won't notice you're doing it, which makes it impossible to judge how much the blocker is really helping.

Brainrot Test turns that guessing into a number. Seventeen taps give you a 0 to 100 brainrot score and a tier compared with everyone who's taken it, and a two-minute daily drill knocks a point off each time you finish one, re-measured every Sunday. Check my brainrot

Which to pick for studying

• You use Firefox or switch browsers: LeechBlock NG.
• You want detailed schedules (school days vs weekends): LeechBlock NG.
• You just want a daily budget and to be done: StayFocusd.
• You keep beating both: go system-level with Cold Turkey.
• The phone is the bigger issue: see the free picks in Forest app alternative.

Block the sites, then shrink the reflex

In the next minute, Brainrot Test gives you your brainrot score and tier, so you can see how much of your attention runs on autopilot before a blocker even kicks in. Then do one two-minute drill a day and watch the Sunday re-measure.

Check my brainrot

FAQ

Is LeechBlock better than StayFocusd?

For most students, yes: LeechBlock NG supports more browsers, multiple block sets and detailed schedules. StayFocusd is better if you just want a simple daily time budget in Chrome.

Does LeechBlock NG work on Chrome?

Yes. LeechBlock NG works on Chrome, Firefox and Edge, and most Chromium-based browsers that accept Chrome extensions.

What is the StayFocusd Nuclear Option?

It blocks your chosen sites for a set number of hours, ignoring any remaining daily allowance. Use it during exams or deadline nights.

LeechBlock vs Cold Turkey: which is stronger?

Cold Turkey is stronger because it works across the whole computer, not just one browser. LeechBlock is free and lighter, and is a great place to start.

Why is StayFocusd not working?

Usually it's disabled in incognito, installed on a different Chrome profile, or the site is entered in a format it doesn't match. Check those three first.