Bollard compared with subscription blockers
Bollard does one job, blocking websites in Chrome, for one payment. Subscription blockers do more, across more devices, for a monthly or yearly fee. This page sets out both sides so you can pick the right one.
Where a competitor is named, the fact was read from its own website on the date shown. Everything else describes subscription blockers in general. Check the product you are considering.
| Feature | Bollard | Typical subscription blockers |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for up to 5 sites. Pro is $12.99, paid once. Updates included. No renewal. | A monthly or yearly fee for as long as you use it, sometimes with a lifetime option. Freedom, for example, lists Premium at $8.99 a month, or $3.33 a month billed yearly, and a lifetime plan at $99.50, plus tax where it applies.Freedom prices from freedom.to/plans, 3 November 2026. |
| Account | None. Install and use it. Pro is restored with the email you paid with. | An account is normal, because billing and syncing need one. Freedom asks you to create an account on every plan, including the free one.freedom.to/plans, 3 November 2026. |
| Where your block list lives | In Chrome's extension storage on your device. Chrome sync is optional (Pro) and goes through your own Google account. | Usually on the provider's servers, tied to your account, so it can follow you across devices. Read the provider's privacy policy for what else is kept. |
| Analytics and tracking | None. No analytics, no crash reporting, no advertising identifiers, no record of what you visit. | Varies. Many products include usage analytics. Some show you reports built from what you visited. Check the policy. |
| Free version | Up to 5 sites, timed sessions up to 12 hours, the block page, three pauses a day, today's counts. No time limit and not a trial. | Usually a limited free tier or a trial. Freedom's free plan allows sessions started now and under two hours. Scheduling and locked sessions are paid.support.freedom.to, 3 November 2026. |
| Timed focus sessions | Yes. 25, 50 or 90 minutes, or your own length up to 12 hours, from the toolbar. Minutes left show on the icon. | Yes. Session length limits on free plans are common. |
| Schedules | Pro. Block a list on chosen days and times, including overnight windows. | Common, usually on the paid plan. Freedom calls them recurring sessions and includes them in Premium.support.freedom.to, 3 November 2026. |
| Locked or strict mode | Pro. Pausing is switched off and stopping early needs a 60-character sentence typed in full. You can still remove the extension. We say so on the block page. | Common on paid plans. Freedom's Locked Mode is Premium. Desktop apps can make stopping harder than a browser extension can.support.freedom.to, 3 November 2026. |
| Daily allowances | Pro. For example 20 minutes a day on a site, then it is blocked until midnight. | Some offer this, some do not. |
| Keyword and path rules | Pro. Block every address containing /shorts/, or one part of a site, and leave the rest open. Matched inside Chrome, which sees the full address, so it works on paths, not just domains. | Varies. Blockers that work at the network or DNS level can only see the domain, not the path. |
| Pauses | Three 5-minute pauses a day on free. Pro can set 0 to 10. | Varies. |
| Block page | A calm page with the site, the reason, time left, pauses left and your own note. Pro can redirect to an address of your choice instead. | Varies. Some are plain, some show streaks or motivational text. |
| Blocks desktop apps | No. Bollard blocks websites inside Chrome only. | Often yes, through a desktop app. Freedom lists app blocking in its free plan.support.freedom.to, 3 November 2026. |
| Blocks other browsers | No. Only Google Chrome. | Often yes, because a desktop app blocks at the system level rather than inside one browser. |
| Platforms | Google Chrome 120 and later on Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS. No phone apps. | Usually Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, with browser extensions as well. Freedom lists Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chromebook.support.freedom.to, 3 November 2026. |
| Works across several devices | Each Chrome profile keeps its own list. Pro can sync lists between your own Chrome browsers through Chrome sync. | Yes, through the account, usually with phone apps included. |
| Permissions | Blocking, storage and alarms. Site access is asked for one site at a time, only when you add it, and never for all sites. | Browser extensions from subscription blockers often ask for access to all sites at install. Desktop apps need system-level access. |
| Can you get round it | You can remove the extension. Chrome does not let an extension prevent that. Strict mode makes stopping slow enough to think twice. | Desktop apps can be harder to remove during a locked session. None are impossible to get round. |
| Updates | Included in the one payment. | Included while you pay. |
| Support | Email, answered by a person at a small company in London. | Varies from email to a help centre. |
Pay-once blockers that are not Bollard
Bollard is not the only blocker without a subscription, and it is not the right one for every job.
Cold Turkey Blocker is a desktop app for Windows and macOS sold as a one-time purchase with no subscription. Its free version includes a 7-day trial of the Pro features, and Pro adds application blocking, scheduled blocks and locking features. It does not support Linux, ChromeOS, Android or iOS, so it is not an option on a Chromebook. If you need to block desktop apps as well as websites and you use Windows or a Mac, it is worth a look. Its price is on getcoldturkey.com (checked 3 November 2026).
Where Bollard fits: you work mostly in Chrome, including on a Chromebook, you want blocking that understands full addresses rather than just domains, and you do not want an account, analytics or tracking.
Try the free version
Up to 5 sites, timed sessions and pauses, no account. If it does what you need, Pro is one payment when it opens.
Install from the Chrome Web Store