This is a buyer's guide, not a setup tutorial. If you want the free built-in method, how to block websites on iPhone covers it. If you need a website blocker app — which one to pay for — that decision is below.
Start with the free answer and buy only what it lacks. Apple's Screen Time Web Content controls block specific domains and filter adult content at no cost. They have no schedules, no strict modes, and no temporary-access control — whoever holds the Screen Time passcode can undo them. If that is enough, you are done and this guide just saved you money.
If it isn't, the purchase hinges on two facts about your habit: which browsers you use (Safari-only vs Chrome included changes everything), and whether the same service must die as both app and site (instagram.com plus Instagram). The table compresses that; the sections explain it. And one honesty note up front, since this is a Fella blog: Fella does not block websites. It appears below in a separated section for app-distraction readers only.
Prices are per the vendors' own sites and App Store listings at the time of writing and change often — confirm on the purchase sheet before subscribing.
| App | What it blocks | Browsers covered | Apps too? | Strictest mode | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Screen Time | Domains (Never Allow), adult filter, allowlist | Safari (test others yourself) | Separately (App Limits) | Passcode-protected settings | Free, built in |
| Freedom | Apps, sites, or whole internet | Yes, incl. iOS browsers | Yes | Locked Mode (Premium) | Free limited; Premium $39.99/yr, $8.99/mo; Forever plan |
| Refocus | Apps + sites, timers, limits, location | Yes, plus Mac browsers | Yes | Passcode, NFC, wait, copy-text, unblock caps | Free download; Pro in-app purchases |
| Jomo | Apps + sites, keywords, wildcards | Yes, plus Mac (no extension except Firefox) | Yes | Strict Mode (Plus) | Free 1 session; Plus $29.99/yr, $99.99 lifetime |
| Opal | Apps + limits; sites via extensions | Desktop extensions | Yes | Deep Focus (Pro) | Free 1 Rule; Pro $99.99/yr, $19.99/mo, $399 lifetime |
| ScreenZen | Apps + custom/adult sites | Yes, all browsers (per App Store) | Yes | Strict blocks + Settings lock | Free, donation-supported |
| AppBlock | Apps + sites, URLs, keywords | Yes, incl. Safari keywords | Yes | Strict Mode: timer, PIN, approval | Free capped; Premium $29.99/yr, $4.99/mo, lifetime |
Screen Time's Web Content menu (Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Web Content) does three jobs free: Never Allow a specific domain, filter adult content automatically, or restrict the device to Only Approved Websites. Setup takes minutes and our website-blocking guide walks through it.
Its limits are structural, not bugs. No schedules — a domain is blocked always or never. No strict mode beyond the passcode, and anyone holding the passcode (often you) can undo it in seconds. No temporary access control — there is no "five minutes for the real errand" mechanism. And app vs site stay separate tools: blocking instagram.com leaves the Instagram app untouched, and vice versa. A dedicated blocker earns its price exactly where those four gaps bite: scheduled recurring blocks, a strict mode that survives motivation dips, bounded temporary access, and one rule covering app plus site together.
Safari vs cross-browser, verified per product. A blocker that works in Safari but not Chrome is a different product from one covering every browser — and vendors describe this differently, so check the exact browsers against your own usage rather than trusting "website blocking" as a phrase. Test before you pay: install, block a test domain, open it in each browser you use.
App plus site together. Blocking instagram.com while the Instagram app sits on the home screen is half a block. Combined blockers close both in one rule; Apple's built-ins require two separate setups. If your habit lives in the app, an app blocker alone may be the whole answer — blocking iPhone apps covers that side.
Granularity. Full-domain blocking ("no youtube.com at all") differs from URL, keyword, or wildcard blocking ("no youtube.com/shorts", "no Wildcard pages"). AppBlock supports URLs and keywords including Safari; Jomo supports wildcards so you can block a page without blocking a whole site; Refocus offers category blocking on Mac. Match the granularity to the habit: feed-specific problems want sub-domain precision, not whole-domain bans you'll delete.
Method tradeoffs, honestly stated. Screen Time and FamilyControls-based blocking use Apple's sanctioned frameworks — no extra configuration, no conflicting with anything, but bounded by what Apple exposes. VPN or profile-based approaches can see traffic across browsers uniformly, but add setup complexity and can conflict with a work VPN or privacy tool you already run. Neither is automatically better; the right one is whichever survives your setup. Fella-relevant specifics: blocking without a VPN and offline blocking.
Strictness, schedules, and temporary access. Same questions as any blocker: does the strict state hold without daily arming, do blocks recur automatically, and does a legitimate five-minute need have a self-closing doorway? See strict blockers and scheduled blocking.
What it blocks: apps, websites, or the entire internet per session. Browsers: websites included on iOS, Mac, Windows, Android, and Chromebook — the widest platform story here. Apps too: yes, same blocklist. VPN/profile: account-based service, no VPN configuration on your end. Schedules: scheduled, recurring, and advance sessions on Premium; unlimited length. Strictness: Locked Mode (Premium) prevents ending sessions early or editing blocklists; normal sessions end early. Temporary access: scheduled breaks, not mid-session exceptions. Limitations: per-device setup required; phone-only buyers pay for reach they won't use. Best for: multi-device users who want one rule everywhere. Premium $39.99/yr with trial, $8.99/mo, plus the one-time Forever plan per freedom.to.
What it blocks: apps and websites with timers, schedules, usage-triggered limits, and location triggers. Browsers: website blocking on iPhone plus Mac browsers (Safari, Chrome, Arc, Brave, Opera per refocusapp.co), with category blocking on Mac. Apps too: yes. VPN/profile: Screen Time-based, no VPN setup. Schedules: recurring schedule blocking plus 15+ simultaneous sessions. Strictness: passcode, NFC tag, waiting period, copy-text challenge, or Pomodoro unblock budgets. Temporary access: the most engineered here — design count, duration, and cooldown precisely. Limitations: power proportional to setup effort; Pro pricing via in-app purchases, check the sheet. Best for: tinkerers and Mac owners who want exact rules.
What it blocks: apps, websites, keywords, and wildcard pages across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Browsers: yes, with no extension required except Firefox on Mac. Apps too: yes, with unlock challenges. VPN/profile: Screen Time-based. Schedules: scheduled sessions, usage limits, always-on rules. Strictness: Strict Mode (Plus) locks edits, uninstall, and clock changes; Emergency Mode can suspend strict rules twice weekly. Temporary access: wait, password, QR, and habit-tied unlocks. Limitations: the emergency back door is wider than a fixed window. Best for: Apple-only users wanting sub-domain precision (wildcards) at $29.99/yr, $99.99 lifetime per jomo.so.
What it blocks: apps via sessions and limits; websites primarily through desktop browser extensions. Browsers: Chrome/Safari/Edge/Brave/Arc extensions on desktop — iPhone Safari is the gap to verify against your habit. Apps too: yes, its core strength. VPN/profile: Screen Time-based on iOS. Schedules: recurring sessions, weekday/weekend rules, app limits. Strictness: Deep Focus locks apps uncancellably (Pro, per session). Temporary access: breaks and timeouts in softer sessions. Limitations: the website story is desktop-first; strictness must be armed. Best for: app-heavy users who also work on desktop. Pro $99.99/yr, $19.99/mo, $399 lifetime per opal.so; free covers one Rule.
What it blocks: apps plus custom and adult sites, with delays, daily limits, schedules, and strict blocks. Browsers: "across all browsers" per its App Store listing — verify yours, but the claim is the broadest free one here. Apps too: yes, with usage tracking. VPN/profile: no VPN; core blocking data stays on-device per its privacy policy. Schedules: scheduled blocks plus daily limits. Strictness: strict blocks with a Settings lock. Temporary access: short windows and limited unlocks. Limitations: free-app polish and support. Best for: anyone who wants to pay nothing — completely free, donation-supported per screenzen.co.
What it blocks: apps, websites, specific URLs, and keywords — the finest granularity here — plus adult-content blocking and an allowlist mode. Browsers: yes, including Safari keywords and blocking of unsupported browsers. Apps too: yes, with usage stats and newly-installed-app blocking. VPN/profile: Screen Time-based on iOS. Schedules: time, location, and Wi-Fi triggered profiles with duplication. Strictness: Strict Mode with timer, PIN, charger, follow-schedules, or trusted-person approval — opt-in per its docs. Temporary access: schedule pauses on Premium. Limitations: the largest configuration surface; free caps (4-hour Quick Blocks, 2 schedules, 30-minute limits). Best for: feed-specific problems ("block shorts/pages, keep the rest") and context-dependent rules. Premium $29.99/yr, $4.99/mo, lifetime available.
This section is separated deliberately, because honesty matters more than symmetry: Fella does not block websites. Our own website guide states it verbatim — Fella blocks selected iPhone apps, not websites; use Screen Time Web Content for sites.
So when does Fella belong in a website-blocker guide? When the reader's actual problem is native apps and they arrived here unsure which kind of blocker they need. If your lost hours go to TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and X as apps — not tabs — a website blocker is the wrong purchase entirely, and Fella's model (blocked-by-default sessions on Apple's Screen Time frameworks, one fixed 5-minute Emergency Unlock per session with automatic relock, manual or routinely scheduled sessions) answers the app side with less machinery than any combined tool. That is the whole case: how Fella works, pricing ($9.99 monthly, $34.99 yearly, no free trial). If browser tabs are genuinely half the habit, buy one of the six above instead — this page would rather lose the sale than sell the wrong tool. For the app side generally: blocking social apps and emergency access done right.
Best for strict website blocking: Freedom Locked Mode or Jomo Strict Mode. Freedom when devices multiply; Jomo when everything is Apple and wildcards matter. Both require arming — the discipline is part of the price.
Best for Safari-only simple use: Apple Screen Time, free. A Never Allow list with a passcode covers single-domain problems with zero installs. Graduate to paid only when you need schedules or strictness.
Best for cross-browser blocking: Freedom, ScreenZen, or AppBlock — verify your exact browsers with a test domain before paying, since vendor wording differs.
Best for blocking both websites and apps: Refocus or AppBlock for configurability, Jomo for value, Freedom for device span.
Best for multiple devices: Freedom. Nothing else here covers Windows and Chromebook.
Best free: ScreenZen. Real site blocking plus app blocking for nothing.
Best for controlled temporary access: Refocus unblock budgets or Fella's fixed window — the former for browser-inclusive habits, the latter for app-only ones.
Apple's free Screen Time Web Content controls are enough for simple domain blocking in Safari. For scheduled blocks, strict modes, and cross-browser coverage, Freedom, Refocus, Jomo, AppBlock, and ScreenZen all block websites alongside apps — compare them on which browsers you actually use.
Coverage varies by product and is the single most important buying criterion. ScreenZen, Freedom, AppBlock, Refocus, and Jomo all claim website blocking beyond Safari alone; Opal's browser coverage is desktop extensions. Test the exact browsers you use before committing.
Yes. Freedom, Refocus, Jomo, Opal, ScreenZen, and AppBlock all combine website blocking with app blocking, so instagram.com and the Instagram app can be closed together. Apple's built-in controls keep the two separate: Web Content for sites, App Limits for apps.
No. Fella blocks selected iPhone apps, not websites. It belongs in this guide only for readers whose real distraction is native apps rather than browser tabs.
Website blockers are for tabs. If your lost hours go to TikTok, Instagram, and X as apps, Fella keeps them blocked by default during your sessions — with one fixed 5-minute unlock, then it relocks itself.
