Cold Turkey is a Mac and Windows blocker with no phone support at all. Freedom covers computers and phones together. That single fact decides most of this comparison before pricing even comes up.
Freedom and Cold Turkey both take desktop blocking seriously. Both offer real locking features on Mac and Windows, and both have loyal followings among people who need a computer-based blocker that's hard to talk your way around. Where they diverge sharply is phone support and how each one prices itself.
This page compares the two products directly. For how Freedom compares to Fella specifically, see Fella vs Freedom, or read on for where Fella fits as an iPhone-only third option.
| What matters | Freedom | Cold Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iOS/iPadOS, Android, plus Chromebook and Linux via browser extension | Mac and Windows only; vendor states iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and Linux are not supported |
| Pricing model | Subscription: $8.99 monthly or $39.99 yearly; also a $199 one-time 'Forever' plan | One-time purchase: Blocker Pro at €39.00, covering all computers you personally use |
| Free tier | Start Now sessions up to 2 hours, unlimited devices, custom blocklists, Focus Sounds | Website blocking, website exceptions, timed blocks, and statistics; 7-day Pro trial |
| Locking strength | Locked Mode: blocks Task Manager/Run at Startup (Windows), Activity Monitor/Start at Login (Mac) | Pro includes all locking features, an application password, plus breaks and allowances |
| Cross-device sync | Schedules and blocklists sync by default across Mac, Windows, and mobile devices | License covers every computer you use; sync between them not confirmed |
| Emergency access | End Session available max once per 7 days during Locked Mode | Not documented |
| Analytics | Not documented | Statistics included free |
The platform question usually settles this comparison on its own. If a phone is part of the problem, Cold Turkey simply isn't built to help. If the distraction lives entirely on a Mac or PC, both are legitimate, well-built options with different pricing philosophies.
Cold Turkey is explicitly desktop-only. Its vendor states plainly that Linux, ChromeOS, Android, iOS, and other operating systems are not supported. It's built and marketed as a Mac and Windows tool, full stop.
Freedom treats the phone as part of the same system as the computer. iOS/iPadOS and Android sit alongside Mac and Windows in its native platform list, with Chromebook and Linux reachable through a browser extension, and schedules sync across all of it by default.
This isn't a close call if a phone matters to you. Anyone whose distraction moves between a laptop and a phone needs Freedom's reach or a separate mobile tool alongside Cold Turkey. Cold Turkey was never designed to solve that half of the problem.
Cold Turkey sells a single pay-once license. Blocker Pro is observed at €39.00 via its checkout, described as 'pay once, own forever,' and covers every computer you personally use, with a 7-day trial available from the free Blocker.
Freedom runs primarily as a subscription, with a lifetime option available too. Its current pricing is $8.99 monthly or $39.99 yearly, alongside a one-time $199 'Forever' plan for anyone who specifically wants to stop the recurring charge.
Over a long enough timeline, the math can favor either one. A single Cold Turkey purchase can end up cheaper than years of a Freedom subscription, but Freedom's Forever plan closes most of that gap for anyone who values one-time pricing but still wants phone coverage.
Choose Cold Turkey if your distraction is entirely on a Mac or PC. Its locking features, application password, and pay-once pricing make it a strong, low-maintenance choice for a desktop-only problem.
Choose Freedom if a phone is part of the picture. It's the only one of the two that reaches mobile at all, and its default cross-device sync means the same rule follows you from computer to phone without extra setup.
Weigh the pricing model against how long you expect to use either tool. A one-time Cold Turkey purchase suits someone confident in a desktop-only need for years. Freedom's subscription (or its Forever plan) suits someone who wants phone coverage bundled in from the start.
| At a glance | Fella | Freedom / Cold Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| Core approach | Selected apps blocked by default | Configurable schedules, sessions, and locking modes |
| Platforms | iPhone only | Desktop (both) plus mobile (Freedom only) |
| Setup | Pick apps, done | Schedules, blocklists, and locking configuration on both |
| Pricing model | $9.99 monthly or $34.99 yearly | Subscription (Freedom) or one-time purchase (Cold Turkey) |
Freedom and Cold Turkey are both built for people who need real computer coverage. If a Mac, PC, or both are where the distraction actually happens, neither one is replaced by a phone-only tool.
Fella solves a narrower, iPhone-specific version of the same problem. Selected apps stay blocked by default, with one 5-minute emergency unlock per session and no desktop coverage, schedules, or locking modes at all. It's not a substitute for either Freedom or Cold Turkey on a computer.
The choice depends entirely on where the habit lives. If it's your phone specifically, and you want fewer decisions than either desktop tool asks for, that's the gap Fella is built for. See how Fella works or current pricing.
No. Cold Turkey's vendor explicitly states that Linux, ChromeOS, Android, iOS, and other operating systems are not supported. It's built for Mac and Windows only. Freedom covers Mac, Windows, iOS/iPadOS, and Android, plus Chromebook and Linux through a browser extension.
They use different pricing models entirely. Cold Turkey Pro is a one-time purchase observed at €39.00, covering every computer you personally use, with a 7-day trial from the free Blocker. Freedom is a subscription at $8.99 monthly or $39.99 yearly, though it also offers a one-time $199 'Forever' plan for anyone who wants to stop the subscription.
Both offer real desktop locking. Cold Turkey Pro includes all its locking features, an application password, and configurable breaks and allowances. Freedom's Locked Mode documents specific per-platform protections, including blocking Task Manager and Run at Startup on Windows and blocking Activity Monitor and Start at Login on Mac.
Its license covers every computer you personally use, but whether block configurations actually sync between those computers isn't confirmed in current documentation. Freedom explicitly syncs schedules and blocklists across Mac, Windows, and mobile devices by default.
Fella is an iPhone-only app blocker with no desktop coverage at all: selected apps stay blocked by default, with one 5-minute emergency unlock per session, no locking modes or schedules to configure.
