# SelfControl

6 Hacker News commenters recommended SelfControl and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** A free Mac app that blocks distracting websites so you can lock yourself out, and recommenders say it helps attention and productivity within a week.

## Why people recommend it

- Strict whitelist and host-level blocking (3 comments): "A combination of https://selfcontrolapp.com/ and Hammerspoon automation and you can lock yourself out of pretty much everything." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47457234)) "cut the access at the host file level. Superior." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46850900)) "SelfControl app with restrictive whitelist" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49493037))
- Free and long-running Mac app (2 comments): "Self control is great. I've been using it for a solid decade." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46850891)) "Happy to see it still exists, and free" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46850496))
- Helps attention and productivity (2 comments): "It's helped a lot, after a week you can notice measurable change in attention and habit and productivity." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49790240)) "so far it's working pretty well!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47457325))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Dull](https://hackerapproved.com/p/dull.md): 14 recommend
- [One Sec](https://hackerapproved.com/p/one-sec.md): 11 recommend
- [ScreenZen](https://hackerapproved.com/p/screenzen.md): 10 recommend
- [UnTrap for YouTube](https://hackerapproved.com/p/untrap.md): 9 recommend
- [LeechBlock NG](https://hackerapproved.com/p/leechblock.md): 7 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "SelfControl", https://hackerapproved.com/p/selfcontrol/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).