Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SelfControl VS Cube.js

Compare SelfControl VS Cube.js and see what are their differences

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SelfControl logo SelfControl

V2 updates! - Custom time interval for distraction free mode - Ability to turn off ' always on' mode - Improved UI -- Self Control -- A simple app to keep you focused online by blocking sites that you spend way too much time on.

Cube.js logo Cube.js

An open source framework to add customer-facing analytics to any application.
  • SelfControl Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19
  • Cube.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26

SelfControl features and specs

  • Effective Website Blocking
    SelfControl blocks access to distracting websites based on a customizable blocklist, helping users stay focused.
  • Timer Functionality
    Users can set a timer for how long they want websites to remain blocked, ensuring focused work periods without distraction.
  • Free to Use
    SelfControl is open-source and free to download and use, making it accessible to anyone without financial barriers.
  • Easy to Use
    The interface is straightforward and user-friendly, allowing users to quickly set their preferences and get started.

Possible disadvantages of SelfControl

  • Mac-Only
    SelfControl is only available for macOS, excluding Windows and Linux users from using the application.
  • No Undo Option
    Once the block period is set and started, it cannot be undone even by restarting the computer, which could be an issue if access to blocked sites is needed unexpectedly.
  • Limited Feature Set
    The app primarily focuses on website blocking, lacking additional productivity tools or features like app blocking or usage analytics.
  • No Scheduled Blocking
    SelfControl does not offer the ability to schedule block sessions in advance, meaning users must manually start each session.

Cube.js features and specs

  • Open Source
    Cube.js is open-source, meaning it's free to use and has a community of developers contributing to its improvement. This fosters collaboration, transparency, and faster iteration of features and bug fixes.
  • API-First Approach
    Cube.js provides an API-first approach, allowing you to easily integrate it into existing applications and workflows. This flexibility makes it suitable for a variety of use cases.
  • Pre-Aggregations
    Cube.js includes built-in support for pre-aggregations, significantly speeding up query performance by pre-calculating data and reducing the load on your database.
  • Database Compatibility
    It supports multiple databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and more, making it versatile and adaptable to different environments and technology stacks.
  • Scalability
    Cube.js can handle large datasets and high query loads, making it a scalable solution for growing applications or enterprises with extensive data needs.
  • Community and Documentation
    Cube.js has a strong community and comprehensive documentation, which can aid in troubleshooting, implementation, and learning best practices.

Possible disadvantages of Cube.js

  • Learning Curve
    Despite the comprehensive documentation, Cube.js can have a steep learning curve due to its wide range of features and the complexity of setting up pre-aggregations and schema design.
  • Performance Overhead
    For smaller applications, the performance overhead introduced by Cube.js might not justify its use, as the pre-aggregation and processing layers could add complexity without substantial performance gains.
  • Dependency on JavaScript/Node.js
    Cube.js is built on JavaScript and Node.js, which can be a limitation if your development stack relies primarily on other technologies, leading to potential integration challenges.
  • Community Support Limits
    While Cube.js has a decent community, it's not as extensive as some older, more established data processing or BI tools. This could result in fewer third-party integrations and plugins.
  • Initial Setup Time
    Setting up Cube.js initially can be time-consuming, particularly when configuring data schemas, security, and managing pre-aggregations for optimized performance.
  • Evolving Software
    As a relatively new and evolving tool, Cube.js might experience more frequent updates or changes, which could lead to stability issues or require continuous adaptation of your application.

Analysis of SelfControl

Overall verdict

  • Overall, SelfControl is a highly recommended tool for individuals looking to enhance their productivity by minimizing digital distractions. Its open-source nature and no-nonsense approach make it a popular choice among students, freelancers, and professionals alike.

Why this product is good

  • SelfControl is considered a good application because it effectively blocks distracting websites, helping users focus on their tasks without getting sidetracked by online distractions. It's simple to use, efficient, and highly customizable, allowing users to specify which sites to block and for how long, ensuring a tailored productivity experience.

Recommended for

    SelfControl is ideal for students who need to concentrate on studying, remote workers who want to avoid procrastination, freelancers who require discipline in managing their time, and anyone who needs a simple solution to reduce digital distractions during focused work periods.

Analysis of Cube.js

Overall verdict

  • Cube.js is generally considered a good choice for developers looking to implement a scalable analytical backend. It excels in terms of performance, ease of use, and its ability to integrate with multiple data sources and visualization tools. However, the best choice depends on the specific needs and constraints of your project.

Why this product is good

  • Cube.js is a popular open-source analytics framework designed to help developers build modern data applications. It provides a robust set of features for building and managing data dashboards, reports, and data visualizations. Cube.js supports SQL databases natively and is highly optimized for performance, making it suitable for real-time analytics. Its modular architecture allows it to be integrated with various data sources and front-end frameworks, providing flexibility and scalability.

Recommended for

    Cube.js is recommended for developers and companies looking to build real-time analytics platforms, data visualization dashboards, and reporting tools. It is especially suitable for those who require a flexible and scalable infrastructure capable of handling large volumes of data across various sources.

SelfControl videos

How to block websites that distract you ? Selfcontrol [Mac App review and tutorial]

More videos:

  • Review - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

Cube.js videos

No Cube.js videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SelfControl and Cube.js)
Time Tracking
100 100%
0% 0
Analytics
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Web Analytics
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SelfControl seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 75 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SelfControl mentions (75)

  • My 30-Year Quitting Addiction
    There is a free and open source app called SelfControl for macOS. It allows one to block access to any site one adds to the list in the app for the amount of time the user chooses. Attempt to use multiple browsers, restarting one's machine, deleting the app, etc. won't get around the block either. It's been super helpful for me, so I thought I'd just throw it out there. https://selfcontrolapp.com. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • App to prevent distractions at work
    It is SelfControl. It is open-source and free. You select the website you want to block and the time. The moment you click the button no matter what you do, you can forget about accessing those websites until the time is over; there is no cancel button. Restarted mac won't work, you can delete the app no luck. Source: over 1 year ago
  • App to prevent distractions at work
    The SelfControl app lets you specify web sites that will be blocked. When you run the app, you specify a countdown timer, during which time those apps will be inaccessible. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Finals season
    - https://selfcontrolapp.com/ this is free app. block off all social media and time wasters .. Only for mac. if there is nothing to be distracted... IMO I eventually be bored and I was able to get into the zone... Not right away... But I told my self... Today I study... And I stay in the study room. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Looking for the right app
    Apps I have tried and are not enough: - https://heyfocus.com/ - https://freedom.to/ - https://selfcontrolapp.com/ - https://www.forestapp.cc/ - https://www.rescuetime.com/. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

Cube.js mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Cube.js yet. Tracking of Cube.js recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SelfControl and Cube.js, you can also consider the following products

Cold Turkey - Cold Turkey is a free productivity program that you can use to temporarily block distractions so that you can get your work done!

Fathom Analytics - Simple, trustworthy website analytics (finally)

Focus App - New Tab page that gives you a moment of calm and inspires you to be more productive.

Simple Analytics - The privacy-first Google Analytics alternative located in Europe.

Freedom.to - Freedom is a productivity hack that lets you block apps, websites or the entire Internet on iPhones, iPads, Windows and Mac computers.

Plausible.io - Plausible Analytics is a simple, open-source, lightweight (< 1 KB) and privacy-friendly web analytics alternative to Google Analytics. Made and hosted in the EU, powered by European-owned cloud infrastructure 🇪🇺