Software Alternatives & Startups

SelfControl VS Easy2Boot

Compare SelfControl VS Easy2Boot and see what are their differences

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.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Easy2Boot

Flexible and configurable USB drive multiboot solution which also supports UEFI booting including Secure Boot. Includes agFM and Ventoy menu systems.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Free
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, SelfControl seems to be a lot more popular than Easy2Boot. While we know about 80 links to SelfControl, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Easy2Boot.

social mentions
80 vs 4
Time Tracking popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 70

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

SelfControl
Easy2Boot
Website selfcontrolapp.com easy2boot.xyz
Pricing
Open source
Free
Platforms —
Windows Linux VirtualBox
Company — Startup from the United Kingdom · 1 - 9 employees · 2018
Listed in

About SelfControl and Easy2Boot

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

SelfControl
Easy2Boot

No description of SelfControl yet.

Just add (or delete) .ISO, .VHD, .IMG, etc, and MBR or UEFI-boot. Secure UEFI boot also supported (does not use MOK Manager). Linux+persistence supported. Unattended install of Windows 7/8/10 + driver install + applications supported (SDI_CHOCO). True Secure Boot using Partition image files which...

Read more about Easy2Boot

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

SelfControl 4 features
Easy2Boot 3 features
  • 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

  • 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.
  • Secure Boot
    Supports UEFI Secure Boot (no MOK Manager needed)
  • Easy to Set-up and use
    Add or delete ISOs, IMG, VHD, IMA
  • Automate Windows installs, inc. drivers and apps
    Install XP from ISO

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

SelfControl
Easy2Boot

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.

Overall verdict

  • Easy2Boot is generally considered good for tech-savvy users looking to manage multiple bootable ISOs on a USB drive. Its flexibility and extensive support for different systems make it a reliable choice, although newcomers might find its setup process slightly complex.

Why this product is good

  • Easy2Boot is popular among users who need a versatile and customizable tool for creating multiboot USB drives. It supports a wide range of operating systems and tools, allowing users to boot various environments from a single drive. Its ability to boot into UEFI and Legacy BIOS further enhances its utility.

Recommended for

  • System administrators who need to deploy or test multiple operating systems.
  • IT professionals maintaining a toolbox of diagnostic and repair utilities.
  • Advanced users who frequently install or experiment with different OS setups.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

SelfControl 2 videos + Add
Easy2Boot 4 videos + Add

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

More videos

  • - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

Add Payload files

More videos

  • - Setting up an Easy2Boot v2 Legacy+Secure-boot UEFI multiboot drive
  • - Install Windows XP from a USB Flash Drive with Easy2Boot
  • - Make a UEFI\MBR Multiboot USB drive for Hirens, Windows Install & linux ISOs, etc. using Easy2Boot

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
SelfControl
Easy2Boot
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing SelfControl and Easy2Boot.

What makes your product unique?

Easy2Boot's answer:

  1. Boots Linux ISOs by physically mapping ISO file to a partition. This is a more generic way of booting.
  2. Can Secure UEFI Boot 2024 computers by switching in a FAT32 image partition file of your Windows or Linux, etc. ISO. You then reboot from that partition. This means it supports Secure Boot without using shims, MOK Manager, certificates, etc.
  3. Contains three menu systems, grub4dos (legacy), agFM (based on grub2 grubfm - legacy and UEFI), Ventoy for Easy2Boot (branch of Ventoy).
  4. The USB drive can be converted to an official Ventoy drive (latest release of Ventoy can be used).
  5. Install XP with mass storage drivers automatically added from an XP ISO.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Easy2Boot's answer:

It has a steep learning curve, so really for use by techies who need one USB drive which supports a range of payloads. Many types of payloads are supported - Win98, XP, floppy disk images, DOS images, partition images (useful for Secure Boot). Online chat help (free). Series of PDF eBooks available.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Easy2Boot's answer:

grub4dos, grub2, grubfm and Ventoy (all open source on github). Some VB6 apps to help in the preparation of the USB drive, etc, are written by the developer (not available on github). Once the USB drive is prepared, all software is open source or contains text readable source batch code.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

Easy2Boot's answer:

Repair shops, schools, Universities, amateur computer enthusiasts, companies.

What's the story behind your product?

Easy2Boot's answer:

E2B started off as a grub4dos legacy-only boot menu system.

Support for XP ISO install with automatic mass storage driver was added (later also included in WinSetupFromUSB with permission)

Later a modified version of a1ive's grub2-based grubfm was added to support UEFI booting

Later Ventoy for Easy2Boot was added (branch of Ventoy for use on an E2B drive)

Later, support for converting the USB drive into an official Ventoy-only USB drive - this allows the latest version of Ventoy to be used, if required, instead of the slightly older 'Ventoy for Easy2Boot' compiled version.

Easy2Boot is regaining popularity as it supports true Secure Boot of multiple payloads from one USB drive.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Easy2Boot's answer:

Keen amateurs to professional techs. Over 2 million downloads.

User comments

Share your experience with using SelfControl and Easy2Boot. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

SelfControl no reviews yet
Easy2Boot no reviews yet

We have no reviews of SelfControl yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

SelfControl 80 mentions
Easy2Boot 4 mentions
  • No Forest app for PC? The 3 layers where Windows focus apps block distractions
    SelfControl's site calls it "a free Mac application", so no. The nearest Windows equivalents of its locked block are in Layer 3: Cold Turkey's locking features or Freedom's Locked Mode. (selfcontrolapp.com). - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • Oregon School Cell Phone Ban: 'Engaged Students, Joyful Teachers'
    A combination of https://selfcontrolapp.com/ and Hammerspoon automation and you can lock yourself out of pretty much everything. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Kiki – The accountability monster for people who are easily distracted
    Happy to see it still exists, and free https://selfcontrolapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago

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  • easy2boot freezes
    Recommended XP ISOs are listed on the 'Tested Payloads' page of easy2boot.xyz site. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Anyone of you dealt with corrupted NVME?
    Last time I built a multi tool using YUMI but it was for legacy BIOS, not UEFI (clearly been a few years). https://easy2boot.xyz/ seems to be what I'm seeing reccomended for creating UEFI multiboot USBs these days, but I don't have... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Including AHCI Drivers on ISO?
    If you want to use your own iso and ntlite doesn't work for you, try easy2boot (https://easy2boot.xyz/). It basically patches the iso on-the-fly with its own AHCI drivers (for x86 only) and ramdisk driver (which stores the iso file in... Source: about 4 years ago

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Alternatives to SelfControl and Easy2Boot

When comparing SelfControl and Easy2Boot, you can also consider the following products.