Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SelfControl VS GitHub Copilot

Compare SelfControl VS GitHub Copilot 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.

GitHub Copilot logo GitHub Copilot

Your AI pair programmer. With GitHub Copilot, get suggestions for whole lines or entire functions right inside your editor.
  • SelfControl Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19
  • GitHub Copilot Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03

Trained on billions of lines of public code, GitHub Copilot puts the knowledge you need at your fingertips, saving you time and helping you stay focused.

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.

GitHub Copilot features and specs

  • Productivity Boost
    GitHub Copilot helps developers write code faster by providing intelligent suggestions and automating repetitive tasks. This can save significant time and reduce the cognitive load on developers.
  • Learning Tool
    For less experienced developers, Copilot can serve as a learning tool by suggesting best practices and introducing them to new coding patterns and techniques.
  • Support for Multiple Languages
    Copilot supports a wide range of programming languages, making it a versatile tool for developers working in different tech stacks.
  • Context-Aware Suggestions
    Copilot offers context-aware suggestions based on the code that has been written so far, making its recommendations relevant to the current development task.
  • Integration with GitHub
    Seamless integration with GitHub simplifies the development workflow, enabling smoother transitions from coding to version control and collaboration.

Possible disadvantages of GitHub Copilot

  • Code Quality Concerns
    The quality of the code generated by Copilot may vary, and it might introduce suboptimal code or practices that could lead to maintenance challenges.
  • Security Risks
    Copilot might suggest insecure code patterns or snippets, potentially introducing vulnerabilities into the project if not carefully reviewed by the developer.
  • Dependence on AI
    Over-reliance on Copilot's suggestions can lead to a lack of deep understanding of the code, which may hinder a developer's growth and problem-solving skills.
  • Licensing and Code Reuse Issues
    There are concerns about the legality and ethics of using AI-generated code snippets that might be derived from copyrighted sources, which can lead to licensing issues.
  • Limited Customizability
    Copilot may not always align with specific coding standards or preferences of a development team, and the ability to customize its behavior to enforce such standards is limited.

SelfControl videos

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

More videos:

  • Review - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

GitHub Copilot videos

Game over… GitHub Copilot X announced

More videos:

  • Review - The New GitHub Copilot X Powered by GPT-4 is Here!
  • Review - GitHub Copilot X -- AI Programming Gets Better... and Scary.
  • Review - GitHub Copilot Review 2023: I Love It, But It's Not For Everyone
  • Review - Is Github Copilot Worth Paying For??

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SelfControl and GitHub Copilot)
Time Tracking
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
AI
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare SelfControl and GitHub Copilot

SelfControl Reviews

We have no reviews of SelfControl yet.
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GitHub Copilot Reviews

  1. Stan
    · Founder at SaaSHub ·
    Indispensable

    It definitely increases my productivity.

    🏁 Competitors: Tabnine

Cursor vs Windsurf vs GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot Chat is similar — you can ask it to explain code or suggest improvements. It's integrated right into VS Code, so it feels pretty seamless. They've been rolling out some new features lately, like better chat history, drag and & folders and ways to attach more context. But if you're already using Cursor, you might not find anything groundbreaking here.
Source: www.builder.io
Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot Chat is similar — you can ask it to explain code or suggest improvements. It's integrated right into VS Code, so it feels pretty seamless. They've been rolling out some new features lately, like better chat history, drag and & folders and ways to attach more context. But if you're already using Cursor, you might not find anything groundbreaking here.
Source: www.builder.io
Top 10 Vercel v0 Open Source Alternatives | Medium
Next up, we have GitHub Copilot, a popular AI-powered code completion tool that’s been making waves in the developer community. Built on top of OpenAI Codex, Copilot integrates seamlessly with various code editors and IDEs to provide intelligent code suggestions as you type.
Source: medium.com
10 Best Github Copilot Alternatives in 2024
GitHub Copilot is an excellent tool for developers, allowing them to boost their workflow and project quality. Are you looking for a GitHub Copilot alternative that fits your needs in 2024? Whether you’re searching for a free GitHub Copilot alternative, an open-source alternative to GitHub Copilot, or a tool that works well with VSCode, this guide is here to help.
The Best GitHub Copilot Alternatives for Developers
Moreover, GitHub Copilot provides a wide range of functionalities, such as code explanation, answering coding questions, refactoring code, and generation of unit tests and docs. With it, developers can automate coding tasks, improve productivity and focus more on complex coding. GitHub Copilot supports various programming languages, including JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Go,...
Source: softteco.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GitHub Copilot should be more popular than SelfControl. It has been mentiond 288 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
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GitHub Copilot mentions (288)

  • AI Code Generators & Tools That Speed Up App Development
    GitHub Copilot has emerged as one of the most widely adopted AI coding assistants, offering real-time suggestions as you type. - Source: dev.to / 3 days ago
  • What's Happening in Developer Tools? (OpenAI Just Bought Windsurf for $3B)
    Microsoft's Visual Studio Code is a free code editor that relies on community plugins for support across various languages and frameworks. It also has an AI offering, Copilot, that provides code completion and it just added its own agent. VSCode supports multiple LLMs, but initially, there seemed to be a preference for ChatGPT, in part given its early lead and no doubt influenced by the fact Microsoft was an early... - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
  • Inline AI Suggestions in NeoVim: GitHub Copilot vs Windsurf (Codeium) — A Technical Comparative Analysis
    GitHub Copilot Official Site — Overview of Copilot’s capabilities, pricing, and integrations from GitHub. - Source: dev.to / 5 days ago
  • Reference Architecture for AI Developer Productivity
    There are a growing number of IDE plugins that provide chat capabilities including GitHub Copilot, Continue.dev, and Roo Code. There are even already some dedicated AI IDEs such as Cursor. - Source: dev.to / 5 days ago
  • Most Effective Approaches for Debugging Applications
    Artificial intelligence is transforming debugging by accelerating bug detection and suggesting fixes. Bill Mann, Privacy Expert at Cyber Insider, recounts, “I enlisted an LLM to help me, and within a few minutes, found the offending code and sorted out a workaround.” Tools like GitHub Copilot, DeepCode, or CodeQL analyze code patterns, identifying issues faster than manual reviews. A 2024 Gartner report predicts... - Source: dev.to / 14 days ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing SelfControl and GitHub Copilot, 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!

Codeium - Free AI-powered code completion for *everyone*, *everywhere*

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

Tabnine - TabNine is the all-language autocompleter. We use deep learning to help you write code faster.

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

Visual Studio IntelliCode - Visual Studio IntelliCode is an experimental set of AI-assisted development capabilities for next-generation developer productivity.