Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SelfControl VS Session Buddy

Compare SelfControl VS Session Buddy and see what are their differences

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.

Session Buddy logo Session Buddy

Manage Your Browser Sessions
  • SelfControl Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19
  • Session Buddy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-27

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.

Session Buddy features and specs

  • Session Management
    Session Buddy allows users to save and restore sessions, making it easy to manage and revisit collections of websites.
  • Crash Recovery
    It provides a safety net against browser crashes by restoring lost sessions, preventing data loss.
  • Bookmark Organization
    The extension offers features to organize, search, and manage bookmarks more efficiently than native browser tools.
  • Lightweight and Fast
    Session Buddy is optimized to run efficiently with minimal impact on browser performance.
  • Cross-Device Compatibility
    Sessions can be synced across devices if you are using the same browser with Sync enabled, providing continuity.

Possible disadvantages of Session Buddy

  • Limited Browser Support
    As of now, Session Buddy is primarily available for Google Chrome and may not be available or fully functional on other browsers.
  • No Automatic Cloud Backup
    Sessions are stored locally unless synced with a Google account, meaning there is no built-in automatic cloud backup.
  • Manual Session Management
    While powerful, the tool requires a manual approach to session saving and management, which might not suit users looking for automation.
  • Potential Security Risks
    Storing sessions, especially those including sensitive information, could pose a security risk if not properly managed.
  • No Multi-browser Sync
    Syncing sessions across different browsers (e.g., from Chrome to Firefox) is not natively supported.

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 Session Buddy

Overall verdict

  • Session Buddy is generally considered a good tool for users who frequently work with multiple tabs and need an effective way to manage them. Its robust features and user-friendly design make it a valuable extension for optimizing workflow and preventing tab overload.

Why this product is good

  • Session Buddy is a popular browser extension that is highly regarded for its ability to efficiently manage and organize browser sessions and tabs. It allows users to save open tabs as collections that can be easily restored later, helping to reduce browser clutter and enhance productivity by managing memory usage more effectively. The intuitive interface and the ability to search through saved sessions add to its usability.

Recommended for

    Session Buddy is recommended for professionals, students, and anyone who needs to manage a high number of browser tabs efficiently. It is particularly useful for individuals who conduct extensive online research or multitask across numerous projects and need a reliable way to organize their work in a clutter-free environment.

SelfControl videos

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

More videos:

  • Review - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

Session Buddy videos

Session Buddy Chrome Extension

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How To Easily Organise All Your Google Chrome Tabs With Session Buddy
  • Demo - Session Buddy Demo

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SelfControl and Session Buddy)
Time Tracking
100 100%
0% 0
Chrome Extensions
0 0%
100% 100
Time Management
100 100%
0% 0
Bookmark Manager
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using SelfControl and Session Buddy. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

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

SelfControl Reviews

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

Session Buddy Reviews

How does One Tab Group compare to other tab management extensions like Onetab and Session Buddy?
Session Buddy, on the other hand, is a more robust tab management solution that provides a variety of features, including the ability to save and restore tabs, organize tabs into groups, and even export tabs as a bookmark folder. However, Session Buddy is not as user-friendly as One Tab Group, and it doesnโ€™t offer the option to backup tabs in Notion.
Source: medium.com
112 Best Chrome Extensions You Should Try (2021 List)
You can have as many tabs open in your Chrome browser but managing them all at once is not an easy task. Session Buddy chrome web extension helps you list all tabs in one place. Not only it helps go to any tab with a blink of an eye, but you can restore tabs for the next session.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SelfControl seems to be a lot more popular than Session Buddy. While we know about 79 links to SelfControl, we've tracked only 5 mentions of Session Buddy. 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 (79)

  • 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 / 4 months ago
  • Kiki โ€“ The accountability monster for people who are easily distracted
    Happy to see it still exists, and free https://selfcontrolapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • How do you fight YouTube addiction and procrastination? I'm struggling with it
    I have found that a useful method for getting distractions off my work laptop has been https://selfcontrolapp.com/ (if you're on mac). - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Using an $8 smart outlet to avoid brainrot
    Pro tip for macos/ios folks: - Macos: Install https://selfcontrolapp.com/, add every website and their alternatives you know, set it to 24 hours. Really hard to bypass this even if you know networking stuff - iOS: Enable downtime 24/7 ask someone else to set the password. I'm down to about 35 minutes a day of mobile usage, and laptop usage is only work related things. You really need two or three days to clear... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • 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 2 years ago
View more

Session Buddy mentions (5)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SelfControl and Session Buddy, 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!

OneTab - Whenever you find yourself with too many tabs, click the OneTab icon to convert all of your tabs into a list. When you need to access the tabs again, you can either restore them individually or all at once.

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

Workona - A better way to work in the browser.

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

Toby - Better Than Bookmarks