Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SelfControl VS TimeAlign

Compare SelfControl VS TimeAlign 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.

TimeAlign logo TimeAlign

A wearable + mobile app that helps you align your time with your goals
  • SelfControl Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19
  • TimeAlign Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-24

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.

TimeAlign features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

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 TimeAlign

Overall verdict

  • TimeAlign appears to be a solid time management and scheduling tool for individuals and teams looking to coordinate across time zones and align their calendars, though prospective users should verify current features and pricing directly on timealignapp.com before committing.

Why this product is good

  • Simplifies scheduling across multiple time zones, reducing confusion for distributed teams
  • Helps align calendars and meetings to boost productivity and reduce double-bookings
  • Designed with a focus on time management, which can benefit both individuals and organizations
  • Likely offers an intuitive interface aimed at streamlining daily planning

Recommended for

  • Remote and distributed teams working across different time zones
  • Freelancers and professionals managing multiple clients or projects
  • Businesses seeking to improve meeting coordination and scheduling efficiency
  • Individuals looking to better organize and align their personal schedules

SelfControl videos

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

More videos:

  • Review - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

TimeAlign videos

โ€œInvisibleโ€ speakers. #SQ #psychoacoustics #timealignment

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SelfControl and TimeAlign)
Time Tracking
95 95%
5% 5
Productivity
88 88%
12% 12
Time Management
95 95%
5% 5
Invoicing
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SelfControl seems to be a lot more popular than TimeAlign. While we know about 79 links to SelfControl, we've tracked only 3 mentions of TimeAlign. 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 / 5 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 / 6 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

TimeAlign mentions (3)

  • "Building in private" for 9 months: all the numbers
    Amazing how much you've done pre-launch! I am in the midst of building up a launch for https://timealignapp.com and looking for all the ideas. If you had to 80/20 analyze your efforts so far, what would be the top 1-3 you'd focus your energy on? Source: over 3 years ago
  • Seeking advice on time management
    Funny enough, my team is literally working on an app to help people just like you to find/make time for the things they want to fit into their schedules. We are partway through building the beta and should be launching in the coming months. If you're interested, you can check out out lander here. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Looking for a virtual "mom/wife"
    Check out the lander if you're interested, we will be launching the beta later this year :). Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SelfControl and TimeAlign, 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!

TickTick - TickTickis a cross-platform to-do list app & task manager helps you to get all things done and make life well organized.

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

My Good Week - Build new habits using just your calendar

FocusMe - The website blocker you can't cheat

Morgen.so - All-in-one Calendar, Tasks & Scheduler. Morgen is the single hub for everything that revolves around time management.