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SelfControl VS Understand

Compare SelfControl VS Understand 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
Alternatives Is it good?
Understand

Combines a powerful Code Editor together with an impressive array of static analysis tools that will change the way you work with code.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Paid Free trial
Alternatives Is it good?
ZeroTwo AI
ZeroTwo is a premium multi-provider AI platform which combines the tools models and features of Claude, Gemini, Grok, Openai and more into one. Canvas, Deep Research, MCP, Connectors, Agents, Projects and even Apps are all available in one place! sponsored
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 Understand. While we know about 79 links to SelfControl, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Understand.

social mentions
79 vs 2
Time Tracking popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
183 vs 67

Base details

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

SelfControl
Understand
Website selfcontrolapp.com scitools.com
Pricing
Open source
Paid Free trial Official pricing
Platforms —
Windows MacOS Linux
Listed in
Productivity Time Management Websites Blocker Time Tracking +1
Code Coverage Code Analysis Code Quality Code Review Security Compliance +3

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

SelfControl 4 features
Understand 9 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.
  • Static Code Analysis
  • Metrics
  • Graphs
  • Code Navigation
  • Dependency Analysis
  • Architectures
  • Compliance Validation
  • API Support
  • Code Editing

Analysis

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

SelfControl
Understand

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.

No analysis of Understand yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

SelfControl 2 videos + Add
Understand 2 videos + Add

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

More videos

  • - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

Getting Started with Understand

More videos

  • - What is Understand

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
Understand
100% 100%
Time Tracking
0% 0%
0% 0%
Code Coverage
100% 100%
100% 100%
Time Management
0% 0%
0% 0%
Code Quality
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing SelfControl and Understand.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Understand's answer:

-C/C++ -Qt -Understand

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

Understand's answer:

-NASA -U.S. Airforce -General Electric -Nvidia -Raytheon -Amazon -Lockheed Martin -Samsung -Raytheon -Pratt & Whitney -Dell -Intuity -Aurora Flight Sciences

What makes your product unique?

Understand's answer:

Understand has shares many features found in other products but all wrapped into one easy to use package. Our most defining feature is the Hyper-XREF™ technology we invented that provides a detailed cross-referencing of all the interconnections in your code.

User comments

Share your experience with using SelfControl and Understand. 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
Understand 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 79 mentions
Understand 2 mentions

View more

  • What Killed Perl?
    I have great love for Perl, but I'm not super eager to go back to using it. I used it in probably one of the more cursed contexts I've ever heard of. Understand[0] is a static analyzer for many languages, and one of its killer features... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Discontinue Sourcetrail
    Https://lattix.com/ can produce impact reports showing “changing X affects A, B and Y on the first level which in turn affects C, D, E, F and Z on the second level” and so on… https://scitools.com/ Understand can answer similar questions... - Source: Hacker News / about 5 years ago

Alternatives to SelfControl and Understand

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

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