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uBlock Origin VS SelfControl

Compare uBlock Origin VS SelfControl and see what are their differences

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Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

uBlock Origin logo uBlock Origin

Popular and efficient blocker for Chromium, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Thunderbird.

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.
  • uBlock Origin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28
  • SelfControl Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19

uBlock Origin features and specs

  • Efficient Performance
    uBlock Origin is highly optimized and lightweight, consuming fewer system resources compared to many other ad blockers, which helps in maintaining smoother browsing performance.
  • Customizability
    uBlock Origin offers extensive customization options. Users can create their own filters, whitelist websites, and adjust settings to suit their specific needs.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, uBlock Origin's source code is publicly available for review and contribution, ensuring transparency and fostering community trust.
  • Wide Range of Filters
    uBlock Origin supports numerous filter lists for blocking ads, trackers, and malware, ensuring a comprehensive browsing protection experience.
  • Improves Privacy and Security
    By blocking ads and trackers, uBlock Origin helps to enhance user privacy and security online, reducing the risk of data collection and potential malware exposure.

Possible disadvantages of uBlock Origin

  • Learning Curve
    For users new to ad blockers or those without technical knowledge, the wealth of customization options and settings might be overwhelming initially.
  • Potential Website Breakage
    In some cases, uBlock Origin might block essential elements of a website, causing parts of the site not to function correctly, which can disrupt the user experience.
  • Manual Updates for Filter Lists
    Some filter lists may require manual updates, which can be inconvenient for users who prefer a more hands-off approach.
  • Dependency on Community Support
    Being an open-source project, ongoing development and support depend heavily on community contributions, which might affect the speed and efficiency of updates and bug fixes.

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.

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.

uBlock Origin videos

+ Add

Trying uBlock Origin w/ Brief Review of Features

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to use uBlock Origin to protect your online privacy and security | uBlock Origin tutorial 2018

SelfControl videos

+ Add

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

More videos:

  • Review - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to uBlock Origin and SelfControl)

uBlock Origin

SelfControl

Security & Privacy
100 100%
Security & Privacy
0% 0
Time Tracking
0 0%
Time Tracking
100% 100
Ad Blockers
100 100%
Ad Blockers
0% 0
Time Management
0 0%
Time Management
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 uBlock Origin and SelfControl

uBlock Origin Reviews

The Best Ad Blockers for YouTube 2024
We also like that uBlock Origin is an open-source platform. Applications with open-source code often give transparency into vulnerabilities that can be found and fixed quickly. uBlock Origin also has advanced settings that allow users to customize the ad-blocking features. However, these are focused more on power users who understand how to manage and change these settings....
Source: allaboutcookies.org
List of 10 Best Ad Blockers in 2024
With its powerful fеaturеs and widеsprеad popularity, uBlock Origin has еstablishеd itself as a rеliablе and еfficiеnt tool for blocking intrusivе advеrtisеmеnts. It is highly rеgardеd for its ability to еffеctivеly block ads across various platforms, including wеb browsеrs and mobilе dеvicеs. uBlock Origin boasts a lightwеight dеsign that minimizеs its impact on systеm...
Source: www.geeksforgeeks.org
Best Ad Blockers in 2023: Adblock Plus vs AdGuard vs uBlock Origin and More
Any of these options will block ads without a second thought, but they’re not all the same. uBlock Origin, for example, works on all types of ads, whereas Adblocker for YouTube blocks autoplay video ads only. Let’s take a closer look so you can see which of these options is the right one to block ads and trackers on your device.
Source: www.cloudwards.net
Best Ad Blockers
uBlock Origin (not to be confused with uBlock or µBlock) is a stellar extension that runs on a wide variety of browsers. But be careful which version you’re installing — those with similar names are not the same program. The project went through several name changes as different people contributed or modified it, but the most advanced version and the one sustained by the...
Source: www.softwarehow.com
22 NextDNS Alternatives
uBlock Origin is an effective ad blocker that is sleek on memory and CPU to lets you have a frustration-free atmosphere. uBlock Origin is a wide spectrum content blocker with security-enhanced functionality that doesn’t harm your online activities. More lists are also available for you so you can select from Fanboy’s Enhanced Tracking List, spam404, Dan Pollock’s host's...
Source: www.justalternativeto.com

SelfControl Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

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

uBlock Origin mentions (3)

  • Donefirst reviews
    They're advertising on this sub? They can go fuck themselves. I've got ad-blocking enabled (and mods can't see ads on their own subs anyway) so I had no idea. I super recommend ublock origin for ad and content blocking. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Browsing in 2022
    No, it does not. It's open source and non profit. If you want you could make your own adblock with it's source code. https://github.com/gorhill/ublock. Source: over 4 years ago
  • cURL to add native JSON support
    Firefox has its own "Enhanced Tracking Protection", Which is eclipsed by pretty much any specialized content blocker (such as uBlock Origin). Anyone who cares for that stuff has probably turned it off And installed a better extension for that, And for people who don't, well, it's completely unnecessary. Source: over 4 years ago

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 / 6 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 / 7 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 / about 1 year 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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing uBlock Origin and SelfControl, you can also consider the following products

Adblock Plus - AdBlock Plus is a browser extension for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and several other popular browsers that prevents intrusive ads like pop-ups and malicious code from appearing on websites you visit.

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!

AdGuard - Surf the Web Ad-Free and Safely. Shield up!

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

AdBlock - Ad blocker for Chrome, Safari and Opera on desktop and Safari for iOS devices.

FocusMe - The website blocker you can't cheat

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