Productivity
Vow Second Screen
Turn a tablet or phone into a second screen for your PC, in its browser
- Free: 3 sessions a day of 30 minutes, HD picture, view only, one device
- $4.95 once: Any length, up to 4K, touch, pen and keyboard, up to 6 devices
Vow Focus
Website & app blocker for Windows
Block the distractions. Get the work done. One click. Nothing uploaded.
Pick 25 minutes, tick Distractions, press Start. Social media and video sites get a block screen, games and chat apps are closed, and a timer ring counts you down. No browser extension, no account, no subscription.
- No ads
- No malware
- No account
- Light & dark theme
- 5 focus sessions a day, block lists, Pomodoro, block screen
No ads. Ever.No pop-ups, no banners, no "offers".
No malware or bundlewareThe installer installs one thing: this app.
No account, no uploadIt works on your PC, and your files stay there.
Free daily limits, just $4.95 unlimitedNo subscription. No trial that runs out.
The problem
"Just a quick look" costs the whole afternoon
Willpower loses to infinite feeds. And many blockers are easy to switch off, hard to set up or billed every month.
One tab becomes an hour
You open a video site to check one thing, and the afternoon's best working time is gone.
Extensions you can switch off
Browser-extension blockers stop at that browser. Open another one, or disable the extension, and you're through.
Apps slip past
Website blockers don't stop the game launcher, the chat app or the desktop client sitting right there.
A monthly fee to concentrate
Many focus apps are subscriptions, charging every month for the privilege of not using the internet.
An account to block a site
Sign-ups, cloud dashboards and your browsing habits stored on someone else's servers.
Too fiddly to bother
Lists to build from scratch and settings to learn before you can block a single site.
Vow Focus fixes all of it.
How it works
Pick. Block. Focus.
Choose how long and what to block, press Start, and the distractions are gone until the timer ends.
- 01
Pick how long
A 25-minute timer, 50 or 90 minutes, Pomodoro rounds with breaks, until a time like 17:00, or until you stop.
Pick how long and what to block, then press Start - 02
Pick what to block
Tick a ready-made list such as Distractions, or build your own with sites, whole categories and programs.
Build block lists from sites, categories and programs - 03
Press Start and work
Blocked sites get a block screen, blocked apps are closed, and a timer ring counts down. Need one more site blocked? Add it on the spot.
...and Start focus, plus today's totals and blocked sites
Features
Everything a serious blocker needs, nothing it doesn't
For students, remote workers, writers, and anyone whose phone-free hour keeps turning into a browser hour.
Works in every common browser
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and more, read directly from the address bar. No extension to install.
Blocks apps too
Games, launchers, chat and mail apps are closed while you focus. Pick them from the running apps or drop an .exe.
Timer and Pomodoro
25, 50 or 90 minutes, Pomodoro rounds with short and long breaks, until a set time, or until you stop.
One-click categories
Add Social media, Video, Shorts & reels only, News, Shopping, Games, Chat, E-mail or Betting in a click.
Precise rules
Block a whole site, just youtube.com/shorts, wildcards or keywords, and always allow exceptions like music.youtube.com.
Weekly schedules
With Unlimited, block work hours or homework time automatically, even after a restart.
Strict mode
With Unlimited, a session can't be stopped, paused or loosened until it ends. The only way out is typing a long random text.
Daily time limits
With Unlimited, allow a list's sites and apps for N minutes a day, then they block by themselves until midnight.
See where time goes
Focus time, blocked attempts, sessions and streaks, plus time per app and site, counted only on your PC.
System-wide blocking
Optionally add blocked sites to the Windows hosts file too, so every browser and app is covered.
Light & dark theme
Easy on the eyes, day or night.
Focus comes with a crisp light theme and a calm dark theme. Switch with one click, or let it follow your Windows setting by itself. It remembers your choice.
- LightClear and bright for daytime and busy offices
- DarkGentle on tired eyes late at night
- Follow WindowsChanges by itself when your PC does
Screenshots
See Vow Focus in action
Real screenshots of the real app, in both of its themes: 9 light, 9 dark. Click any picture to see it full size.
Light theme
Dark theme
Who it's for
Who gets more done with Vow Focus
Students
Block social media and video sites for a study session, with Pomodoro breaks to keep you fresh.
Remote workers
Schedule distraction-free work hours that start and end by themselves every weekday.
Writers
Set a goal like "Chapter 3", shown on the block screen whenever you drift.
Developers
Protect deep-work blocks from news, chat and the endless scroll, with exceptions for the docs you need.
Families
No-screens evenings and homework time, with game launchers closed until the work is done.
Breaking a habit
Strict mode and the Betting category for the sites you really want to stay away from.
Compare
Vow Focus vs the usual focus blockers
Browser extensions, subscription apps and Vow Focus, side by side.
| Feature | Vow Focus | Typical blocker apps & extensions |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks desktop apps, not just sites | Yes | Extensions can't |
| Browser extension needed | No, works with common browsers | Usually |
| Strict sessions with restart protection | Yes (Unlimited) | Some, often a paid tier |
| Block part of a site (e.g. Shorts only) | Yes, plus wildcards and keywords | Sometimes |
| Test whether an address is blocked | Live, with the matching rule | Rarely |
| Account or sign-up | None | Often required |
| Your browsing data uploaded | Never: stats stay on your PC | Cloud dashboards are common |
| Price | Free every day, or $4.95 once | Often a monthly or yearly plan |
| Ads | None, ever | Common in free blockers |
"Typical" describes what we found across the most-downloaded alternatives when we built Focus. Your mileage with any one of them may vary; ours won't.
Pricing
Free every day. Just $4.95 once for the lot.
That is not a typo. Software this powerful usually means a monthly subscription; Focus is $4.95, once, for life: it's almost a giveaway. Use it free for as long as you like, and unlock Unlimited only if you need more.
Free
$0forever
5 focus sessions a day, block lists, Pomodoro, block screen.
- 5 focus sessions a day (resets at midnight)
- Block websites and apps, unlimited lists
- Timer, Pomodoro, until a time or until stopped
- Block screen, close the tab, close apps
- Rules, keywords, exceptions, test an address
- Today's statistics, no ads, nothing uploaded
Best valueUnlimited
$4.95USD, once. Yours for life.
Almost a giveaway. Less than a coffee for software this powerful: no subscription, no renewals, yours for life on 2 PCs.
Unlimited sessions, schedules, strict mode, time limits, full stats.
- Any number of focus sessions
- Weekly schedules that block on their own
- Strict mode with an emergency unlock
- Daily time limits and allow-list mode
- Full statistics: 7 and 30 days, CSV export
- One payment, yours for life on 2 PCs
How unlocking works
- 1Use it free first Install Vow Focus and use it on your own files. No card, no account, no time limit.
- 2Click "Unlimited" in the app Pay $4.95 USD once by card, securely through Stripe in your browser.
- 3It unlocks itself Within seconds, for life, on up to 2 of your PCs. Your license key is emailed to you, and every future update is included.
Payments by Stripe: we never see or store your card. Questions? Ask a real person.
Clean software
Safe to install. Nothing else comes with it.
Most "free" Windows downloads pay for themselves with ads, bundled extras or your data. Vow Focus doesn't need to: it's paid for honestly, once, by the people who find it useful.
Download Focus free- No ads, toolbars or "offers"The installer installs one thing: Vow Focus. No pre-ticked boxes to watch out for.
- No administrator rights neededIt installs just for you, in your own user folder, and leaves the rest of Windows alone.
- Nothing running in the backgroundNo startup programs, no tray nags, no services. When you close it, it's closed.
- Everything includedAll it needs is inside the installer, so you never have to fetch a "required component" from somewhere else.
- Uninstalls cleanlyOne click in Windows Settings > Apps. Your own files are never touched.
- A real company behind itMade, published and supported by XTO Pty Ltd, an Australian company, with real people answering every message.
Step-by-step guide
How to block websites and apps on Windows while you work
From install to your first distraction-free session in under a minute.
Step 1: get it freeInstall Vow Focus free
Download it from this page and run the installer. It needs no administrator rights and no account, and the Distractions list is ready on first run.
Choose how long
On the Focus page pick Timer (25 minutes by default), Pomodoro, Until a time or Until I stop.
Choose what to block
Tick one or more block lists. Use Edit lists to add a site, paste a link, add a whole category or drop in a program.
Press Start focus
Press Start focus or Ctrl+Enter. Blocked sites show a block screen, blocked apps close, and you can close the window: it keeps blocking from the notification area.
Take a break or finish
Take a 5-minute break, add 10 minutes, or stop when you're done (unless it's a strict session). Your focus time and streak are on the right.
Technical details
Focus at a glance
- Works on
- Windows 10 (1809+) and Windows 11, 64-bit
- Browsers
- Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and more
- Blocks
- Websites, parts of sites, keywords, programs, window titles
- Sessions
- Timer, Pomodoro, until a time, until stopped
- System-wide
- Optional hosts-file blocking (asks Windows for permission)
- Internet
- Not needed: works fully offline
- Install
- Per-user, no administrator rights, no account
- Languages
- English
- Theme
- Light, dark or follow Windows: one click to switch
- Version
- 1.0.0, released 7 November 2026
- Publisher
- XTO Pty Ltd (Australia)
FAQ
Questions about Focus
Is Vow Focus free?
Yes. You get 5 focus sessions a day with unlimited block lists, site and app blocking, Pomodoro, the block screen and today's statistics, with no ads and no expiring trial. Unlimited, a one-time $4.95 USD payment, adds unlimited sessions, schedules, strict mode, daily time limits, allow-list mode and full statistics.
Do I need to install a browser extension?
No. Vow Focus reads the address bar of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and other common browsers itself, so there is nothing to add to each browser and nothing to switch off.
Can it block apps as well as websites?
Yes. Add programs from the running apps, browse for an .exe, drop a shortcut, or add a category such as game launchers or chat apps. They are asked to close, then ended after 3 seconds if they don't. Windows' own processes are never touched.
What is strict mode?
With Unlimited, a strict session or schedule can't be stopped, paused or loosened until it ends, even by closing the app or restarting the PC. You can still add sites or time. For real emergencies you can end it by typing a 150-character random text, without copy and paste.
How is it different from Cold Turkey, Freedom or LeechBlock?
It covers their core (site and app blocking, keywords, exceptions, allow-lists, schedules, strict locks with a random-text unlock, Pomodoro) without a browser extension to install, and adds one-click presets, a live "test an address" box and a block screen that follows the browser window. Unlimited is $4.95 once, never a subscription.
Can I block only part of a site, like YouTube Shorts?
Yes. youtube.com/shorts blocks just that part, the Shorts & reels only category adds the common ones, and an exception such as !music.youtube.com is never blocked.
Does it track or upload my browsing?
No. Statistics are counted only on your PC, can be switched off, and nothing is uploaded. There is no account.
Is it safe to install?
Yes. It is made and published by XTO Pty Ltd, an Australian company. There are no ads, no bundled software and no account, it needs no administrator rights, and it uninstalls cleanly from Windows Settings.
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Done searching. Get Focus.
Block distracting websites and apps while you work or study. Free to use every day, $4.95 once if you ever want Unlimited.
- No ads
- No malware
- No account
- No subscription