StarBlocker / Alternatives / Cold Turkey
Cold Turkey alternative
StarBlocker vs Cold Turkey
Cold Turkey is a strict desktop blocker with a one-time purchase, known for being hard to get around. StarBlocker also covers the phone, judges the screen with AI instead of a list, shares one daily budget across devices, and emails an accountability partner when protection is weakened.
Feature by feature, as last checked
| Cold Turkey | StarBlocker | |
|---|---|---|
| Mac | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | No | Yes* |
| Android | No | Yes |
| Blocks websites and apps | Yes | Yes |
| AI reads what is on the screen | No | Yes |
| Rules on a schedule | Yes | Yes |
| Rules by location | No | Yes |
| Missions: block everything but one task | Yes | Yes |
| Daily time limits | Yes | Yes |
| Cannot be switched off in the moment | Yes | Yes |
| Accountability partner is emailed | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 7 day | … |
| Monthly price | — | … |
| Annual price | — | … |
Cold Turkey's platforms, features and prices are public figures from their site and the app stores when we last checked, and may have changed. StarBlocker's prices are current. * On iPhone, StarBlocker judges everything you do in Safari. It cannot see inside other apps: those can be blocked or time-limited, but not judged.
What is different about StarBlocker
A sentence, not a list
You write what should be blocked in plain English. The AI reads what is on your screen and judges it against the sentence, so new sites and feeds inside apps are covered without a list update.
Each block lasts longer
Thirty seconds the first time in a window, a minute after that, a warning on the third, and a ten-minute break on every device on the fourth. No skip button.
One account, every device
Mac, Windows, iPhone* and Android share the same rules, missions and daily budgets. A limit spent on the phone is spent on the laptop.
A partner who is told
Removing StarBlocker takes fifteen minutes, and the person you chose gets an email. They see your rules, blocks and progress, never your screen.
What people block
Every device, one account
- MacStarBlocker for macOS
- WindowsStarBlocker for Windows
- iPhoneStarBlocker for iOS
- AndroidStarBlocker for Android
* On iPhone, StarBlocker judges everything you do in Safari. It cannot see inside other apps: those can be blocked or time-limited, but not judged.
Questions
Is StarBlocker a replacement for Cold Turkey?
For most people, yes: it covers Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android with one account, and a rule is a sentence rather than a list. Cold Turkey is a strict desktop blocker with a one-time purchase, known for being hard to get around, and if that is exactly what you need it remains a good choice.
Can I run both?
Yes. Nothing in StarBlocker conflicts with another blocker. Some people keep a list-based tool and add StarBlocker for the screens a list cannot see.
What does switching involve?
Sign up, write your first rule in plain English, and install StarBlocker on each device. There is no list to import because there is no list.
Other comparisons
One rule, every device.
Sign up, write a rule, and install StarBlocker on each device.
Get started free →