How to Block Websites on Mac in Safari, Chrome, Arc, Brave and Edge

Blocking a website on a Mac sounds simple, until you block it in Safari and open it in Chrome a minute later. Most methods cover only one browser, or are easy to undo, or need Terminal.

Here's every common method, compared on the same three questions: which browsers does it cover, is it free, and how easy is it to skip? These steps are for macOS 27, released in September 2026, as well as macOS 26 and 15.

Which website blocker should I use on Mac?

Prices in US dollars, checked on 9 October 2026. Disclosure: I make YourPriority.

How do I block a website in Safari with Screen Time?

This is free and built in, but on a Mac it only blocks Safari.

1. Open the Apple menu → System Settings → Screen Time.
2. Click Content & Privacy and turn it on.
3. Click App Store, Media, Web, & Games.
4. Under Safari, choose Limit Adult Websites, then click Customize.
5. Under Restricted, click +, type the address (for example youtube.com), and click Done.

On macOS 14 Sonoma, the path is slightly different: Content & Privacy → Store, Web, Siri & Game Center Content → Web Content → Limit Adult Websites → Customize.

Why it's Safari only: Apple puts this setting under a "Safari" heading, and Mac users and developers have reported for years that Chrome, Firefox and Brave aren't blocked. Screen Time's website limits (App Limits → Websites) work in Safari only too, and they have an "Ignore Limit" button.

How do I block a website in every browser for free?

Option 1: The hosts file (technical)

The hosts file tells your Mac where websites are. If you point a site to your own Mac, it won't load in any browser. You'll need Terminal and your Mac password.

1. Open Terminal and make a backup: sudo /bin/cp /etc/hosts /etc/hosts-original
2. Open the file: sudo nano /etc/hosts, and type your Mac password. Nothing appears while you type, which is normal.
3. At the bottom, add one line for each address: 127.0.0.1 youtube.com and 127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com. Add ::1 youtube.com and ::1 www.youtube.com too, for newer (IPv6) connections.
4. Save with Control-O, press Return, and close with Control-X.
5. Clear the cache: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder, then restart your browsers.

Be careful: a typo in this file can stop websites from loading, so keep the backup. If iCloud Private Relay is on, Safari has been reported to ignore the hosts file. Firefox's secure DNS can also skip it. And it's easy to undo: you just delete the line.

Option 2: SelfControl (free, can't be undone)

SelfControl is a free, open-source Mac app. You add sites to a list, set a timer and click Start. Until the timer ends, those sites are blocked in every browser, "even if you restart your computer or delete the application", as its website says.

It's great for a single focus session. The downsides: it has no daily schedule, it can block other sites that share the same servers, and it doesn't work properly with a VPN. Its last release was in 2021, so check that it works on your version of macOS.

Are browser extensions good website blockers?

They're easy to set up, but they're the easiest to skip. LeechBlock NG (free), BlockSite and StayFocusd are popular. The problems:

• Each extension only works in the browser it's installed in. Open another browser and the site loads.
• In Chrome, extensions are off in Incognito windows unless you allow them. Safari also turns off website extensions in private windows by default.
• You can switch an extension off in a few seconds.

Which Mac blocker apps work in several browsers?

• Cold Turkey Blocker: a free tier, and Pro for $45 once. It installs an extension in each browser and supports a long list of them. Locked blocks, the ones you can't stop, need Pro.
• Freedom: a limited free plan, and Premium for $8.99 a month or about $40 a year. It works across devices, and its Mac app doesn't need an extension. Locked Mode is paid.
• Opal: one rule free, then $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year. On Mac it uses an Automation permission instead of an extension, and supports Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc and Opera, but not Firefox.
• Focus: $49 once for Focus 2. Works with Safari, Chrome, Opera, Brave, Edge, Arc and Vivaldi. Firefox needs an add-on.
• 1Focus: free, with Pro at $9.99 a year. Free blocks can last up to 6 hours.

How does YourPriority block websites on Mac?

I built the Mac version of YourPriority to work like the iPhone app: when you open something you've blocked, you see your priorities instead.

• It works in Safari, Google Chrome, Arc, Brave and Microsoft Edge, with no extension to install. With your permission, it checks only the address of the tab you're on. It never reads the page itself, your passwords or what you type.
• A blocked site is replaced with your priorities for today.
• Three ways to block each site: All day, At certain hours, or After a daily limit, on the days you choose.
• Doom Scroll Breaks for websites: after you've spent the time you chose on your scrolling sites, they take a short break, then open again.
• One urgent break a day per block, if you allow it: 10 minutes of use after a 15-second pause.
• It lives in your menu bar and makes you wait two minutes before you can quit it.
• It's free. Pro ($4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, bought in the iPhone app) only adds iCloud Sync for your to-dos and notes between iPhone and Mac.

What it doesn't do: it doesn't support Firefox, Opera, Vivaldi or Orion yet. If you're using a browser it can't check, the menu bar tells you, instead of saying you're protected.