Looking for a StayFocusd alternative?
Fair is fair: The time-budget model ('10 minutes of Reddit per day, then it locks') and the legendary Nuclear Option. Free and veteran-stable. If you're here anyway, it's probably because of where that model breaks down.
Where StayFocusd falls short
The interface hasn't meaningfully changed in a decade, configuration lives in a dense options page, and the time-budget model assumes the problem is duration rather than context. Ten minutes of Reddit at 9am during deep work costs more than thirty at lunch, and StayFocusd can't tell the difference.
What Focus AI does differently
- ✔Sessions are tied to a named task, not a daily timer: block what doesn't serve THIS hour's work
- ✔AI allows task-relevant pages on otherwise-distracting domains
- ✔A visible LOCKED IN pill on every page during sessions, so the protection is never invisible
- ✔Modern dashboard with streaks, focus stats and a receipt after every session
Honest verdict: who should stay with StayFocusd
Stay with StayFocusd if you love the daily-allowance model and want a free, no-frills tool you configure once and never touch. Tools earn loyalty by fitting how you actually fail, and StayFocusd fits some failure modes well.
Switch to Focus AI if your pattern is the other one: the block was either too blunt to live with or too easy to escape, and what you needed was a blocker that understands the task, guards the exit, and makes resisting feel like winning.
Try the StayFocusd alternative built for the moment of temptation
Type your goal, lock in, and let the AI hold the door. Free to install; your first sessions are on us.
Add Focus AI to Chrome — it's freeFrequently asked questions
Is Focus AI a good StayFocusd alternative?
If StayFocusd's model (time-budget blocker extension) keeps failing you at the moment of temptation, yes: Focus AI replaces static rules with an AI that judges every page against the task you declared, and replaces the easy exit with the Quit Wall. If StayFocusd's core model fits you, stay: you love the daily-allowance model and want a free, no-frills tool you configure once and never touch.
Is Focus AI free?
Free to install with full AI blocking for your first sessions. If it sticks, it's $9.99/month or $49/year Founding Member pricing.
Can I switch from StayFocusd without losing my block lists?
You barely need lists: name your task and the AI handles judgment. Focus AI still ships editable allow/block lists for hard rules, and adding your old standbys takes a minute in the dashboard.