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Schedules vs daily limits
Freedom blocks during the sessions you schedule. Timecard lets you use a site freely until its daily limit runs out, nudges you at 80%, then blocks it.
ComparisonFreedom app alternative for Mac · Checked October 2026
Timecard vs Freedom
Freedom blocks websites and apps on schedules across Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and Chromebook, and doesn't track your activity. Timecard does the opposite first: it records every app and site on your Mac, then blocks one when its daily limit runs out.
Timecard
Freedom
- $5 once
- Price
- Free plan; $3.33/month yearly; one-time Forever plan
- Not needed
- Account
- Required
- Mac
- Runs on
- Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, Chromebook
01
The short answer
Choose Freedom if
Best for: scheduled blocking on every device
- You want the same blocklist on your phone and computer.
- You want blocks on a schedule, like no social media before noon.
- You don't want anything tracked at all.
Choose Timecard if
Best for: seeing, and limiting, where your Mac day goes
- You want to know where your time goes before deciding what to block.
- You want limits by usage, like 30 minutes of YouTube a day, not by schedule.
- You want to make a case for more time instead of quitting a session.
- You want the record to stay on your Mac.
02
Pricing, side by side
Timecard is a single payment. Freedom is a subscription.
TimecardPay once$5once, for 1 Mac
1 Mac · $52 Macs · $105 Macs · $2510 Macs · $50
- No subscription, ever
- Every update included
- No account; your activity stays on your Mac
- 14-day refund
FreedomSubscription or one-time- FreeBasic blocking$0
- Premium$8.99 monthly$3.33/month, billed yearly
- ForeverSale price; normally $199$99.50once
From Freedom's own pages, October 2026.
Over three years
Freedom's cheapest paid plan, billed yearly
Timecard$5
Freedom$120
03
Feature by feature
 Timecard | Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking | ||
| Tracks apps automatically | Yes | No |
| Tracks websites | Yes, in Safari, Chrome, Arc, Dia, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, Opera and Comet | Blocks them; doesn't track them |
| History | Forever, plus the weeks Screen Time already kept | None |
| Privacy | ||
| Account | Not needed | Required |
| Where your data lives | On your Mac, in one local file | Freedom doesn't track activity |
| Limits | ||
| Limits that block apps and sites | Yes: blocks the tab or covers the app, then asks why | Yes: scheduled blocks, blocklists, Locked Mode |
| Beyond tracking | ||
| AI coding usage | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, opencode, Gemini CLI: time, tokens, API value | No |
| Daily summary | A timecard printed from the notch every evening | No |
| Teams and client billing | No, it's built for one person | No |
| Availability | ||
| Platforms | Mac, macOS 14 or later | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, Chromebook |
04
What really sets them apart
02
Tracking
Freedom says it doesn't track your browsing or app use. Timecard is a tracker first, so you can see what's worth limiting.
03
Devices
Freedom syncs blocks across five platforms. Timecard is Mac only.
Timecard vs Freedom
questions
What's the best Freedom app alternative for Mac?
For most people on a Mac, Timecard: it tracks every app and website automatically, keeps the data on your Mac, blocks apps and sites when a daily limit runs out, tracks AI coding usage, and costs one payment with no account. Freedom is still the better fit if you want the same blocklist on your phone and computer.
Can Timecard block websites on a schedule?
Timecard blocks by daily limits rather than schedules. If you need a fixed schedule across all your devices, Freedom does that.
Can I use Freedom and Timecard together?
Yes. Freedom can handle scheduled blocks on every device while Timecard tracks your Mac and enforces daily limits.
Does Freedom track screen time?
No. Freedom says it doesn't track your browsing, app usage or activity.
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