Comparing Freedom?
Set a schedule,
or commit to it.
Freedom schedules your focus across every device — laptop, desktop, and phone. Sworn does one thing on your phone and your computer. It keeps a category you've sworn off switched off, with a partner who's told if it ever comes back on.
Free malware and ad/tracker blocking, always. Other categories and partner alerts: 7-day free trial, then $7/month.
The real difference
Schedule it, or commit to it.
-
01
Freedom schedules.
Its job is to switch focus on and off. You block sites and apps on a schedule, or start a one-off session across your devices. There's a Locked Mode you can turn on to stop yourself ending a session early. It's self-directed. The discipline is yours to keep.
-
02
Sworn commits.
On your phone, a category you've sworn off simply stays off system-wide, across every app, not just one browser. If you want, one partner is told when protection comes off. There's nothing to schedule and nothing to restart. The line stays where you drew it.
Neither is “better” for everyone. If you want one focus scheduler spanning your laptop and phone, Freedom is built for exactly that — a well-loved tool for writers and deep work. If you want a category kept off on your phone and your computer, with a partner who’s told if it comes back on, that’s what Sworn is for.
Side by side
Sworn vs Freedom.
| Sworn | Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| How blocking works | Always on for the categories you pick | Scheduled or one-off block sessions |
| Accountability partner | Yes, optional. Emailed if you turn it off | No, self-directed |
| What helps in the moment | A partner is told if you disable it | Locked Mode you set for yourself |
| What a partner sees | A count and the category — never a URL | — |
| No VPN | Yes, one DNS setting | Uses an on-device blocking method |
| Devices | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome |
| Free tier | Real malware + ad/tracker blocking, always | Limited free sessions |
| Price | $7/mo · $84/yr | ~$8.99/mo, ~$40/yr, or a ~$199 lifetime (often discounted) |
Comparison compiled June 2026 from Freedom’s own published materials; plans and features can change. Check their site for the latest. Freedom also covers a Chrome extension; Sworn covers Mac and Linux. We’re not affiliated with Freedom; all names belong to their owners.
Using both
Freedom and Sworn can coexist.
- Keep Freedom where it shines. It schedules focus sessions through the day. That’s its strength, and Sworn doesn’t replace it. Run them side by side.
- Add Sworn on your phone, then pair your computer. Install Sworn and pick the categories to keep off. Malware and ad/tracker blocking are free forever; pornography, gambling, social media, shopping, gaming, or VPN/proxy come with a 7-day free trial, then $7/month.
- Turn on the filter. About three minutes. On iPhone, Sworn asks iOS to add its DNS setting (one Allow tap), then walks you to the one Settings screen where you pick it. On Android, Sworn gives you an address to paste into Android’s Private DNS setting and opens that screen for you. No VPN, no management profile, no browser extension. Banking, Maps, and everything else keep working; the categories you’ve sworn off just stop loading.
- (Optional) Add a partner. They get an invite to confirm, and at most one reminder. After that they only ever see a count of blocked attempts and the category, and they’re told if you turn the filter off or it goes quiet. Never a URL, never your history.
Keep the line where
you drew it.
Free to start. Three minutes to set up.
On a computer too? Set up the phone first, then add Windows, Mac, Linux or Chromebook to the same account.