A site blocker that
doesn't get in your way.
Barricade blocks the websites you tell it to. It doesn't ask you to make an account, doesn't cap your blocklist, and doesn't phone home.
Coming soon to the Chrome Web Store
What it does
Four things, done carefully.
Blocks without limits
Block two sites or two hundred. The free version has no cap, and adding the current site takes one click from the toolbar.
Keeps your data yours
Your blocklist is stored in your browser and nowhere else. No analytics, no tracking, no account. The only network activity is the Stripe-backed payment library checking Pro status. Details in the privacy policy.
Counts what it stops
Every blocked visit is counted, so the wall page can tell you it's your ninth try today. Sometimes that number is the thing that actually works.
Runs focus sessions
Pick 25 minutes, an hour, or two, and start. The session can't be paused and it ignores your schedule. Then it ends and stays out of your way.
Your blocklist says a lot about you
A list of the sites you struggle with is one of the most personal things software can hold. Where that list lives should be the first question you ask any blocker.
Most blockers want an account before you can even make a list. The moment you sign up, that list moves to their servers with your email attached, and you are trusting a company to guard it forever. Companies change. Popular extensions get sold, business models shift, and a list nobody else was ever supposed to see becomes part of someone's database. The extension world has seen this happen more than once.
Barricade takes the boring way out. There is no account and no server, so your list has nowhere to go. Chrome itself enforces the blocking, and the extension works the same with your internet on or off. Nothing can be leaked, sold, or subpoenaed from a company that never receives it in the first place.
The price follows the same logic. Storing nothing costs nothing, so there is no subscription to justify. Blocking is free without limits, and Pro is $14.99 once. That is a few months of the typical subscription blocker, except you keep it for good.
How it compares
The popular blockers are good software with business models we didn't want. Here's the honest picture, including what they do better.
| Barricade | BlockSite | Freedom | Cold Turkey | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 once | Subscription | ~$40/year | $39+ once |
| Free blocklist | Unlimited | Capped | Trial only | Unlimited* |
| Account required | No | For sync | Yes | No |
| Where your data lives | Your device | Their servers | Their servers | Your device |
| Upgrade popups | None | Frequent | Occasional | None |
| Blocks desktop apps | No, browser only | No | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-device sync | No | Paid | Yes | No |
As of August 2026. If Freedom's app blocking or sync is what you need, buy Freedom, it's good at that. Barricade is for people who want browser blocking handled simply, privately, and once.
Pro
The free version blocks sites and always will. Pro adds the three features for people who are serious about not negotiating with themselves.
- Distraction insights. See which sites actually pull you away, ranked by how compulsively you check them rather than raw time, so the docs site you work in all day doesn't get flagged.
- Schedules. Block during work hours and let the evening be the evening.
- Password lock. Pausing or unblocking requires a password. Set one you don't have memorized, and 11pm gets a lot quieter.
Processed by Stripe. Not a subscription.
Questions
Why should I trust it with my browsing?
You don't have to. Barricade uses Chrome's declarativeNetRequest API, which means Chrome itself enforces the blocklist and the extension never reads the content of your pages. The optional insights feature counts visits and minutes per site entirely on your device, and switching it off deletes the counts. Its only network activity is the ExtensionPay library checking purchase status, which you can verify yourself in the extension's network panel.
Why one-time instead of a subscription?
A site blocker has no server costs because your blocklist lives in your browser. Charging monthly for that didn't sit right. $14.99 once covers development, and free features stay free.
What happens if I switch computers?
Your blocklist can be exported as a JSON file and imported anywhere. The Pro purchase is tied to your browser profile through ExtensionPay, so signing in there restores it.
Can't I just uninstall the extension to get around it?
Yes, and any extension that claims otherwise is lying to you. Barricade makes bypassing slow and deliberate rather than impossible. The password lock stops the reflexive cave-in, which for most people is the real problem. If you need something adversarial, Cold Turkey's Frozen Turkey mode is the harder hammer.
Refunds?
Email support@barricadehq.com within 14 days and you'll get one, no questions. It's a $15 product; we're not going to fight you over it.