glocker
FocusMe has been around for a long time, and it’s among the most complete blockers you can buy. It offers regular expressions, daily and weekly limits, screen breaks, Pomodoro, whitelist-only mode and an optional AI coach. On Linux it’s a native Qt app with a systemd service that relaunches it if it’s closed. Its Enforced plans can’t be stopped from the app until they end, except through a partner or an Assisted Stop, which can add a fee and a long wait. It also runs on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
Where it falls short on Linux
FocusMe’s Linux docs list only Debian-based systems, so Fedora and Arch users aren’t covered, and on Wayland detection depends on your compositor. Its settings docs mark several stronger protections, such as killing tampering processes, as Windows-only, and I couldn’t find anything on what sudo systemctl stop does to it, though I haven’t tested that. It’s also closed source and has no free tier.
How glocker helps
I built glocker for my own Linux machines. It aims at the same problem, keeping you from undoing your own rules.
- It starts from
sudo. During the hours you choose,sudois reduced to a short list of harmless commands, so the service, the hosts file and the uninstaller are out of reach. It works as normal outside those hours. - It covers more of Linux. The
sudowindow works on Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Omarchy and their close derivatives, and window tracking has dedicated support for X11, GNOME, KDE Plasma and Hyprland. - Blocking starts below the browser. Blocked domains go into
/etc/hosts, which doesn’t depend on an extension. Force-installed extensions for Firefox and Chrome add keywords in addresses and page text. - Someone is told if it stops. The server emails your partner if the machine stops reporting, so killing glocker doesn’t prevent it.
- You can read the code, and run it for free. The agent, the dashboard and the encryption are open source under the AGPL.
Side by side
| FocusMe on Linux | glocker | |
|---|---|---|
| Distributions | Debian-based | Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Omarchy and derivatives |
| Interface | GUI, plus a command line | Guided installer, config editor with a schedule grid |
| Blocks websites | Browser extension, window titles as fallback | System hosts file, plus extensions |
| Blocks applications | By name, path or window title | By name, on a schedule |
| Rules | Regex, time limits, Pomodoro, breaks, whitelist-only | Schedules, address and page keywords, logged temporary unblocks, one-hour program extensions |
| Resists being turned off | Enforced plans, protected uninstall, service relaunch | sudo window, slow uninstall |
Handling of sudo |
Not documented | Taken away during your chosen hours |
| Partner | Approves stops and changes by email | Summary emails, alert if the machine goes quiet |
| Usage reports | Activity reports, optional AI coach | Dashboard with tags and insights |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Built for Linux |
| Source code | Closed | AGPL |
| Price | $17.95 a month, $119.40 a year or $449 once | Free; hosted dashboard $10 a month or $99 a year |
Prices are from each product’s site in November 2026. Partner emails are part of glocker’s hosted plan.
Recommendation
If you want detailed rules and a partner who can refuse your request to stop a plan, on a Debian-based system, use FocusMe. If you’re on Fedora or Arch, you’ve got around a blocker with sudo before, or you want to read the code, use glocker. Blocking websites on Linux covers the wider set of options.