News Feed Eradicator and Unhook remove feeds for free, Unhook only on YouTube. LeechBlock NG and Freedom block whole sites on schedules or limits, and Freedom also blocks apps on your phone. I've had it shuts feeds on seven social sites while keeping posts, search and messages usable, adds pauses, quick passes and daily limits, and is a paid subscription. The best choice depends on whether your problem is one feed, a few feeds, or whole sites and apps.
I make I've had it, so read this with that in mind. I describe each tool only by what its own listing or site says, and say plainly where each is better than mine. Features and prices change, so check each tool's page before deciding.
Comparison table
| I've had it | News Feed Eradicator | Unhook | LeechBlock NG | Freedom | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Feed blocker with limits | Feed remover | YouTube clean-up | Site blocker | Site and app blocker |
| Blocks only the feed | Yes | Yes | Yes, on YouTube | Not by default, you write the rules | No, blocks sites or apps |
| Sites | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Messenger, X, Reddit, LinkedIn | Facebook, X and several other social sites | YouTube only | Any site you list | Any site or app you list |
| Pause or delay before opening | Yes | No | No | Yes, an optional countdown | Not listed |
| Time limits and schedules | Daily budget, per-site limit, no feeds before noon | No | No | Yes, flexible | Yes, schedules on Premium |
| Phone apps | No, numbers only | No | No | No | Yes, iOS and Android |
| Browsers or platforms | Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc | Chrome, Firefox | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Firefox, Chrome, Edge | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chromebook |
| Price at the time of writing | 10 days free, then $2.99 a week | Free, open source | Free | Free | Free plan, paid Premium |
News Feed Eradicator
News Feed Eradicator replaces social media feeds with a quote, so the rest of the site keeps working. Its source code is public under the AGPL-3.0 license, and it is available for Chrome and Firefox. The maker describes the project as mostly done and intentionally minimal.
Better at: being free, open source and simple. With no account and almost no settings, it is hard to beat, and it works in Firefox, which mine does not.
Not built for: limits, schedules or a way back in for a few minutes. The feed is either there or replaced.
Unhook
Unhook is a YouTube-only extension for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. Its store listing offers separate toggles to hide the home feed, the sidebar recommendations, end-screen suggestions, Shorts, comments and more, and to turn off autoplay.
Better at: fine-grained control over YouTube. If YouTube is your only problem and you want to choose exactly which parts disappear, including comments, Unhook gives you more switches than I do.
Not built for: other sites, or limiting how long you spend.
LeechBlock NG
LeechBlock NG is a free site blocker for Firefox, Chrome and Edge, with its source on GitHub. According to its listing, you can set up many separate sets of sites, each with its own hours and days, block within fixed periods or after a time limit, start an immediate lockdown, add a countdown before a site opens, and protect the options with a password.
Better at: flexibility and cost. It works on any site, the schedules are detailed, and it is free. With careful patterns you can block specific addresses on a site rather than the whole thing.
Not built for: knowing what a feed is. You write and maintain the rules yourself, and when a site changes its addresses, the rules need updating.
Freedom
Freedom blocks websites, apps or the whole internet across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and Chromebook, and syncs sessions between devices. At the time of writing it has a free plan with shorter sessions, and a Premium plan, billed monthly, yearly or once, that adds Locked Mode, which stops you quitting a session, and scheduled sessions.
Better at: blocking on your phone and across every device. If your scrolling happens in the Instagram or TikTok app on your phone, Freedom can block the app, which mine cannot do yet. It is also the better choice for shutting everything off during focus time.
Not built for: keeping part of a site. A blocked site or app is blocked whole, including messages.
I've had it
I've had it is my Chrome extension. It shuts the feeds on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Messenger, X, Reddit and LinkedIn, and leaves the rest of each site usable. Each site gets a mode: No feeds, Ask first, Daily limit or Untouched (see site modes). A link from somewhere else opens with a quick pass, messages can stay open, a shared daily budget caps the total, and a scroll check asks if you found what you came for after a long scroll.
Better at: keeping the useful parts of the main social sites while shutting the feeds, with a pause and a time window instead of an all-or-nothing switch. Your stats sync across computers and show in the phone app, while the pages you visit stay on your device (see privacy).
Not built for: phone apps (the phone app only shows your numbers), sites outside the seven, Safari or Firefox (not available yet), or anyone who wants a free tool. It costs $2.99 a week after 10 free days; see pricing and trial.
Which one should you choose?
- Only YouTube bothers you: Unhook.
- You want feeds gone, free, no settings: News Feed Eradicator.
- You want to block whole sites on a detailed schedule, free: LeechBlock NG.
- Your problem is phone apps, or you want everything off for focus time: Freedom.
- You need these social sites for messages and work but want the feeds shut, with pauses and limits: I've had it.
Combining tools is fine, for example Freedom on your phone and a feed blocker on your computer. See feed blocker vs site blocker.
Questions
What is the best alternative to News Feed Eradicator?
It depends on what you are missing. If you want limits and a way to open a feed for a few minutes on purpose, a feed blocker with modes fits. If you want whole sites blocked on a schedule, try LeechBlock NG or Freedom.
Is there a feed blocker that works on phone apps?
Browser extensions cannot block inside native apps. To block the Instagram or TikTok app itself, use an app blocker such as Freedom or your phone's built-in screen time limits.
Can LeechBlock block only the Instagram or YouTube feed?
It blocks the addresses you list, so with careful patterns you can target feed pages. You have to write and update those rules yourself.
Why pay for a feed blocker when free ones exist?
Free tools are a good choice if they do what you need. A paid one makes sense if you want features they do not have, such as pauses, quick passes, daily limits and stats across devices.