Redirect vs StayFocusd

Last updated September 2026.

Full disclosure: you are reading a page published by Redirect, one of the two tools compared here. We still want it to help you pick the right tool, even if that is StayFocusd. Both products were verified against their official sites and Chrome Web Store listings on September 26, 2026, and we only list what those pages confirmed.

The one-line answer#

StayFocusd limits how much time you spend on distracting sites. Redirect changes what happens when you try to open them.

If a time limit on distracting sites works for you, StayFocusd is a proven choice. If you blow through limits or keep adjusting them, Redirect's approach may fit better.

Who makes StayFocusd now#

StayFocusd is one of the oldest Chrome blockers. Its current Web Store listing names Sensor Tower as the publisher, with the extension described as "StayFocusd, by Sensor Tower". The listing shows 700,000 users, a 4.4 rating from 8.8K ratings, a Featured badge, and version 4.6.14 updated September 10, 2026. So it is actively maintained.

How they work#

StayFocusd is built around time. In its listing's words, it restricts "the amount of time you can spend on time-wasting websites". The listing also describes:

• Blocking entire sites, subdomains, paths, specific pages, or in-page content like videos and forms
• The Nuclear Option: block sites for a number of hours on chosen days, and it cannot be canceled once started
• Require Challenge: a challenging task before you can change settings
• Active days and hours
• In-app blocking that hides YouTube Shorts, comments and recommended videos
• Website usage history and tracking of AI chat usage
• Connecting Android devices and other browsers to see usage and limits in one place

Redirect is built around the moment you reach for a site. You add rules for a whole site, a path like youtube.com/shorts, or a wildcard pattern, with exceptions, and optionally a schedule by weekday and hours. Opening a blocked site sends you to your Focus dashboard (up to three goals, redirects per day, time used, a 14 day chart) or a URL you choose.

To get temporary access you pick a pause length (1 to 60 minutes) and complete that rule's task: type a paragraph exactly, write your reason, do mental arithmetic, a 4-7-8 breathing cycle, or a 60 second wait. You can cap pauses per day. When the pause ends you are redirected right away, even mid scroll.

Pricing#

• StayFocusd: free to install. Its Web Store listing does not show the "Offers in-app purchases" label.
• Redirect: free for one site with all features; Pro and Lifetime plans for unlimited sites.

If you want to block many sites for free, StayFocusd has the edge.

Where StayFocusd wins#

• Time limits. If you want some time on a site rather than none, StayFocusd's time-limit model is exactly that. Redirect uses pauses (with an optional daily pause cap), not a time budget per site.
• The Nuclear Option. A block you cannot cancel. Redirect makes loosening rules cost effort, but it has no uncancelable timed block.
• Hiding parts of pages. Hiding Shorts, comments and recommendations while keeping YouTube usable. Redirect can block paths like /shorts, but does not hide page elements.
• Beyond one browser. You can connect Android devices and other browsers to see usage and limits together. Redirect lives only in Chrome and Chromium browsers.
• Scale. 700,000 users and years of history.
• Price. Free, with no in-app purchases flagged on the listing.

Where Redirect wins#

• A task before every pause. StayFocusd asks for a challenge before you change settings. Redirect asks for one before you get temporary access, which is the moment most of us slip. Writing your reason, with past reasons shown back, is surprisingly effective, and the typing challenge and five other pause types are compared in their own guide. We explain why in why website blockers don't work.
• Somewhere better to go. You land on your goals instead of a block message.
• Pauses that end on time. Redirect checks open tabs when a pause expires, on tab switch, and every 30 seconds, and it catches in-app navigation such as clicking into Shorts from the YouTube home page.
• Privacy. Redirect stores everything locally with no account and no analytics. StayFocusd's listing discloses that it handles web history, user activity and website content, while stating it will never collect personal data from the pages you browse.
• Exceptions per rule. Allow a single YouTube channel while blocking the rest. See our setup for blocking YouTube.

Which pattern sounds like you#

Think about the last time a site ate your afternoon. If you meant to spend ten minutes and simply lost track, a hard time limit is the right tool, and StayFocusd does that well. If you knew the limit was coming and extended it, turned the blocker off, or opened the site in another way, the limit was never the weak point. The decision to take a break was. That is the moment Redirect adds friction to, by asking for a reason or a short task before every pause.

Use both, or pick one#

Some people combine them: StayFocusd for a time limit on news or shopping, Redirect for the one or two sites where "just five minutes" keeps winning. Avoid putting the same site in both, since they will act on it in different ways.

If you have to pick:

• Pick StayFocusd if you want free time limits, an uncancelable Nuclear Option, or to hide YouTube Shorts and comments rather than block them.
• Pick Redirect if you keep giving yourself breaks that run long and want each one to be a deliberate choice, with your goals in front of you.

Still comparing? See our best website blockers for Chrome roundup or the Redirect vs LeechBlock NG comparison.

StayFocusd not working or safe? What to check#

When StayFocusd seems to stop blocking, the cause is usually a setting rather than a bug. These checks apply to any Chrome blocker, Redirect included:

• Incognito is not allowed. Chrome extensions do not run in Incognito windows until you open the extension's Details in chrome://extensions and turn on "Allow in Incognito" (Chrome Web Store Help). Without it, a private window opens every blocked site.
• The extension is off. Open chrome://extensions and confirm StayFocusd is switched on, especially after an update or after tidying up your extensions. Google's help page also notes that Chrome may disable extensions that do not meet its current requirements.
• A different version of the address. A rule for one address may not cover a mobile subdomain, another subdomain, or a path you did not list. StayFocusd's listing says it can block entire sites, subdomains, paths or specific pages, so check which kind of entry you made.
• Another browser or profile. An extension only runs in the browser profile where it is installed.

On safety, here is what the Chrome Web Store listing shows as of September 26, 2026, without spin:

• The developer is Sensor Tower, and the extension describes itself as "StayFocusd, by Sensor Tower".
• The listing carries a Featured badge and two labels: "The publisher has a good record with no history of violations" and "Follows recommended practices for Chrome extensions".
• Its privacy disclosure says it handles web history, user activity and website content. The developer declares that this data is not sold to third parties outside approved use cases and not used for purposes unrelated to the extension's core function.
• Its privacy notice explains that it asks for the "Read and change all your data on the websites you visit" permission because it cannot block sites without it, and says "we will never collect personal data from the web page content that you are browsing."

Whether that fits your comfort level is your call. If you prefer a blocker with no account and nothing sent to a server, Redirect keeps rules, goals, stats and reasons in your browser (privacy).

TL;DR comparison#

Close the tab. Open your goals.

Redirect sends distracting sites to the goals you wrote down, and makes every pause a choice.

Add to Chrome, free to start