Start with device coverage. Freedom documents native apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, plus website-blocking extensions for ChromeOS and Linux. Atten, becoming Remind, currently serves iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Freedom is a useful candidate for mixed devices; Atten offers an Apple-device workflow with optional account use.
We publish Remind, the upcoming name for Atten. Downloads currently open Atten. This article compares official documentation checked on 25 October 2026, rather than hands-on measurements or bypass tests.
Inventory your devices before comparing features
Freedom’s download page distinguishes installed apps from browser extensions. The distinction matters: website controls in a Chromebook browser do not imply the same native app restrictions as a Windows desktop client.
| Your setup | Documented fit | Check next |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone, iPad, and Mac | Freedom and the current Atten app cover these Apple devices. | Whether you want centrally selected devices, optional account use, or independent routines. |
| iPhone and Windows | Freedom supplies native clients for both. | Include both devices in the session and test each restriction. |
| Android and Mac | Freedom supplies native clients for both; Atten’s current scope is Apple devices. | Check mobile permissions and the desktop tools you need. |
| Chromebook or Linux browser | Freedom documents extension-based website blocking. | Confirm your browser and whether website-only control solves the problem. |
For an Apple-only routine, see our iPhone and Mac product pages. If Android with Opal is another option you are considering, our Opal comparison covers that separately.
Compare session setup and the free workflow
Freedom uses an account. Its getting-started guide walks through a blocklist, session duration, and device selection. Its device guide notes that adding a device does not automatically add it to existing sessions. A phone-only test therefore does not establish that your laptop is covered.
Freedom’s current plan guide covers immediate sessions up to two hours. It includes unlimited devices. Premium adds longer sessions, recurring schedules, later starts, and Locked Mode. Older comparisons describing only seven free sessions no longer match that documentation.
Atten offers focus sessions, recurring schedules, daily limits, and reusable app-and-website selections. An account is optional; compatible rules and session state can synchronize when signed in. Review the installed app’s purchase offer for the capabilities you need. We have not verified a comparative cost advantage.
For either product, define the routine before choosing a tier. One immediate work hour and a week of automatic evening blocks can have different purchase requirements. Confirm current billing and renewal terms on Freedom’s pricing page or Atten’s store offer.
Mobile breaks
Freedom’s mobile break guide documents five-minute mobile breaks. These are available on iOS and Android. A break affects that device; desktop blocking continues. When configured with Locked Mode, its documented break allowance is limited and resets at 4 AM local time.
Its Locked Mode guide describes restrictions on changing active sessions and a weekly early exit. It also warns that Locked Mode by itself does not prevent revoking iOS Screen Time permission. Read those limits before treating an active session as an absolute lock.
In Atten, test the break behavior of the installed build and the rule you choose. Keep needed calls, authentication, and work resources accessible before committing to a longer session. Stronger restrictions are useful only when the list fits the work.
iOS website filtering
Freedom’s iOS blocking guide describes Screen Time app blocking. An optional local profile supplies website and network filtering. Its profile explanation warns about interference from another active VPN.
If work requires a VPN, test the required combination before depending on website blocks. Do not disable workplace controls just to make a blocker fit. The profile’s use of iOS VPN infrastructure does not, by itself, mean your traffic is routed to a remote Freedom server.
Accounts and browsing data
Freedom says blocking runs locally without browsing logs; see its privacy Q&A. Its service policy separately describes account, purchase, and website data. That is different from saying the whole service collects nothing.
Atten permits use without an account. Its current app policy explains optional identity and synchronization data, as well as on-device Screen Time processing. We did not audit either app’s traffic or storage for this article.
Run one useful test on every included device
- List each device, browser, and distracting app or website you actually use.
- Choose one short session and leave essential tools available.
- In Freedom, confirm the session includes every intended device. In Atten, confirm the rule and state on each Apple device.
- Try the restricted app, its website, and one necessary tool on each device.
- Check the end of the session and the exception path before making it recurring.
Freedom is a practical shortlist choice for a mixed Windows, Android, and Apple setup, or centrally selected device sessions. Atten may suit an Apple-device routine with reusable selections and optional synchronization. Define the hours in the free weekly planner. Follow our scheduled iPhone blocking guide for phone setup. For browser distractions, use the Mac website guide.
Comparison methodology
We checked official downloads, plan descriptions, setup instructions, break rules, and privacy pages. The evaluation criteria are device coverage, session inclusion, recurring rules, exits, and account requirements. Vendor statements describe intended behavior. We have not measured synchronization speed or tested every permission and browser combination.
FAQs about Freedom and Remind
Does a Freedom break unblock my computer too?
Its mobile break guide says the break affects the device where you start it. Desktop restrictions continue. Check that distinction when planning a phone break during laptop work.
Does Freedom still have a seven-session free trial limit?
Its current Free plan documentation describes immediate sessions up to two hours and unlimited devices. Recurring schedules and other capabilities require Premium. Review the linked plan page before buying.
Does Atten support Windows or Android?
The currently documented Atten product supports iPhone, iPad, and Mac. For a mixed-device requirement, investigate Freedom’s clients for your actual platforms.