The short version
- LeadMeNot: our pick when you want a person in the loop.
- BetBlocker: pick it for a free lock nobody can lift.
- Gamban: pick it for gambling-only with live support.
- Freedom: pick it if gambling is part of a focus problem.
A blocker is one of four layers, and not the first one. Self-exclude with your state regulator first; it works even after you've deleted every app.1 Then block, then cut off the money, then tell one person. The full plan walks through all four. If you need to talk to someone now: 1-800-GAMBLER, free and open all day, every day.2
The blockers below split on one question. Do you want a fixed lock that nobody can shorten, or a person who can say yes to a change after talking to you? Some people need the first. Most do better with the second, because a timer can't ask how you're doing.
At a glance
A dash means we couldn't verify it from the app's own site or a named review, not that the app lacks it. Scroll sideways to see every app. Checked November 6, 2026.
| Feature | LeadMeNot | BetBlocker | Gamban | Freedom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blocks gambling | Built-in Gambling list for sites, plus any betting app you block | Over 1.3 million gambling sites and 3,100 apps3 | Tens of thousands of gambling sites and apps4 | Preset lists, including gambling5 |
| Blocks porn | Built-in Adult Websites & Apps list | A list of a few hundred of the most-searched porn sites, which it says isn't exhaustive3 | —Not compared | Preset lists, including adult content5 |
| Blocks the apps you choose | iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac | —Not compared | —Not compared | Websites and apps on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android6 |
| Someone you trust is told | Alerted when a rule is broken, plus evening reflections | —Not compared | —Not compared | —Not compared |
| Hard to undo in a weak moment | Safe Wall: your partner's OK or a waiting period | A block period you pick (1 day to 5 years) that can't be lifted early3 | —Not compared | Locked Mode: you can't end a session early6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and Fire tablets3 | All major platforms, one licence for all your devices4 | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, Chromebook, Linux and Chrome5 |
Blocks gambling
Blocks porn
Blocks the apps you choose
- LeadMeNotiPhone, Android, Windows and Mac
- BetBlockerNot compared
- GambanNot compared
- FreedomWebsites and apps on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android6
Someone you trust is told
- LeadMeNotAlerted when a rule is broken, plus evening reflections
- BetBlockerNot compared
- GambanNot compared
- FreedomNot compared
Hard to undo in a weak moment
Devices
The picks, one by one
Our pick when you want a person in the loop
LeadMeNot
A built-in Gambling list for sites, plus any betting app you block, plus anything else that's part of your pattern: a sports app, a Discord server, a subreddit, the word 'parlay'. Your partner is emailed when a rule is broken and gets your evening reflection, and Safe Wall means loosening a rule needs their OK or a waiting period. One account across iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac and Chromebook.
Where it falls short: It isn't gambling-only and it has no gambling-specific support line or money-saved tracker. Pair it with self-exclusion and a bank block.
Pick this for a free lock nobody can lift
BetBlocker
Free, run by a non-profit. Blocks over 1.3 million gambling sites and 3,100 apps, with a block period you choose, from one day to five years, that cannot be lifted early. Runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and Fire tablets.3
Pick something else if: Nobody is told anything, and its adult-content list is a few hundred sites that it says isn't exhaustive.
Pick this for gambling-only with live support
Gamban
Blocks tens of thousands of gambling sites and apps on all major platforms under one licence, with live support and tracking of your gamble-free days and money saved.4
Pick something else if: Built for gambling only; its site describes nothing about a partner being told or about blocking anything else.
Pick this if gambling is part of a focus problem
Freedom
Preset block lists include gambling and adult content, with sessions, schedules and Locked Mode so a session can't be ended early, across Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, Chromebook and Linux.5,6
Pick something else if: Built around focus sessions rather than an always-on gambling block; we couldn't verify a partner or alert feature.
How we chose
LeadMeNot wrote this guide, so our own app is in it. To keep it fair: every fact about another app links to its source (the app's own site where possible), each one gets a plain line on who should pick it instead, and the table only shows what we could verify. A dash means we couldn't confirm it, not that the app lacks it.
We looked at the three things that decide whether a blocker still works a month later: what you can block (not just a list of adult sites, but the apps, places and words that are the problem for you), whether anyone is told when a line is crossed, and whether a weak moment can undo it. Free built-in tools are listed first wherever they exist, because a lot of people need nothing more.
LeadMeNot
Try it with someone in your corner
LeadMeNot blocks what you choose, tells someone you trust when a rule is broken, and makes a weak moment wait. Free to try on every device you own.
Questions
What is the best free gambling blocker?
BetBlocker: free, run by a non-profit, over 1.3 million gambling sites and 3,100 apps, and a block period from one day to five years that can't be lifted early. Pair it with your state's self-exclusion programme.
Gamban or BetBlocker?
Both are gambling-only. BetBlocker is free with a fixed lock nobody can lift early. Gamban is paid, with live support and progress tracking. Neither tells another person when you try to reach a gambling site.
Which gambling blocker tells my partner?
LeadMeNot: your partner is emailed when you try to reach something on your block list, and Safe Wall means loosening a rule needs their OK. Gamban's and BetBlocker's sites don't describe a partner feature.
Sources
Checked November 7, 2026. Statements about other products and system features link to the page they come from.
- Action Network: How to ban yourself from sports betting through self-exclusion (updated Aug 9, 2024) (independent)
- National Council on Problem Gambling: 1-800-GAMBLER helpline (official)
- BetBlocker home page and FAQ (official)
- Gamban home page (official)
- MakerStack: Freedom review (Jul 20, 2026) (independent)
- Freedom blog: block websites and apps on all your devices (official)