App lock-in
Pick the apps you need. When you drift, Nudge pulls focus back — soft by default, strict when you choose.
The focus tool that keeps your Mac pointed at the work.
Introducing Nudge
Today’s focus apps are either soft toys or handcuffs. Timers without enforcement. Blockers that need a different browser. Tools that bury start under five screens. They stop when the work gets real — and they still lack the basics: speed and a menu bar you can trust.
Nudge is a macOS focus app rebuilt for real work sessions. Allowlist the apps that matter, block the sites that don’t, start from the menu bar, and get nudged back when you drift — without leaving your desk flow.
Session capability
Anything you need on your Mac,
Anything you need on your Mac,
Nudge can protect for you.
Unlike timers that only count down, Nudge runs a live session: allowed apps stay frontmost, blocked sites redirect, and optional strict mode stops unauthorized launches.
Website blocking
Block YouTube, social, news — Chrome, Safari, Arc, Brave, Edge, and more via browser Automation.
Presets & Quick Focus
Save Deep Work, Writing, Code. Launch from the main window or menu bar in a few seconds.
Built for people who actually start.
Nudge is designed around activation: grant Accessibility, open an allowed app, start a session — and feel enforcement immediately. Not another dashboard that never becomes a habit.
Nudge
96
Generic timers
72
Heavy blockers
58
Phone-first apps
44
Nudge
94
Menu bar utilities
80
Window-only tools
61
Web dashboards
40
Nudge
98
Electron ports
70
Cross-platform suites
55
Browser extensions only
35
Illustrative product-fit scores for positioning — not third-party lab benchmarks.
Permissions
Permissions that
Permissions that
actually power focus.
Focus tools fail silently when the OS says no. Nudge asks for Accessibility to keep you in allowed apps, and browser Automation to redirect blocked sites — then shows you the state.
Accessibility for lock-in
Required to run a session. Without it, Nudge won’t pretend enforcement is on.
Automation for sites
Chrome, Safari, Arc, Brave, Edge… grant Automation so blocked tabs land on locked.html.
Human control at the edge
Pause, resume, stop — you stay in charge. Soft nudge by default; strict lock optional.
Nudge session engine
The stack that runs while a focus block is active.
-
✓
Wall-clock timer Open-ended or timed — accurate while your Mac is awake.
-
✓
Focus enforcer Returns you to allowlisted apps when you switch away.
-
✓
Website blocker Redirects active tabs on blocked domains to a local locked page.
-
✓
Launch enforcer Optional strict mode terminates non-allowed app launches.
FocusEnforceractive
WebsiteBlocker3 domains
LaunchEnforcersoft
Timer01:28:04
Privacy & control
Private enough for real work.
Sessions and presets live on your Mac. Cloud is for account and billing entitlements — not for shipping your focus history to a surveillance dashboard.
Local by default
Presets, history, and session state stay in app storage on your device.
Account for Plus only
Sign-in unlocks checkout and entitlement refresh — not a mandatory social network.
Analytics with consent
Optional product analytics. You can keep Nudge quiet and still focus.
Built for how Mac people work.
One product, many modes — swap presets instead of reconfiguring every morning.
Deep work
IDE + notes. Everything else gets nudged away for 90 minutes.
Writing
Docs or Obsidian only. Social and news domains blocked.
Study
Open-ended sessions, history for streaks, sounds for calm.
Pricing
Start free. Go unlimited when ready.
Free includes 2 hours of focus per day. Nudge Plus removes the cap.
Free
2h / day
Full focus sessions with the daily free limit.
Download- App lock-in & website blocking
- Presets & menu bar Quick Focus
- History & streaks
Plus Annual
$17.88 / year
$1.49/mo billed yearly · 7-day trial on annual.
Start trial- Unlimited daily focus
- All free features
- In-app checkout (Paddle)
Plus Monthly
$4.99 / mo
Flexible billing, cancel anytime via Paddle.
Choose monthly- Unlimited daily focus
- All free features
- Lifetime keys available in-app