Clify vs LeechBlock

Feature Comparison

Clify focuses on enhancing YouTube rather than blocking it, which is why many general website-blocking features don't apply.

What is LeechBlock?

LeechBlock is a free, open-source website blocker available for Chrome and Firefox. First released in 2009, it was one of the earliest and most feature-rich tools of its kind. The extension lets you create up to 30 independent blocking sets, each with its own list of sites, schedule, and behavior.

At its core, LeechBlock gives you fine-grained control over when and how websites are restricted. You can set specific time windows for blocking, apply conditional rules (such as blocking a site only after you've visited it a certain number of times in a day), or enter a full lock-down mode that prevents access entirely for a set period. The timer mode tracks how long you spend on blocked sites and cuts access once you hit your daily limit.

LeechBlock also includes usage analytics and exportable reports, so you can review your browsing habits over time. Password protection prevents you from disabling the block, and custom block pages let you set motivational messages or redirect links. It supports keyword-based blocking, which means you can block search terms across multiple sites at once.

The biggest strength of LeechBlock is its configurability. Nearly every aspect of the blocking behavior can be customized, from the exact minutes of allowed access to the days of the week when rules apply. For users who want a general-purpose tool to build browsing discipline across the entire web, LeechBlock is one of the best options available.

However, that configurability comes at a cost: the interface is dense and can feel overwhelming. There are multiple settings panels, overlapping rule types, and a learning curve before you can set up the blocking behavior you actually want. It also has no YouTube-specific features at all — it can block YouTube entirely, but it cannot modify the YouTube experience in any way.

What is Clify?

Clify takes an entirely different approach. Instead of blocking YouTube, it transforms the YouTube experience to remove the parts that waste your time. The extension works as a browser add-on for Chrome, Edge, and Brave, and it focuses exclusively on making YouTube more productive.

Clify removes YouTube ads automatically, strips out YouTube Shorts from your feed, integrates SponsorBlock to skip sponsored segments in videos, and lets you block specific channels so they never appear in your recommendations. It also includes an audio equalizer so you can tune the sound quality of any video you watch.

The philosophy behind Clify is that most people don't want to stop using YouTube — they want to stop YouTube from wasting their time. Blocking YouTube entirely is often impractical because many people rely on it for legitimate learning, tutorials, and entertainment. Clify lets you keep using YouTube but removes the friction, noise, and algorithmic traps that pull you into hours of mindless scrolling.

Clify also includes scheduled blocking, so you can restrict YouTube access during specific hours of the day, and usage tracking so you can see exactly how much time you spend on the platform. The interface is clean and minimal, with a single settings page that lets you toggle each feature on or off. There are no complicated rule sets to configure.

Because Clify is purpose-built for YouTube, it understands the platform's structure in ways that a general website blocker cannot. It knows how to identify and remove Shorts, how to integrate with SponsorBlock's database, and how to filter channel-specific content without breaking the rest of the site.

When LeechBlock is enough

LeechBlock makes sense when your distractions extend beyond YouTube. If you find yourself bouncing between social media, news sites, forums, and entertainment platforms, a general website blocker gives you the broad coverage you need. You can set up blocking rules for every problematic site in one place and manage them with a single interface.

If you need complex scheduling — for example, blocking social media during work hours but allowing it in the evenings — LeechBlock's multiple blocking sets and time-window system handle this well. You can create separate rules for weekdays and weekends, set different time limits for different sites, and use conditional blocking to only restrict a site after you've exceeded a certain number of visits.

LeechBlock's timer mode is particularly useful if you want to allow yourself a limited amount of time on certain sites rather than blocking them completely. You can set a daily budget of, say, 30 minutes on Reddit, and LeechBlock will cut access once you've used it up. This kind of graduated approach works well for people who want to build habits gradually rather than going cold turkey.

The usage analytics and exportable reports also make LeechBlock a good choice if you want to understand your browsing patterns before making changes. You can review the data, identify your biggest time sinks, and then adjust your blocking rules accordingly.

When Clify makes more sense

Clify makes more sense when YouTube is the primary source of wasted time. Many people find that they start with a specific video in mind, watch it, and then get pulled into an hour of algorithmically recommended content. Clify breaks this cycle by removing the elements that enable it: the Shorts feed, the distracting recommendations from blocked channels, and the pre-roll ads that interrupt your focus.

If you've tried blocking YouTube entirely and found it impractical — because you need it for work, learning, or genuine entertainment — Clify offers a middle ground. You keep full access to YouTube but with a cleaner, more intentional experience. You watch what you came for and leave, rather than getting trapped in the feed.

Clify's channel-blocking feature is particularly powerful for this. Instead of blocking YouTube as a whole, you can block the specific channels that tend to pull you into rabbit holes. This surgical approach preserves the useful parts of YouTube while eliminating the time-wasting ones.

The scheduled blocking feature adds another layer of control. You can allow YouTube access during certain hours (say, evenings for entertainment) while restricting it during work hours. Combined with the Shorts removal and ad blocking, this creates a focused YouTube experience that still lets you use the platform intentionally.

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