In this blog, I’ll be talking about the process of developing a Chrome Extension for unblocking websites.
I’ll be writing the code in Javascript, because it is a relatively easy language to learn and it is a language that is fairly common for web development. The Chrome Extension will work by using proxies to make the connection between my computer and the URL I want to access.
There are two main approaches that can be taken when developing a proxy-based website unblocker: setting up your own proxy server or using an existing one. I’ve decided to go with the latter approach because it is simpler and cheaper than setting up your own server.
The first step in creating such an extension is to figure out what kind of proxy you want to use. There are many different types available, but they all work on the same basic principle: they allow you to make requests that appear to come from another IP address (or domain).
In order for this extension to work properly, we need a way for users of our extension who visit blocked sites with their browser not only be able to see them but also be able to interact with these pages as if they were not blocked at all. This can be done by injecting some javascript code into
Chrome Extension For Unblocking Websites
Advertisers, governments, schools, and companies are watching where you go online. While advertisers just want to follow you around and sell you stuff, your school or company might block certain websites so you can’t access them.
This is often done in a heavy-handed, thoughtless way. Either by using algorithms to block entire topics or by blacklisting individual sites. The Chinese government, for example, blocks every Google domain. That includes Gmail. If you’re traveling to China and use Gmail, it’s nearly impossible to do your job while traveling.
You can also find that you’re barred from websites and content based on your location. Netflix, for example, serves completely different content based on your location. You might be halfway through an amazing series and then lose access by traveling to another country. The reverse is worse. I’ve come across amazing shows while traveling, got halfway through, and then lost access once I got home when I didn’t even realize the country access was different.
So how do we get around these restrictions?
Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
Strictly speaking, there’s no such thing as “Chrome VPN,” but plenty of VPNs have a Chrome extension that lets you control the VPN through your browser. Many are completely free too. If you want easy access to the sites you want, wherever you are, they’re great choices.
First, a word of caution…
Free vs Paid VPNs
Paid VPNs are subscription services. They own servers, have employees, and incur other costs in order to provide the VPN service. Free VPNs get their revenue elsewhere. Some sell your data, some show you ads, some are freemium versions of paid VPNs.
In general, if you’re worried about privacy and security, get a paid VPN. I highly recommend going with ExpressVPN.
If you’re not worried about your private data and just want to get around site blocks without having to pay anything, consider one of the free options.
The 5 Best Free Chrome VPNs
1: CyberGhost – Best for Regular Unblocking
- Free Server Locations: Germany, Netherlands, Romania, and United States
- Paid Server Locations: 4,800 servers across 58 countries
- Encryption standards: 256-bit AES
- Privacy: Logs connection attempts but anonymizes them. Doesn’t log traffic or IP addresses
- Connection Speed: Won’t significantly slow down most users’ connection speed.
- Pricing: Chrome extension is free. Subscriptions start at $12.99 a month or $5.99 a month billed annually.
How it works
Install from the Chrome store and fire it up from the extension bar. Choose your server location by clicking on the one that’s currently active.
Under the hood, CyberGhost’s Chrome extension is built on the Ethereum blockchain, meaning it’s one of the most private options out there.
They do warn you upfront that “this browser plugin is not secure when accessing Flash content and does not protect you from webRTC leaks.” It’s also not good at unblocking streaming sites.
2: Browsec – Most Convenient
Browsec is faster than most free VPNs, secure, and easy to use.
- Free Server Locations: Netherlands, Singapore, United Kingdom, and United States
- Paid Server Locations: 12 locations
- Encryption standards: 256-bit AES
- Privacy: Doesn’t collect personally identifying information but does collect meta-data. It is location in Russia so be warned.
- Connection Speed: Up to 100MB/s but you’re more likely to get speeds of 10-15MB/s
- Pricing: Has a freemium plan. Premium subscriptions start at $4.99 per month or $3.33 per month billed annually
How it works
Install the extension and then click on it. You don’t need to be signed in or have an account to use the Chrome extension. Location is reliable between websites, there are plenty of servers to choose from, and the interface is simple and intuitive.
I strongly recommend not using this service for anything sensitive. Since it’s located in Russia, I would assume anything you’re doing is being tracked.
3: TunnelBear – Best for Infrequent Usage
TunnelBear is a real VPN with a Chrome extension. Unlike most premium VPN services, TunnelBear has a free account with a data limit instead of a time limit. If you want a real VPN’s power and control, but only occasionally, TunnelBear will work for you.
- Free Server Locations: Access to all paid servers
- Paid Server Locations: Servers in 20 countries
- Encryption standards: 256 bit symmetric encryption
- Privacy: Logs connections but not traffic or IP addresses.
- Connection Speed: Fast, connections as 50MB/s even on free plans
- Pricing: Free accounts are free forever, paid accounts start at $9.99 per month or $4.99 per month billed annually
How it works
Install the extension, click on it and you’ll be asked to create an account. All you need is your email address, and when you confirm your free account you’ll get access to the 500MB a month that comes with a free account.
Be warned, doesn’t play that well with some other Chrome extensions — when we tested it, Ghostery and OneTab crashed.
4: HotSpot Shield – Easiest and Most Reliable Unblocking
HotSpot Shield is a freemium tool built around its Chrome extension, with no data or time cap.
- Free Server Locations: Germany, Russia, Canada, and Netherlands
- Paid Server Locations: India, Singapore, UK, France, and the US are available
- Encryption standards: 256 bit AES encryption
- Privacy: Collects aggregate activity logs but not traffic or IP addresses
- Connection Speed: Usually fast enough but it will slow noticeably for more distant servers
- Pricing: Has permanent free accounts, paid subscriptions start at $12.99 per month or $9.99 per month billed annually
How it works
Install the extension and you’re guided through a five-screen onboarding flow in the extension itself before you connect. You can choose your server by clicking on the one you’re connected to.
You’ll also see options for a cookie blocker, malware blocker, RTC protection, and a tool called Sword that creates spoof traffic while you browse to confuse trackers trying to identify you.
5: Windscribe – Most Flexible Server Locations
- Free Server Locations: US, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and the UK
- Paid Server Locations: Wider range of global servers as well as dedicated “Windflix” servers specifically designed to unblock Netflix
- Encryption standards: 256-bit AES encryption
- Privacy: Collects connection logs but not traffic or IP addresses
- Connection Speed: Struggles with uptime and distant servers do display a noticeable lag.
- Pricing: Freemium plans, paid subscriptions start at $9 per month or $4.08 per month billed annually
How it works
Install and you’re prompted to sign up. Once you create your free account, you’re automatically connected.
You get 2GB of free data with WindScribe, but they do their best to help you make the most of it. The default setting is “Cruise Control,” which doesn’t use any of your data allowance until you encounter a blocked website. When that happens, Windscribe flicks itself on automatically to get you access, choosing the appropriate server location to get you access.
The custom-tailored servers for Netflix are great too. If your primary goal is to get access to different Netflix regions, definitely consider this VPN, it makes that process super easy.
What if the website you want to view is still blocked?
Websites like YouTube and Netflix are engaged in a kind of arms race with VPN users, many VPNs are blocked by these sites. If you’re doing a lot of unblocking, or you want to unblock sites that are particularly VPN-proof, go with a paid VPN.
ExpressVPN – Best Paid VPN
Living up to its billing, this is the fastest full-featured VPN out there. It has an effective stealth mode so watchers won’t even know you’re using a VPN, solid encryption, and reliably unblocks everything on the internet.
There’s a Chrome extension but you need a subscription to use it. The desktop and mobile apps are easy to use too. It’s priced at $12.99 a month or $9.99 per month for a six-month subscription.
If you’re going to be using a VPN heavily, I highly recommend going with ExpressVPN.
best chrome extensions for blocking websites
The internet is full of information that can help you work more effectively. Unfortunately, instant access to such an overwhelming amount of content can also backfire. What starts as a quick jaunt to your social media feed or favorite website ends with dozens of open tabs – and hours of wasted productivity.
We’ve all been there. Even with extraordinary discipline, it’s easy to fall prey to these distractions. It’s far too easy to open your laptop, pull up a project you need to work on, and then completely lose track of your responsibilities after seeing a notification from a friend. There’s so much content out there begging for your attention, and it’s tough not to give in.
The good news?
There are plenty of website blocker tools that can help you overcome the temptation of distracting and addictive tech. Instead of forcing you to rely on willpower alone, these tools cut off access to your biggest distraction sources.
A host of features and price ranges are available. Let’s break down some of the most popular website blockers so you can make an informed decision.
Freedom for Mac and Windows
- Freedom for Mac or Windows
Freedom blocks distracting websites and apps, but it does so much more than that. It’s an all-in-one distraction blocker that allows you to block distracting websites, mobile apps, desktop apps, or the entire internet. No matter what is distracting you and stealing away your time and attention, Freedom gives you back control. Freedom is the only website, app, and internet blocker that syncs blocks across all of your devices. With Freedom Premium you can add unlimited devices and custom blocklists and stay focused on what’s important by committing to blocking distractions in advance or by scheduling recurring block sessions to make productivity a habit.
In addition to blocking distractions, Freedom now also offers a variety of other tools such as Focus Sounds that can help you get in the zone and maintain your focus throughout the day.
For more fine-tuned distraction blocking and control, Freedom offers features like Locked Mode, Block All, and Block All Except.
Locked Mode helps you commit to your block sessions by making it impossible to quit an active block session.
Block All allows you to block all websites when you really need to turn off the internet with a flip of a switch.
Block All Except lets you block the entire web, except for the sites you need access to do the work that matters.
Pros: One of Freedom’s biggest advantages is the ability to block distractions across all of your devices. Users can sync their block sessions across their Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices, which means no more blocking your computer and then sneaking off to your phone for a Facebook fix! Freedom is also excited to now offer support for Chromebook and Linux via our browser extension.
In addition to blocking sites and mobile apps, Freedom also blocks desktop apps. So if you find that Outlook, Mail, Steam, Fortnite, or even Chrome or Safari are killing your productivity, you can temporarily block them during your Freedom sessions.
Cons: The Freedom team is currently working on adding several new features to the app, including calendar scheduling and stats reports to see where you’re spending most of your time online.
Price: Freedom offers users three different payment plans for Premium:
Monthly: $6.99/mo
Yearly: $29/year ($2.42 per month)
Forever: $129 (one-time purchase to have Freedom forever)
Not sure if Freedom is right for you? Good news—you can sign up for a seven-use free trial and see the benefits first-hand.
Get Freedom and block websites and apps on every device!
StayFocusd chrome extension
- StayFocusd
StayFocusd is an extension available on the Google Chrome web browser. This makes installation extremely straightforward – even if you aren’t tech-savvy.
Pros: Many website blockers have users enter a list of specific websites (often called a “blacklist”) to block for certain time periods. The StayFocusd approach is a bit different. Users enter the maximum amount of time they would like to spend on specific websites before being blocked. So you can allow yourself some time for idle browsing.
One of the biggest advantages of StayFocusd is its versatility. You can set time limits for as many websites as you like; all you have to do is type them into the extension. As long as you’re using Google Chrome, the extension will work on various platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux, etc.)
Cons: The downside, of course, is that StayFocusd is limited to the Chrome browser. And, unlike other website blockers, you can’t set multiple blocks of blocked time. Finally, you still might find yourself wasting too much time during peak work hours if you’re too generous with your time limits.
Price: Stayfocusd is free on Google Chrome
Limit chrome extension
- Limit
Limit is a Chrome browser extension that allows you to limit your time spent on distracting websites.
To use Limit, simply select the website you find most distracting and choose a daily time limit. For example, you could limit yourself to ten minutes a day on Facebook, or half an hour a day on Duolingo.
Pros: Limit is a great way to maintain a simple limit on your browsing habits. You’ll be surprised how free you feel when you hit your limit – and know that you’ve turned off distractions for the day. It’s a simple behavioral nudge that goes a long way towards helping you be more productive.
Cons: Like all browser extensions, Limit can be uninstalled. So if you find yourself needing something a little more strict, Freedom is a great choice for blocking distractions on all your devices.
Price: Limitis a free Chrome browser extension.
Pause chrome extension
- Pause
Pause is a simple extension that challenges you to momentarily pause and reflect before visiting a distracting website. In doing so, Pause breaks the cycle of distraction and helps you be more focused, productive, and intentional with your technology use.
When you load a distracting website, Pause creates a gentle interruption by displaying a calming green screen. After pausing for five seconds, you can then choose to continue to the site. The interruption created by Pause gently nudges you to make informed, intentional decisions about how you are spending your time.
Pros: We think that Pause is an incredible tool for being more intentional with your web use. Pause comes pre-seeded with a list of 50 top distracting websites, and you can add or remove sites from your Pause list. You can also configure the amount of time you’d like to be Paused.
Cons: We are very partial to Pause – it is a simple extension, with a huge impact. Maybe the only con is that it is free!
Price: Pauseis a free Chrome browser extension.
Focus chrome extension for focusing on your work
- Focus
Focus is a Chrome browser extension designed to help you stay focused on your studying, learning, and the work that matters. Focus is great for students as it blocks all non-educational websites to keep you productive and away from all the distractions the internet has to offer.
To use Focus, simply set a pin, decide which websites you want access to, and let Focus block the rest. If you want to visit a site you have blocked, just enter your pin, and decide how long you want to be on the blocked site.
If you’re a parent, you can set the pin for child. Or, if you’d like to use it for yourself, have a friend or partner set it for you to help you commit.
And voila! You now have a set of internet guardrails that help to help you stay productive and on task whether you’re studying, remote learning, or need an extra boost self-control to finish a project.
Pros: Instead of having to decide all the websites you want to block, Focus simply lets you decide which sites you want access to and then blocks the rest. It’s quick and simple set up makes it easy to get back on track and committed to your goals.
Cons:Like all browser extensions, Focus can be uninstalled. So if you find yourself needing something a little more strict, Freedom is a great choice for blocking distractions on all your devices.
Price: Focus is a free Chrome browser extension.
Forest mobile app
- Forest
Forest is an ingenious little app that encourages you to plant virtual trees instead of visiting distracting websites on your mobile devices. One of the oldest apps in the space, we’ve always like Forest’s behavioral approach to making you use your phone less.
Pros: Forest doesn’t actually block anything – it simply encourages you to put your phone down. You might think of this as a con, but for many people, that simple nudge will work! And once you put your phone down, you’ll start growing virtual trees, which give you positive feedback on your time spent away from distractions.
Cons: Well, Forest doesn’t actually block anything – so its not for everyone. If you need a stricter blocker, you might want to choose something else on this list. But you might be surprised just how well a little virtual tree could work keeping you away from websites!
Price: Various prices for iOS, Android, and Chrome.
Leechblock Mozilla add-on
- LeechBlock
LeechBlock is Mozilla Firefox’s answer to StayFocusd. This browser add-on has been blocking distracting websites for over a decade.
Pros: One of the first things you’ll notice is the extensive versatility and customization options. Users create groups of websites LeechBlock will restrict. These websites can then be assigned across up to six different time blocks. For each time block, users decide which sites to block, when to block them, and how to block them. An interesting feature is the password option. Users can choose to enter complex passwords before visiting distracting websites. This is less restrictive than a complete block, but it slows users down enough to really think whether they want to visit the website.
Cons: LeechBlock’s advantages can also become its downsides if you aren’t tech-savvy. With so many options and configuration settings, the interface can be overwhelming. It’s also a browser add-on, which makes it easy to remove if you’re determined to visit distracting websites.
There’s also a Mozilla Firefox issue to think about. Starting with Firefox version 57 (released in November 2017), only extensions built with the WebExtensions framework are compatible. This led the LeechBlock developer to rewrite the extension from scratch, releasing a new version called LeechBlock NG. The software is still under development, so there could be bugs, and not all the features of the old extension are included.
Price: Free on Mozilla
Freedom for iOS and Android
8.Freedom for iOS and Android
Blocking websites on a Mac and Windows computers can boost your productivity, however that productivity will be short-lived if it means you can just turn to your phone or tablet when your brain starts to crave your blocked distractions.
We offer Freedom on iOS and Android devices so that you can sync your block sessions across all of your devices because distractions aren’t always device-specific. The Freedom iOS app will block apps and websites based on your custom blocklist, and can be used simultaneously in sessions with your Mac or Windows computer or any number of other devices.
The Freedom Android app will block apps of your choice, and like any of the other Freedom apps, initiate or sync with your Freedom sessions if you choose.
Pros: Freedom is the only complete multi-platform website and app blocker solution. So even if you have every popular device on the market (iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, Mac and Windows computers) – Freedom has you covered on all of them, at the same time if you’d like!
Price: Included in Freedom Premium (see Freedom for Mac and Windows above)
Do Your Best Work with a Website Blocker
You need to be focused and productive to do your best work. Willpower can get you started, but with all the distracting websites and apps out there, why not equip yourself with the best tools to help?
A website blocker will free up time and energy for you to focus on the truly important stuff. And there’s always time for those silly cat videos after work!
Conclusion
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