Reclaim Your Brain

Your apps and websites,
locked by default.

Ration locks your distractions 24/7. When you want to use one, you decide how — a fixed window, a metered clock, or automatic interrupts. Then it enforces your choice.

● Live

Ration HUD showing apps and websites locked by default with Instagram in Interrupted mode

Download Ration — Free

v0.0.45 · macOS 13+ · No account · Runs locally · Free in beta

What's pulling your attention?

📱

"I want to stop doomscrolling before bed"

You open Reddit "for 5 minutes" and it's suddenly 1am. You need a hard cutoff.

Windowed 15 min window, then locked for 30 min

💬

"I need to focus at work but check Slack"

You need Slack for work but it sucks you in. You want to check it briefly, not live in it.

Metered 10 min meter, clock only runs while Slack is frontmost

🎬

"I want to enjoy YouTube guilt-free"

You want to watch something, but not for 3 hours. Set a real boundary.

Windowed 30 min window, then mandatory cooldown

🧟

"I keep zombie-scrolling without realizing"

You're not even enjoying it — you just can't stop. You need automatic interrupts to snap out of it.

Interrupted 5 min bursts, 30s mandatory breaks

See how each mode works

1

START

You click Unlock → choose 10 min

The app opens immediately. Your countdown begins.

2

USING

App is open. Countdown runs: 10:00 → 9:59 → ...

Use it freely. The clock counts down whether the app is frontmost or not.

3

60s LEFT

Warning — bar turns amber

A visual cue that your window is closing.

4

30s LEFT

Final warning — bar turns red

Last chance to finish what you're doing.

5

END

Time's up. App hides. Locked for 20 min.

Cooldown is 2× your window. You chose 10 min → locked for 20.

6

READY

Cooldown ends. Ready to unlock again.

Back to locked state. You decide when — and how — to spend again.

Progress 10:00

Set up in 60 seconds

1

Choose what to lock — Ration ships pre-loaded with 10 apps (Discord, Slack, Steam, Reddit...) and 7 websites (Reddit, YouTube, Twitter...). Remove what you don't need. Add what you do.

2

Everything is locked by default — That's it. Every app and website on your list is now locked. No sessions to start, no schedules to set. The default state is: blocked.

3

Unlock when you want — When you want to use a distraction, click Unlock and choose your mode. Ration opens the app (or unblocks the site) and enforces your choice.

Old way

Ration

Default

Apps open, websites accessible

Apps locked, websites blocked

To use a distraction

Just open it. Maybe feel guilty.

Choose a mode. Choose a duration. Spend deliberately.

After your time

Nothing. You keep going.

Mandatory cooldown. You have to wait.

What you get (and what you don't)

✅ Included

✓ Block macOS apps (Discord, Slack, Steam, Reddit, TikTok, etc.)
✓ Block websites in Safari & Chrome
✓ Three unlock modes: Windowed, Metered, Interrupted
✓ Branded block page with live countdown
✓ Subdomain matching (reddit.com blocks old.reddit.com)
✓ Per-app and per-site independent timers
✓ Intercept banner when you open a locked app
✓ Visual warnings at 60s and 30s remaining
✓ State persists across restarts
✓ Quit protection during active timers
✓ Auto-updates via Sparkle
✓ Free, no account, runs 100% locally
✓ macOS 13+, Apple Silicon + Intel

❌ Not included

✗ iOS or Android (macOS only)
✗ Browser extension (uses AppleScript)
✗ Firefox support (Safari & Chrome only)
✗ Scheduled sessions / time-of-day rules
✗ Cloud sync across devices
✗ Content filtering / keyword blocking
✗ Usage analytics / screen time reports

🔜 Coming soon

→ App groupings — manage several apps as a shared group
→ Custom durations — free-text entry beyond presets
→ iCloud sync across Macs
→ Firefox support
→ Bedtime mode — stricter rules after a certain hour

Blocked websites get a real page, not a blank tab.

When you visit a blocked site, Ration redirects to a branded block page showing the domain, your current state, and a live countdown. When the cooldown ends, a "Go back" button appears — you decide when to return. No jarring auto-reloads.

Ration block page showing reddit.com is blocked

Muscle-memory open a locked app? Ration catches it.

If you open a blocked app out of habit — or type reddit.com without thinking — Ration catches it. Apps get hidden instantly. Websites redirect to a branded block page. Either way, your HUD surfaces with your actual intentions.

Ration unlock picker showing Metered, Windowed, and Interrupted modes

Ready to try it?

macOS 13+ · Apple Silicon + Intel · Free in beta

Download Ration — Free View source on GitHub →

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Your apps and websites,locked by default.