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Lockin MCP
Summary
Every browser extension blocker breaks the moment you open a different browser, an incognito tab, or a browser you forgot you had installed. LockIn MCP routes around that by writing blocks directly to your hosts file — and lets your AI assistant manage the whole thing.
The tool runs a background daemon that exposes a small set of callable functions: block a site, start a timed focus session, grant a temporary unblock that expires automatically, and check what's currently blocked. Your AI assistant — Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini — calls those functions when you ask in plain language. Blocks survive restarts and new browser tabs because they sit at the OS level, not inside any single application. The single-command installer wires up the MCP server and license verification in one step. The surface area is deliberately small — this does one thing, not a dashboard full of analytics.
Bottom line: Reach for this if you want your AI chat to enforce focus sessions without touching browser settings — but look elsewhere if you need cross-device sync, team policy enforcement, or blocks that travel outside your local machine.
Pricing Plans
- Price
- $19.99 once
Lifetime Pro
One-time payment for lifetime access
- System-level domain blocking
- One-line installer + MCP server
- Works with Poke, Claude, ChatGPT and more
- Stable relay URL for remote MCP
View full pricing on lockinmcp.com →
Pricing may have changed since last verified. Check the official site for current plans.
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Pros
Sign in to edit- Hosts-file-level blocking means the block holds across every browser and application on the machine, so opening an incognito window or a secondary browser does not bypass it.
- Four tightly scoped MCP functions — block, temp-unblock, focus session, status — integrate directly into Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini, so you manage focus from inside the same chat window you already work in rather than switching to a separate app.
- Temporary unblocks carry an automatic expiry timer managed by the daemon, which means you do not have to remember to re-enable blocks after a brief check — they expire on schedule.
- The daemon restarts with the machine and re-activates all active blocks and timers, so a reboot does not silently disable your focus setup.
- A single npx install command handles license verification and MCP server wiring, which means setup does not require manual editing of config files or separate server configuration.
Cons
Sign in to edit- Blocks are local to one machine: if you work across a desktop and a laptop, you must install and configure separately on each device, and there is no sync layer — teams that need consistent rules across a fleet will hit this wall on day one and move to a network-level or MDM-based solution.
- The tool exposes no usage analytics, session history, or accountability reporting — if your workflow requires reviewing how many focus sessions ran or whether a block was bypassed, LockIn MCP produces none of that data, and you are maintaining a separate log manually.
- The MCP functions are callable by your AI assistant but only when you initiate the conversation — the tool does not run autonomous scheduled sessions or react to calendar events on its own, so users expecting automated focus enforcement without manual prompting will need to wire that trigger themselves or switch to a tool with native scheduling.
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About
- Platforms
- macOS, Linux, Windows
- API Available
- No
- Self-Hosted
- Yes
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-07T03:18:42.213Z
Best For
Who it's for
- Users of Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini seeking focus tools
- Developers and knowledge workers needing system-level blocks
- Anyone wanting AI-managed productivity without manual configuration
What it does well
- Blocking distracting websites during work sessions via AI commands
- Running timed focus periods enforced by AI assistants
- Managing temporary access to blocked sites with accountability
Integrations
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Lockin MCP free?
- Lockin MCP is a paid tool ($19.99 once). No permanent free tier is offered.
- Is Lockin MCP open source?
- Yes. Lockin MCP is open source.
- Can I self-host Lockin MCP?
- Yes. Lockin MCP supports self-hosting on your own infrastructure.
- What platforms does Lockin MCP support?
- Lockin MCP is available on: macOS, Linux, Windows.
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Most focus blockers live inside a browser, which means a second browser is all it takes to route around them. LockIn MCP works differently: it edits the system hosts file so blocked domains resolve to localhost regardless of which browser, app, or tab you open. A background daemon keeps those blocks active across restarts, runs the countdown on timed temporary unblocks, and exposes four MCP tool functions — block_site, unblock_temp, focus_session, and get_status — that any compatible AI assistant can call on your behalf.
The differentiating mechanic is the MCP integration itself. Rather than a standalone app with its own interface, LockIn MCP turns your existing AI chat — Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, or Poke — into the control surface. You type a natural-language request, the assistant calls the appropriate function, and the block is in place at the OS level within the same conversation. The vendor also provides a stable relay URL so remote MCP connections authenticate without extra configuration.
This fits developers and knowledge workers who already live inside an AI chat window and want focus enforcement without switching to a separate app. The scope is narrow by design: system-level blocking on a single machine, managed through AI commands. It does not sync blocks across multiple machines, enforce rules at a team or organizational level, or provide usage analytics. Teams that need centralized policy management or cross-device coverage will find the single-machine, single-user architecture a hard limit rather than a starting point.
Installation runs via a single npx command — npx -y lockin-mcp install — which handles license verification, initial site selection, and MCP server connection. The vendor states blocks persist in the hosts file and temp-unblock timers stay active through the daemon after reboot. A Chrome extension is mentioned in the FAQ as an additional integration path, though the core blocking mechanism operates independently of any browser extension.