Best new focus, writing, automation and forms resources: 14 October

14 October brought one of the biggest batches of additions so far, all part of a push to add free alternatives to popular paid tools. From that day, I've picked four groups: tools for blocking distractions and staying focused, writing and grammar checkers, automation tools that connect your apps, and form and survey builders. Features and pricing change, so check each tool's own page before you commit.

Blocking distractions and staying focused

LeechBlock NG is a free, open-source browser extension that blocks the websites that eat your time. You can group sites into up to 30 block sets, each with its own rules: fixed hours, a few minutes per hour, or an immediate lock for a set time. It works in Firefox, Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers. It only blocks websites, not apps, and you can remove it like any extension.

SelfControl is a free, open-source Mac app that blocks your own access to distracting websites, mail servers or other internet services for a set time. Once you press Start, there's no going back. The block holds until the timer runs out, even if you restart your computer or delete the app. So set that timer carefully.

Flow Club runs live virtual coworking sessions of 30 minutes to 3 hours for up to 9 people. Each one opens with a check-in and closes with a progress share. You can join with your camera on or off, and there are chat-only sessions too. It's a paid subscription after a free trial, and sessions run at set times.

Writing and grammar help

LanguageTool checks grammar, spelling, punctuation and style in more than 30 languages. It works in browsers, Google Docs, Word, email apps and its own apps for macOS, Windows and iOS. The free plan checks shorter texts and includes a few AI rephrasings a day. Harper does things differently. It's a free, open-source English grammar checker that runs entirely on your own device, with no cloud, telemetry or large language model, and it comes as a Mac app, browser extensions and editor plugins. It's English only, and it doesn't rewrite for tone.

Hemingway Editor highlights long sentences, passive voice and other habits that make writing hard to read, so you can simplify it yourself. The free web editor can't save or export, and AI fixes need the paid Plus plan. ProWritingAid adds style and line-editing reports aimed at fiction and long-form writing, with two free reports a day on up to 500 words.

Wordtune and QuillBot are all about rewording. Wordtune suggests clearer, shorter or more formal versions of a sentence, with 10 free rewrites a day. QuillBot paraphrases up to 125 words at a time on the free plan, checks grammar and summarises long texts. Its plagiarism checker is kept for Premium.

Connecting your apps with automation

IFTTT connects apps, web services and smart home devices with simple if-this-then-that Applets. The free plan includes 2 Applets, and it isn't built for complex multi-step business workflows. Activepieces is an open-source alternative to Zapier for automated flows and AI agents. It has a free cloud plan of 1,000 credits a month and a self-hostable Community Edition under the MIT licence.

Pipedream is aimed at developers. It mixes ready-made actions with your own code steps across more than 3,000 connectors. There's a free plan, and paid plans jump to $99 a month billed annually. Node-RED is a free, open-source flow-based tool from the OpenJS Foundation for event-driven automation, anything from home automation to industrial control. It runs locally, in Docker or on a Raspberry Pi. Huginn is a free, self-hosted system of agents that watch websites, read feeds and trigger actions on your own server. Both Node-RED and Huginn need some technical setup, and Huginn is maintained by volunteers in their spare time.

Building forms and surveys

Google Forms and Microsoft Forms are both free with a personal account. They cover surveys, quizzes and sign-up forms, and send results to Google Sheets or Excel respectively. Both are simpler in design than dedicated form builders, and some Microsoft Forms extras need a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Jotform adds payment forms, e-signature documents and a large template library. Its free plan allows 5 active forms and 100 submissions a month, with Jotform branding. Fillout's free plan includes unlimited forms and seats with 1,000 responses a month, and it connects directly to Airtable, Notion, Google Sheets and other tools. Formbricks is an open-source survey platform for link, website and in-app surveys. You can self-host it under AGPLv3 or use the free cloud plan, capped at 250 responses a month.

That's just a slice of what's been added recently. Browse the full directory to filter by category, type, pricing and goal, and find the right fit for your work.