Gamban Alternatives for Windows: Six Options and What Each Vendor Says

If you want an alternative to Gamban on a Windows PC, six products publish a Windows version: BetBlocker, GamBlock, OFFBET, DigitalZen, Cold Turkey, and GuardianBlock. They are not interchangeable. Each one prices differently, ends a block differently, and involves another person differently, so the right one depends on which of those matters most to you.

GuardianBlock publishes this page and is one of the six. Read it as one vendor's careful reading of the others, not as an independent review. Nothing is ranked, no winner is named, and in several situations below the honest fit is a product other than ours.

How this page was made: every vendor statement below was read on that vendor's own published pages on September 17, 2026. Nothing here was installed or tested, and nothing is scored. Where a vendor's pages say nothing on a point, that is written as not disclosed, never as missing from the product. Prices and policies move, so open the vendor's own page before you rely on any line of this one.

Who this page is for

• You had Gamban at no cost through TalkBanStop in the United Kingdom and want to know what changed.
• You are pricing Gamban against the other Windows options before you pay for a year of anything.
• You want a different arrangement from a fixed licence period: a password another person holds, a waiting period, or a person who decides each request.

This page is about Windows PCs. A program installed on Windows does not reach your phone. Gamban lists Android, iOS, and macOS apps beside its Windows one, and GuardianBlock has no phone app, so if the pull is on your phone, plan that device separately. Our guide to blocking gambling apps on iPhone covers that side, and the wider guide to blocking gambling sites on Windows covers free filters and browser extensions that this page leaves out.

What Gamban says about itself

An alternative is easier to judge once the starting point is clear. This is what Gamban's own pages said on September 17, 2026, in the same fields used for every product further down.

• Windows and installing. Gamban's Windows install guide says “Windows 7 or later,” while its apps page says “Windows Vista SP2 and newer.” The guide says to run the installer with administrator rights and that “Gamban cannot be installed if other blocking tools are present.”
• Price. Gamban's March 31, 2026 post gives a United Kingdom price of “£4.99 a month or £29.99 a year.” Its pricing page is served by region: on September 17, 2026, the Canadian storefront showed 9.99 monthly or 59.99 annually, with the currency marked as CAD in the page data and not beside the number. It lists a 7-day free trial, and the knowledge base says there are no differences between paid and trial accounts. Check the amount Gamban shows you in your own country.
• How a block ends. The knowledge base says installations are final for the licence period and that the software is removed from the device when that period ends, with no action needed from you. A separate article says Gamban is “not able to remove Gamban from your device for you.”
• Another person. Gamban says its software “doesn't include password protection,” and that other people on your network “will not be able to see that you have Gamban installed on your devices.” An approving person or a waiting period is not disclosed on the pages read.
• DNS and VPN. Gamban describes a “multi-layered” approach and does not publish the method it uses on Windows. Its licence agreement, last updated July 20, 2026, says that using a VPN, proxy, or similar technology alongside it “may reduce the effectiveness or stability of the Software.” That is the vendor's written statement about its own product, not a test result.
• Browsers and what is blocked. No supported-browser list is published on the pages read. The category list is fixed, in Gamban's words “It is not possible to choose which content is blocked,” and it includes prediction markets.
• Data. The privacy policy, last updated July 9, 2026, lists “gambling addiction status (inferred from installation and use of Gamban's blocking software)” as special category data, and says “We do not use analytics, advertising or tracking cookies.” A retention period is not published.
• Its own hedge. On coverage: “new sites appear every day and occasionally some may be missed.” On removal, the licence agreement says the software is designed to be difficult to remove and that Gamban “cannot guarantee that the Software is impossible to uninstall.”

What changed with TalkBanStop

TalkBanStop was a United Kingdom partnership that gave people Gamban at no cost. Gamban's own post says it “comes to an end on 31st March 2026, meaning that Gamban will move to a subscription service in England and Scotland. Gamban will still be available for free in Wales.” A second Gamban page gives the same date, and the partner sign-up link some people still have saved now reads “This link is no longer valid.”

If your free licence came through TalkBanStop, Gamban says its “blocking will last until the end of your selected duration.” So an existing licence keeps running; what changed is the cost of the next one.

Charity pages have moved with it. On September 17, 2026, GambleAware's blocking page described Gamban as “a seven-day free trial, followed by a monthly or yearly paid subscription” and BetBlocker as “a free app.” GamCare's blocking-software page, modified June 8, 2026, lists BetBlocker, Gamblock, Gamban, and Netnanny as examples and says “Some of these are available for free, some might ask you to pay.” Some older guides still describe the free route in the present tense, so check the date on anything you read.

The Wales statement is Gamban's own. We found no government or charity page that repeats it, so if you live in Wales, confirm the current arrangement with Gamban before relying on it.

How to read the six entries

Each entry below uses the same eight fields, in the same order, and the fields were fixed before the entries were filled in. They are the things a vendor's own pages can answer: which Windows it names and what installing needs, what it costs and in which currency, how a block ends, whether another person is involved, what it says about DNS and VPNs, which browsers and categories it names, what data it says it collects, and the hedge it puts on its own promise.

Some things are deliberately absent. There is no column for how hard a product is to remove, how many sites it blocks, or how well it works, because nothing here was tested and a vendor's marketing is not a measurement. Two of the six, DigitalZen and Cold Turkey, are general distraction blockers and not gambling-specific tools, and their entries say so.

BetBlocker: free, anonymous, and run by a charity

• Windows and installing. BetBlocker publishes a Windows app. A Windows version number and what installing requires are not disclosed on the pages read.
• Price. Free. Asked what it costs, the BetBlocker FAQ answers “Absolutely nothing. Ever.” Every page carries its registration as a charity in Scotland, number SC049565. There is no account: “You do not need to give us any information about you. This service can be used anonymously.”
• How a block ends. You choose a period from one day to five years, and the FAQ says “Once a gambling restriction has begun, it cannot be lifted before the end of the selected restriction period.” Periods of two months or longer continue until you deactivate them, and a deactivation request then runs “one further week,” which BetBlocker calls a Cooling Off Period. Its support team “cannot assist with removing or bypassing an active restriction.”
• Another person. The self-restriction involves nobody else. A separate Parental Control mode uses a password, and the person holding that password can turn that mode off. A notification to another person, or a person who approves a request, is not disclosed on the pages read.
• DNS and VPN. The desktop block types page offers three choices: a Local Block enforced inside your machine, a VPN Server Block that “is enforced externally to your machine, via our VPN,” or both together. BetBlocker says the VPN option does not work on some wifi networks and can cut off local devices such as printers. Which machine settings the Local Block changes is not disclosed.
• Browsers and what is blocked. No browser is named on the pages read. Gambling is the product's stated purpose.
• Data. The privacy policy, last updated February 27, 2026, says the app gathers the type and length of block you select, your geographic location, and your language, and that “Individual users cannot be identified via the above data.” For website visitors it lists items including IP address.
• Its own hedge. About the Local Block: “This type of block can be easier to bypass if you are tech savvy.”

GamBlock: a yearly licence with a password set at install

• Windows and installing. A Windows version number is not disclosed on the pages read. The Windows Personal agreement says it “will not install on a system managed by a System Administrator, such as a work laptop / computer, that does not give full install / administrator permissions to the person installing GamBlock®.”
• Price. On September 17, 2026, the download and pricing page listed Windows Personal at US$134.95, US$141.95, or US$190.95 for one computer for 12 months, depending on the tier, and 12 months is the shortest term offered. GamBlock says it “does not offer an evaluation version,” and explains on a separate page why it does not offer refunds.
• How a block ends. The Windows Personal agreement says GamBlock “is not obliged to remove GamBlock® from a Customer's operating system upon request by the Customer.” When a protection period ends, “a ‘Remove’ button will appear when the PC is started.”
• Another person. A password is created during installation, and the installation page says the person installing “can choose to protect themself or another person.” It also says GamBlock “will not release passwords or change installation choices upon request under any circumstances.” A notification to another person is not disclosed on the pages read.
• DNS and VPN. The product overview states that GamBlock does not use VPNs and that it is not a simple DNS blocker. Other GamBlock pages word the VPN point differently, so this entry quotes the overview alone. The layer it does use on Windows is not disclosed.
• Browsers and what is blocked. GamBlock's browser question names Edge, Chrome, and Firefox. Gambling is the product's stated purpose.
• Data. The privacy statement does not list what data is collected and carries no date.
• Its own hedge. No hedge about removal or coverage was found on the pages read. GamBlock's wording on removal is absolute, and this page does not restate it.

OFFBET: a DNS-layer blocker with a PIN and email alerts

• Windows and installing. The OFFBET Windows page lists “Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit).” Whether installing needs administrator rights is not disclosed on the pages read.
• Price. OFFBET advertises pricing that varies by country. On September 17, 2026, the Canadian storefront of its pricing page showed 7.49 monthly or 44.99 annually, with the currency marked as CAD in the page data, and a 3-day trial with no card. Check the amount shown in your own country.
• How a block ends. A PIN protects uninstalling, and the support page sets out three arrangements chosen at setup: a trusted contact who holds the PIN, a cooldown of 12, 24, or 48 hours before a replacement code arrives, or a Lifetime lock it describes as “No PIN can ever be sent.” OFFBET's pages are not consistent about whether any reset exists for the Lifetime option, so ask OFFBET before choosing it.
• Another person. Besides the trusted-contact PIN, the Companion tier sends email alerts to up to three people: “Your partner just reads emails.” No approval step is described. The Companion FAQ says an alert carries the event type, the time, and your given name, with “No URLs, no browsing history”; the sample alert pictured on the same page shows a site name, so ask which is current.
• DNS and VPN. OFFBET says its Windows service “runs a local DNS resolver right on your PC,” switches Secure DNS off in browsers and in Windows, resets a changed DNS setting, and blocks about twenty consumer VPN apps while protection is on, while “a work or company VPN keeps working.” Those are the vendor's statements. How it tells a work VPN from a consumer one is not disclosed.
• Browsers and what is blocked. No browser list is published, since OFFBET describes its filter as working at the DNS layer and not inside a browser. Gambling is the product's stated purpose.
• Data. The privacy policy, last updated September 4, 2026, lists email address, display name, country, IP address, and usage logs. It has no section describing the Windows product.
• Its own hedge. The terms of use, last updated September 4, 2026, say “No guarantee against every possible bypass,” in a clause written around its Android app.

DigitalZen: a general blocker with a gambling category

• Windows and installing. The DigitalZen Windows page names Windows 10 and 11 and says “No admin rights required for daily use.” What the installer itself needs is not disclosed on the pages read.
• Price. The pricing page lists a free Basic plan, Premium at $3 a month billed annually, and a one-time plan at $119, shown beside higher struck-through prices of $5 and $199. No currency code appears on the page. Its terms say “Lifetime” refers to the duration of the right to access DigitalZen and is not a promise of lifetime maintenance, support, updates, or compatibility. They give a 30-day refund. A trial length is not disclosed.
• How a block ends. The Windows page says there are six lock types and names five: code, cooldown, friend approval, schedule, and money fine.
• Another person. “Friend approval” is listed as a lock type, and DigitalZen's pages do not describe how it works, who the friend is, or what they see. So approval by another person is listed by more than one vendor on this page.
• DNS and VPN. A DigitalZen blog post argues for moving “away from DNS-based blocking” and enforcing “at the browser and application layers.” Its pages do not address VPN use.
• Browsers and what is blocked. It names Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, and Opera. Gambling appears once, as one of three example categories: “Block by category: gambling, adult content, social media.” This is a general distraction blocker, and no gambling list size, source, or update schedule is disclosed.
• Data. The privacy policy, last updated June 29, 2026, covers the website, desktop app, and browser extensions, describes usage analytics and server logs with IP addresses, and says “you are welcome to use a fake name.”
• Its own hedge. The DigitalZen FAQ calls the product a “coach, not a prison guard” and “a speed bump big enough to save you from your own impulses.”

Cold Turkey: a focus blocker you pay for once

• Windows and installing. The system requirements page lists Windows 11, 10, 8.1, and 7 SP1. Asked whether admin rights are needed, it answers “Yes, there's no way around this.”
• Price. Cold Turkey sells Blocker Pro as a one-time purchase with a free version, a 7-day Pro trial, and a 30-day refund. The amount is filled in by its checkout provider and is not in the vendor's own page, so no figure is quoted here.
• How a block ends. The user guide lists several lock types. The Timer lock “Prevents changes until a specified time in the future. You can extend the lock during a locked session if needed.” The same guide describes a Pause for a Cause feature on the block page that lets you “donate to charity for a 10 minute break,” and a setting that takes that option away.
• Another person. The paid version adds a Password lock the guide calls “a useful feature for parents or someone with an accountability partner.” No further partner workflow, notification, or approval step is described.
• DNS and VPN. Not disclosed on the pages read.
• Browsers and what is blocked. The requirements page lists more than twenty Windows browsers, counting preview channels separately. Gambling appears once, as the goal “Avoid gambling” in a list of personal goals. The pages read describe no gambling category and no supplied gambling list, so the sites to block are ones you add.
• Data. The privacy policy, effective September 6, 2020, describes website analytics and product-key activation counts, and says block settings and statistics are not collected.
• Its own hedge. No dated hedge about removal or coverage was found; the terms page carries no date.

GuardianBlock: a person you choose approves each exit

This is our product, so this entry is a vendor describing itself, held to the same fields.

• Windows and installing. An eligible personal, unmanaged Windows 11 Home or Pro x64 PC. It does not support Windows 10, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, ARM64, shared computers, or employer, school, domain, MDM, or IT-managed devices. The system requirements page has the detail.
• Price. USD $8/month, billed monthly, cancel anytime, or USD $80/year, billed yearly up front and not refunded on early cancellation, for one protected adult, one accountability partner, and up to three eligible personal Windows 11 devices, with no free tier.
• How a block ends. Turning protection off follows a supported path: Keyholder approval, a 24-hour cooling-off period, a signed single-use authorization, and the local uninstall. The install and uninstall page describes it.
• Another person. Required. Your keyholder, the accountability partner you choose, approves or denies each sensitive change from their own signed-in account with multi-factor authentication. There is no password for them to hold. They hear when protection is paused, removed, interfered with, or goes quiet, and never what you were browsing. A reviewed recovery path covers an unavailable or abusive keyholder, account loss, and related safety cases.
• DNS and VPN. GuardianBlock works at the browser and device layer: supported-browser policy, browser extensions, and a local Windows service. The network settings it leaves alone are listed on the no DNS, VPN, or firewall blocking page. That boundary does not imply compatibility with an employer setup, VPN, proxy, managed device, or network.
• Browsers and what is blocked. Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, with private-browsing differences explained on the browser support page. Gambling is the product's purpose.
• Data. It collects device and enforcement information such as policy and agent versions, browser-coverage status, and tamper or integrity signals, plus what is needed to run your account and your accountability-partner relationship. It does not collect page titles, browsing URL paths, full browsing history, screenshots, keystrokes, or a feed of every blocked attempt. The privacy summary sets out the rest.
• Its own hedge. GuardianBlock is not therapy, medical treatment, crisis support, or a guarantee. The limitations page lists what it does not cover.

Who should pick which

Start from the constraint that actually applies to you. These are fits, not rankings, and several of them point away from GuardianBlock.

• You want it free, with no account: BetBlocker says it costs nothing and can be used anonymously. DigitalZen and Cold Turkey also publish free versions, as general blockers.
• You liked Gamban's model and mainly want to stop paying for it: BetBlocker is the closest published match, a fixed period that its support team does not lift early, with nobody else involved.
• You want to stay with Gamban: that is a reasonable choice. Read its current price in your country and its 7-day trial, and if you live in Wales, ask Gamban about the free route.
• You also need your phone or a Mac covered: Gamban lists apps for both, BetBlocker's desktop page names Apple and Linux computers as well as Windows, and GuardianBlock covers neither.
• You are on Windows 10: DigitalZen, OFFBET, and Cold Turkey each name Windows 10, and Gamban's guide says Windows 7 or later. GuardianBlock does not support Windows 10.
• You want someone else to hold a password: GamBlock sets one at installation and says it does not release it. OFFBET's trusted-contact PIN and Cold Turkey's paid Password lock are the other published versions.
• You want a waiting period and nobody else involved: OFFBET documents a 12, 24, or 48-hour cooldown, and BetBlocker documents its one-week Cooling Off Period on longer restrictions.
• You want someone told, but not deciding: OFFBET's Companion tier emails up to three people and describes no approval step.
• You want a general focus tool you pay for once, and you are willing to enter gambling sites yourself: Cold Turkey.
• You want a person to approve or deny each exit, on a personal Windows 11 PC, and you have an adult willing to take that role: that is what GuardianBlock is built for, and how gambling blockers lock explains how that differs from a held password.
• The computer belongs to an employer or school: GamBlock says it does not install on a managed system without full permissions, and GuardianBlock does not support managed devices. Ask the IT team before installing any of these, and read gambling blockers without a VPN or DNS for why the network layer matters there.

Whichever you shortlist, the longer checklist in questions to ask before you trust a gambling blocker is worth ten minutes before you pay for a year.

The limits of every product here, ours included

Blocking software makes gambling harder to reach. It is not treatment. A 2026 peer-reviewed paper says so directly: blocking software “is not a treatment for gambling disorder; it is a harm reduction tool.” In that paper's survey of 156 people using one free blocker, 39% said they had gambled anyway, on sites the software did not block or by getting around it. The authors note that fewer than 2% of that product's users answered and that the design cannot show cause, so treat the number as a caution about blockers in general, not as a score for any product. We have no reason to think people using GuardianBlock would answer differently.

Respondents to a Gambling Commission call for evidence told the regulator that blocking software “is most useful in conjunction with other support such as treatment and self-exclusion.” A blocker sits beside those, and self-exclusion versus device blocking explains how the two differ.

GuardianBlock's own limits are plain. It runs on eligible personal, unmanaged Windows 11 Home or Pro PCs and nowhere else. It works in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. It needs a second adult who is willing to be your keyholder, and a refusal from them is a real refusal. It costs money and has no free tier. It does not cover your phone, and it is not a guarantee.

How this page was made, and who keeps it current

GuardianBlock wrote and published this page, and GuardianBlock sells one of the products on it. Every vendor fact comes from that vendor's own website, read on September 17, 2026, and each numbered source below carries the page's own date where it publishes one. No review site, listicle, or one vendor's page about another was used as a source for a vendor fact. No software was downloaded, installed, run, or tested.

Ryan, GuardianBlock's founder, is responsible for keeping this page current. It is rechecked against the vendors' pages about every 30 days, and the date at the top changes when it is. Prices, regional programmes, and charity listings change fastest. If you work for one of these vendors and something here is out of date, tell us and it will be corrected.