Best Pomodoro Apps Compared: 10 Timers for Focused Work

The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. It takes its name from the Italian word for tomato, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer Cirillo used. You work in short, timed sessions (traditionally 25 minutes), then take a short break.

Any timer will do, but a good Pomodoro app can switch between work and breaks for you, keep a record of your sessions and connect the timer to your task list. Below we compare ten Pomodoro apps that are still available today, what each one is best for, and where each falls short.

What is the best Pomodoro app? There’s no single best Pomodoro app; it depends on your devices and what else you need. Forest is best for staying off your phone, Toggl Track for tracking time across projects, Pomofocus for a free browser timer, and FocusCommit for combining Pomodoro, Kanban and GTD on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows.

Pomodoro apps compared

What makes a Pomodoro timer app great?

The appeal of the Pomodoro Technique is its simplicity. You don’t need special equipment; any analog or digital timer works. The best Pomodoro apps add a little on top of that without getting in the way.

A good Pomodoro app does more than your phone’s stopwatch. Depending on what you need, look for automatic switching between work sessions and breaks, a history of your sessions, or sync between your devices.

It should be easy to use. Starting a session should take one tap, not five. Plenty of timer apps are poorly designed or abandoned, so it pays to choose one that is still maintained.

It should fit the tools you already use. Most people combine the Pomodoro Technique with a to-do list and a calendar, so either pick a timer that works alongside them or an app that replaces them properly.

It should let you change the timings. Cirillo settled on 25-minute sessions with 5-minute breaks through trial and error; these are not magic numbers. I prefer 35-minute blocks for writing because it takes me a while to get into flow, and 15-minute blocks for routine admin work.

The 10 best Pomodoro apps

1. FocusCommit: best for combining Pomodoro with Kanban and GTD

FocusCommit is for people who want their timer, task board and to-do lists in one place instead of three apps. It runs on iOS, Android, macOS and Windows. (Full disclosure: FocusCommit is our app.)

You plan work on a Kanban board, which helps you see what’s in progress and limit how much you take on at once, then start a Pomodoro session on the task you’re working on. The app also supports a Getting Things Done (GTD) workflow, syncs with Microsoft To Do and Google Tasks, includes white noise to block out distractions, and shows statistics on your focus time.

There is also a Chrome extension, Pomodoro Timer for Google Calendar, that lets you start focus sessions from your calendar events.

Pricing: the free plan has a task limit. Premium costs $14.99 a year or $29.99 for a lifetime license when bought on the web, or $1.99 a month in the iOS, Android, Windows and Mac apps (as of October 2026).

Download FocusCommit for iOS, Android, Mac or Windows

The video below explains how the app works.

Pros of FocusCommit:

• Pomodoro timer, Kanban board and GTD lists in one app.
• Native apps for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows.
• Works with Microsoft To Do and Google Tasks, so you don’t have to move your tasks.

Cons of FocusCommit:

• The free plan limits the number of tasks.
• More than you need if you only want a bare timer.

2. Pomofocus: best free browser timer

Pomofocus suits anyone who wants a clean timer they can open in a browser tab without installing anything. It runs on the web, with downloadable apps for Mac, Windows and Linux.

You can add tasks with an estimate of how many Pomodoros each will take, and Pomofocus calculates when you’ll finish your list. The free version includes daily, weekly and monthly reports, up to three task templates, and custom work and break lengths, alarm sounds and background sounds. Premium adds project tracking, yearly reports, CSV export, Todoist and webhook integrations, unlimited templates and removes ads.

Pros of Pomofocus:

• Works instantly in any browser.
• The finish-time estimate makes it easy to see whether your plan for the day is realistic.

Cons of Pomofocus:

• The free version shows ads.
• No native mobile app is listed on its site; on a phone you use the website.

3. Forest: best for staying off your phone

Forest is for people whose main distraction is their phone. It turns focus time into a game: you plant a virtual tree when you start a session, and it grows while you work. Leave the app to check something else and the tree dies.

Forest is available on iPhone, iPad and Android, plus Chrome and Firefox browser extensions, and syncs your history across them. The free version includes the focus timer, Deep Focus app blocking and Plant Together for focusing with friends. The Plus subscription adds more tree species, soundscapes and advanced statistics. Forest also funds real tree planting through its partner Trees for the Future.

Pros of Forest:

• The tree concept is a simple, motivating reason not to pick up your phone.
• Deep Focus mode blocks distracting apps.

Cons of Forest:

• It’s a focus timer, not a task manager, so you’ll still need a separate to-do list.
• No desktop app; on a computer you use the browser extension.

4. Marinara Timer: best for shared team timers

Marinara Timer is a free web timer for people who want to run Pomodoros together with colleagues or classmates. There’s nothing to install.

The site offers three timers. Pomodoro runs the classic cycle: 25 minutes of work, a 5-minute break, and a 15-minute break after the fourth session. Custom lets you set any work and break lengths. Kitchen is a plain countdown.

Marinara’s standout feature is sharing. Each timer gets its own viewer link, so everyone on a team can follow the same countdown from different places, and a manage link lets you control the timer.

Pros of Marinara Timer:

• Shareable timers make it easy to focus together with a remote team.
• Custom and kitchen timers are useful beyond the Pomodoro Technique.

Cons of Marinara Timer:

• The design looks dated.
• Web only, with no task list or statistics.

5. Focus To-Do: best Pomodoro to-do list across devices

Focus To-Do is for people who want a Pomodoro timer and a to-do list in one app on almost every device: Android, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Windows and a Chrome extension.

Alongside the timer you get due dates, reminders, subtasks, recurring tasks and notes. Reports show how much time you spend on your work and how many tasks and projects you complete. Your data syncs across devices. The app is free to download, with in-app purchases for extra features.

Pros of Focus To-Do:

• Detailed statistics and reports help you see where your time goes.
• Syncs across a wide range of devices, including Windows and Apple Watch.

Cons of Focus To-Do:

• Reminders and notifications can feel intrusive until you adjust them.

6. Tomato: best free, open-source timer for Android

Tomato is a minimalist Pomodoro timer for Android users who want a modern app that is completely free. It replaces Clockwork Tomato, the long-time Android favorite that appeared in earlier versions of this list and is no longer available on Google Play.

Tomato is free and open source (GPL-3.0). It follows Google’s Material 3 Expressive design, lets you customize your timer, and shows statistics and graphs of your work or study time by day, week and month, including the hours you’re most productive. You can install it from Google Play or F-Droid, and the developer also offers a desktop version.

Pros of Tomato:

• Completely free and open source.
• Clean, modern interface with useful statistics.

Cons of Tomato:

• No iPhone app and no task management.

7. TickTick: best task manager with a built-in Pomodoro timer

TickTick is for people who want one app for tasks, calendar and focus sessions rather than a standalone timer. It is available on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and the web, with a browser extension.

TickTick is a full to-do list app with a Pomodoro focus timer built in. It also includes a habit tracker, calendar views, an Eisenhower matrix for prioritizing and Kanban-style boards. The free plan covers the basics; Premium unlocks more features.

Pros of TickTick:

• Tasks, calendar, habits and Pomodoro timer in one app.
• Available on every major platform, including Windows and Linux.

Cons of TickTick:

• The many features can feel like overkill if you only want a timer.

8. FocusList: best for planning your day in Pomodoros

FocusList suits Apple users who like to plan the whole day before they start. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch and is free on the App Store.

You write down the day’s tasks with an estimate for each, work through them in 25-minute sessions with 5-minute breaks, then review your statistics. The stats show how accurate your estimates were, how long each task took and the times of day you get the most done. You can also drill down into any past day to see what you completed.

Pros of FocusList:

• Combines timeboxing and the Pomodoro Technique in a simple daily plan.
• Estimate-versus-actual statistics help you plan more realistically.

Cons of FocusList:

• Apple devices only.
• Built for a single day’s plan, not for managing long-term projects.

9. Toggl Track: best for time tracking with a Pomodoro mode

Toggl Track is for freelancers and teams who need to know where their hours go, for example to bill clients, and who want Pomodoro sessions as part of that.

Toggl Track is easy to use: start a timer to track what you’re doing and assign it to a project or client now or later. The Pomodoro timer is a setting you switch on in the Windows and Mac desktop apps, the Chrome and Firefox extensions, and the iOS and Android apps. It isn’t available in the web app. There is a free plan, with paid tiers that add team, billing and reporting features.

Pros of Toggl Track:

• Pomodoro sessions sit alongside detailed time tracking and reports.
• Available on desktop, mobile and in the browser.

Cons of Toggl Track:

• More features than most people need for simple Pomodoro sessions.
• The Pomodoro timer is off by default and missing from the web app.

10. Focus Keeper: best simple timer for Apple devices

Focus Keeper is a straightforward, polished Pomodoro timer for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch users who don’t want a to-do list attached. It is free to download, with optional in-app purchases for Pro features.

You can adjust the length of focus sessions and breaks, and sessions move on automatically, so you don’t have to restart the timer each time. Charts track your productivity over time, app blocking helps you avoid distractions, and you can customize notification sounds and themes. The app also markets itself to people with ADHD who need help structuring their time.

Pros of Focus Keeper:

• Simple and focused on the Pomodoro Technique.
• Runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.

Cons of Focus Keeper:

• Task management is basic.
• Some features require a Pro upgrade.

Read more: productivity apps for students

Tips for using a Pomodoro timer app

Regular users of the technique tend to follow a few common habits:

• Pick the app that suits how you work, then stick with it for a few weeks.
• Write a to-do list and assign each task to one or more Pomodoros.
• Break big projects into steps you can finish in a single Pomodoro.
• Set a limit on how many Pomodoros a task may take.
• Group small tasks that take less than 25 minutes into one session.
• Use your first Pomodoro to plan the day, or your last one to prepare for tomorrow.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself when a session gets interrupted.

Final thoughts: which Pomodoro app should you choose?

Start with how you work. If your phone is the problem, try Forest. If you bill by the hour, Toggl Track records your time while you focus. If you only want a timer, Pomofocus, Marinara Timer, Tomato or Focus Keeper will do the job. If you want your timer connected to your tasks, look at Focus To-Do, TickTick or FocusCommit.

The app matters less than the habit. Whichever you choose, the best Pomodoro app is the one you’ll actually open every day.