Flow Club vs Focusmate

Flow Club

• Remote workers and students who focus better with other people present
• People with ADHD who rely on body doubling
• Anyone who needs an appointment and an audience to start a task

Focusmate

• People who start tasks more easily with someone else present
• Remote workers and students who put work off when alone
• Body doubling on a schedule, including for members with ADHD

Flow Club

• There is no free plan: after the 7-day trial, membership is $40 a month or $400 a year.
• Sessions are video calls in a web browser, joined from a computer; the pages read mention no mobile app.
• Hosts are volunteer members rather than paid coaches, and sessions are capped at 9 people.
• Discounts do not stack: a student or non-profit discount rules out the host incentive.

Focusmate

• The free plan is limited to 3 sessions per week; unlimited sessions need Plus.
• A camera is required and has to stay on for the whole session.
• There is no native app. On a phone or tablet it runs in the browser and can be added to the home screen.
• Business pricing is not published; the pricing page links to an inquiry form.

Flow Club

Hosted coworking sessions

Live video sessions of 30 minutes to 3 hours with up to 9 people, each led by a volunteer host from the community.

Goal check-in and debrief

Every session opens with each person saying what they will work on and closes with a round on how it went, which creates accountability to the group.

Shared timer and task lists

A session agenda, the timer and everyone's tasks stay visible during the muted work segment, and unfinished tasks can be carried into the next session.

Focus music from the host

The host plays music during the work segment. Listening is optional, and hosts can share their playlists.

Chat-only sessions

Non-verbal sessions run the check-ins in chat, for members who would rather not speak.

Around-the-clock schedule

More than 2,500 sessions run each week. Booking one sends an email and calendar invitation, and Google Calendar can be connected to manage bookings.

Focusmate

25, 50 and 75-minute sessions

Book a session for a time you choose and Focusmate matches you with a partner. It says over 99% of bookings are matched; if one is not, the next slot is 15 minutes later.

Favorite partners

Star a partner you worked well with, or a friend, to make it easy to book sessions with that person again instead of a random match.

Task modes

Mark a session as Desk, Moving or Anything, so a partner knows whether you will be at a computer or doing something like cooking or cleaning.

Quiet Mode and session chat

Quiet Mode tells your partner you cannot use a microphone, for libraries and shared offices. Goals and progress go in the in-session text chat instead.

Video in the browser

Sessions run on Focusmate's own video, with virtual backgrounds, screen sharing and picture-in-picture, so no separate video call app is needed.

Calendar invites

Each booking sends a calendar invite, which Focusmate says works with Apple, Google and Outlook calendars. There is also a Google Calendar integration.

Flow Club

• Monthly$40

  per month, billed monthly

  Membership with no attendance limit across more than 2,500 live coworking sessions a week.

• Yearly$400

  per year ($33.33 / month), billed annually

  The same membership billed once a year, which saves $80 against twelve monthly payments.

Focusmate

• Free$0

  3 sessions per week, with no credit card required.

• Plus$8

  per month, billed annually; $12 billed monthly

  Unlimited sessions. The pricing page notes that taxes may be added at checkout.

• BusinessCustom

  For enterprises, small businesses and learning communities. No price is listed; the page links to more information and an inquiry form.

Flow Club

• Annual discount

  Save $80 with the yearly plan

  Flow Club is $400 for the year against $40 a month, which the vendor states as a saving of $80, or 17%.

• Education

  50% off for full-time students

  Full-time students can apply through a form for 50% off a monthly or yearly subscription.

• Nonprofit

  50% off for non-profit workers

  People who work at a non-profit can email Flow Club with proof for a code worth 50% off a monthly or yearly membership.

• Other savings

  50% off for hosting 10 sessions a month

  Members who host 10 or more public sessions in a calendar month get the next month at half price, $20 instead of $40. Yearly members accrue the credit for renewal.

Focusmate

• Annual discount

  Annual billing costs a third less than monthly

  Plus is $8 a month when billed annually and $12 a month when billed monthly, which works out to about 33% less over a year.

• Other savings

  Help for people who cannot afford Plus

  The pricing FAQ invites anyone who cannot afford the full price of Plus to contact the company. It does not state an amount or eligibility rules.