Flow vs HazeOver

Flow

• People who work only on Apple devices and want one timer across them
• A Pomodoro timer that needs no account and shows no ads
• Mac users who run their tools from Alfred or Raycast

HazeOver

• Large or multiple displays, where the active window is easy to lose
• Cutting glare from bright background windows, especially in Dark Mode
• Cleaner screenshots and screen recordings with the background dimmed
• Mac users who automate their setup with Shortcuts or Focus modes

Flow

• Apple platforms only: Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision. There is no Windows, Android or web version.
• App and web blocking, custom durations, session titles, timer sync and Apple Calendar sync all need Pro.
• Flow notes that App Store prices vary by country; the figures here are from the US App Store.
• Organizations buying in volume use a separate app, Flow Pro: Schools & Businesses, which Yugen enables per organization on request.

HazeOver

• Mac only: the current version needs macOS Ventura 13 or later, with older builds offered for earlier systems.
• It only dims background windows; it does not block apps or websites or time work sessions.
• There is no free plan, and the site does not say how long the free trial lasts.
• When every window of the current app is closed or minimized, the whole screen dims until you switch to another app.

Flow

Interval timer with breaks

Work is divided into short focus intervals with recurring breaks, following the Pomodoro method, and notifications mark the end of each one.

App and web blocker

Blocks chosen apps and websites during focus sessions. It is a Pro feature, as are Commitment Mode and the fullscreen break.

Statistics and export

Totals of completed sessions by day, week, month and year. Pro adds timesheet export and syncing sessions to Apple Calendar.

Timer sync between devices

With Pro, the running timer and its session settings stay in step across iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to the same iCloud account, without a Flow account.

Lock screen, widgets and watch

Live Activities and the Dynamic Island show the timer on iPhone, alongside home and lock screen widgets and an Apple Watch app.

Alfred and Raycast control

An Alfred workflow from Yugen covers Flow's controls, such as pausing the timer and skipping or resetting a session, and a community member maintains a Raycast extension.

HazeOver

Automatic window dimming

HazeOver highlights the frontmost window or app as you switch and fades everything behind it. The desktop is revealed automatically when you use it.

Adjustable intensity and color

Dimming runs from a light shade to a fully opaque background, with a custom color and a fade lasting up to 5 seconds. Scrolling over the menu bar icon changes the intensity.

Multiple display modes

It can highlight the front window on each connected screen or dim the displays without keyboard focus, and dimming can be turned off for a specific display.

Light and Dark appearance settings

Separate dimming settings are saved for the Light and Dark system appearance, so dimming can switch on, or change strength, along with Dark Mode.

Shortcuts, Focus filters and AppleScript

Dimming state and settings can be automated with the Shortcuts app, Focus filters that revert when a Focus mode ends, and AppleScript. A Raycast extension adds quick commands.

Quick toggles

A keyboard shortcut or a double-click on the menu bar icon turns dimming on or off, and holding the Fn key pauses it while you drag between apps.

Flow

• Free$0

  Interval-based focus timer, a set of duration options, statistics and graphs, break reminders and iCloud sync of statistics.

• Pro (yearly)$17.99

  per year, US App Store; shown on the site as $1.49 / month

  Timer sync, custom session titles and cycles, fully custom durations, app and web blocking, Apple Calendar sync and export.

• Pro (monthly)$2.99

  per month, US App Store in-app purchase

  The same Pro features paid month to month. The pricing page labels yearly billing as 50% cheaper.

• Lifetime Pro Access$39.99

  one-time purchase, US App Store

  Pro features for a single payment instead of a subscription.

• Schools & BusinessesCustom

  Volume pricing and organization-wide distribution of Flow Pro through Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager, arranged by contacting Yugen.

HazeOver

• HazeOver$4.99

  one-time purchase

  A license from the vendor's store at $4.99 USD, or the app on the US Mac App Store at the same price. Optional tips of $5, $7 or $15 can be added at checkout.

Flow

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing is 50% cheaper than monthly

  Flow's pricing page labels the yearly option "-50%". The US App Store lists Pro at $17.99 a year against $2.99 a month, which comes to $35.88 over twelve months.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Pro Access for a one-time payment

  The US App Store lists a Lifetime Pro Access in-app purchase at $39.99, paid once instead of a subscription.

• Other savings

  Volume pricing for schools and businesses

  The pricing page offers volume pricing and organization-wide distribution of Flow Pro through Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager.

HazeOver

• Education

  Student discount

  The buy page says HazeOver is available with a student discount and links to Student App Centre for it. The page does not state the amount.

• Other savings

  Also available through Setapp

  The buy page says HazeOver is available to Setapp subscribers, and the download page lists a Setapp Subscription option next to the Mac App Store and direct download.