Flow vs Pomofocus

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

Pomofocus

• People who want a Pomodoro timer that opens in a browser tab
• Planning a day's tasks in pomodoros with an estimated finish time
• Todoist users who want to run their tasks through a timer

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.

Pomofocus

• The free version shows ads and stops at 3 templates; projects, yearly reports and report downloads need Premium.
• Todoist import and webhook connections are Premium features.
• No native phone app is listed: on a phone it runs in the browser, and the Mobile Alarm sound is not supported on iOS.
• The site warns that the Windows download is not signed with a developer certificate, so Windows shows a safety warning.

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.

Pomofocus

Adjustable Pomodoro timer

Set the length of the pomodoro, short break and long break, choose how many rounds come before a long break, and have breaks or pomodoros start automatically.

Tasks with estimates

Add the day's tasks, estimate the pomodoros each will take and pick one to work on. The app shows an estimated finish time for the list.

Templates

Save a set of repeated tasks as a template and add it in one click. The free version keeps up to 3 templates.

Reports

Charts show focused time by day, week and month. Premium adds yearly reports, a CSV download of focus history and time tracked per project.

Todoist import and webhooks

Premium can load tasks from a Todoist account, with checked and unchecked states synced both ways, and call webhooks for services such as Zapier and IFTTT.

Mobile Alarm

A registered phone can receive the alarm with its screen off, including when the timer is running on a computer. It needs an account and a home screen shortcut.

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.

Pomofocus

• Free$0

  Timer, tasks with pomodoro estimates, up to 3 templates, daily, weekly and monthly reports, and custom settings, with ads.

• Premium (monthly)$3

  per month

  Projects, yearly reports, report download, unlimited templates, Todoist import, webhooks and no ads.

• Premium (yearly)$18

  per year

  The same Premium features billed once a year; the subscription renews until cancelled.

• Premium (lifetime)$54

  one-time purchase

  Premium features for a single payment, listed in the app as including future updates.

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.

Pomofocus

• Annual discount

  Yearly Premium costs half of paying monthly

  The app lists Premium at $18 a year against $3 a month, which comes to $36 over twelve months.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Premium for a one-time payment

  The app's plan list includes a Lifetime option at $54, paid once, alongside the monthly and yearly subscriptions.