Flow vs Session
We give Flow a 3.6 GPA and Session a 3.2, out of 4.0. Flow grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Flow
Minimal Pomodoro timer for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Session
Pomodoro focus timer with analytics for Mac, iPhone and iPad
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAFlowExcellent | 3.2GPASessionVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $17.99 a year on the US App Store, which Flow's site shows as $1.49 a month. That's about as cheap as paid focus apps get. Lifetime is $39.99 if you'd rather pay once. | BPro is $39.99 a year, which works out at $3.33 a month, or $4.99 if you pay monthly. That's on the cheaper side of typical for a focus app, not a steal. Students can ask for 30% off for one year. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe timer, break reminders, stats and graphs are free for good, with no ads and no account. Most people could stop here. Fully custom durations and blocking are the Pro bits. | BUnlimited sessions and breaks, and your calendar events show in the app. But analytics only go back 2 days, and you can't set your own session or break lengths without Pro. You do get 7 days of Pro free when you make an account, with no subscription started. |
| Features | ATimed work rounds with breaks, stats by day, week, month and year, and a blocker for apps and websites in Pro. It shows on your lock screen and Apple Watch, syncs sessions to Apple Calendar, and takes orders from Alfred. | ATimed sessions filed by category, a full session log, app and website blocking, and a Slack status that changes when the timer starts. It can add finished sessions to Apple Calendar and takes orders from Shortcuts and AppleScript. One gap: the blocker is Mac only. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 1,800 App Store ratings. No sign-up and nothing to set up: open it and start a round. | A4.8 from about 360 App Store ratings. Start a session, pick a category, and it asks what you learned when the timer ends. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision, with hooks into Apple Calendar, Alfred and Raycast. All Apple, though. There's no Windows, Android or web version. | CMac, iPhone and iPad, with Slack, Apple Calendar, Shortcuts and AppleScript hooked in. All Apple, though. No Windows, Android or web version is listed. |
| Best for | a clean Pomodoro timer across Apple devices | a Pomodoro timer that logs where your focus went |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Flow and Session. How we grade
Where they differ
- Flow starts at $17.99 / year ($1.49 / month), or $2.99 monthly (US App Store). Session starts at $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99).
- Flow can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Flow also covers menu bar app.
- Session also covers time tracking.
At a glance
| Flow | Session | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $17.99 / year ($1.49 / month), or $2.99 monthly (US App Store) | $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99) |
| Free plan | Interval-based focus timer, preset duration options, statistics and graphs, short-break reminders and iCloud sync of statistics, with no ads and no sign-up. | Unlimited sessions and breaks, analytics for the past 2 days, and your calendar events shown inside Session. |
| Free trial | Pro's button on the pricing page reads "Try for free"; no trial length is stated | 7 days of Pro free on creating an account, with no subscription started |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Yugen GmbH | Translucent LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | stayinsession.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Session
- Mac and iPhone users who work in Pomodoro intervals
- People who want a record of focused time by category or client
- Students, who can ask for 30% off for one year
Worth knowing
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.
Session
- Apple platforms only: macOS, iOS and iPadOS. No Windows, Android or web version is listed.
- The free plan shows analytics for the past 2 days only, and custom session and break lengths need Pro.
- Blocking needs Pro, and the pricing page lists website and app blocking as Mac only.
- Real-time device sync, Slack muting and Apple Calendar event creation are Pro features.
Key features
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.
Session
- Pomodoro sessions
- Work in 25-minute sessions separated by breaks. Setting your own session and break lengths needs Pro.
- Focus analytics by category
- Tracks how long you focus on each category, such as writing, coding or a client. Free shows the past 2 days and Pro opens the full session log.
- App and website blocking on Mac
- Pro blocks the apps and websites you choose while a session runs. Website blocking works in Safari, Chrome, Brave and Microsoft Edge.
- Calendar events
- Every plan shows your calendar events inside Session. Pro can also create an Apple Calendar event automatically when a session finishes.
- Slack status
- Pro updates your Slack status when the timer starts and restores it when the timer ends.
- Device sync and automation
- Pro syncs in real time, so a session started on a Mac can be ended on iOS, and adds automation through AppleScript on macOS and Apple Shortcuts on iOS.
Plans
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.
Session
Free$0
Unlimited sessions and breaks, analytics for the past 2 days, and calendar events shown in the app.
Pro Yearly$3.33
per month, billed yearly ($39.99)
Custom session and break lengths, full session log, Mac app and website blocking, Slack muting, device sync and automation.
Pro Monthly$4.99
per month, billed monthly
The same Pro features paid month to month. The vendor notes that prices differ slightly by region.
Ways to pay less
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.
Session
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs about a third less
Pro is $39.99 billed yearly ($3.33 a month) against $4.99 billed monthly, which works out about 33% cheaper over a year.
- Education
Student discount: 30% off for one year
Students are eligible for a 30% discount for one year, non-renewing, by contacting support with a .edu email address or other proof of student status.
