Focus - Deep Work Timer vs Session

Focus - Deep Work Timer

• Apple users who want a timer and a task list in one app
• People who like to review focused time by task in charts
• Mac users who want the timer in the menu bar
• Those who prefer data kept in their own iCloud with no ads

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

Focus - Deep Work Timer

• Apple platforms only: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro. No Windows, Android or web version is listed.
• The vendor does not publish which features need Focus Pro, and its FAQ sends buyers to the App Store for prices.
• The App Store shows yearly items from $19.99 to $49.99, so the price offered in the app may differ from the $39.99 listed first.
• Focus for Mac is a separate App Store listing from the iPhone and iPad app. It needs macOS 14.0 or later, and the iPhone app iOS 18.0.

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.

Focus - Deep Work Timer

Timed focus sessions

Sessions and breaks follow the Pomodoro rhythm, with lengths you set yourself. When a session ends, the app shows a full-screen alarm on iOS 26 and a notification elsewhere.

Tasks and projects

Tasks are collected in the app and grouped into projects. You pick one before starting a session, so each session is logged against the task it was spent on.

Statistics and session timeline

Pie and bar charts break focused time down by task, with calendar views and day, week, month and year ranges. Sessions in the timeline can be added, edited or deleted afterwards.

Goals

A daily time goal or a session goal sets a target for the day, and a compact overview compares focused time with last week or last month.

Mac menu bar timer

Focus for Mac keeps the timer in the menu bar, offers notification styles from subtle to full-screen, and supports desktop widgets on macOS Sonoma or later.

Sync across Apple devices

Tasks, the timer and statistics sync through iCloud between iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, with widgets, Live Activities, Siri and Shortcuts support.

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.

Focus - Deep Work Timer

• Free$0

  The app is free to download and start using. The vendor's pages do not say where the free version stops.

• Focus - Monthly$6.99

  per month, US App Store in-app purchase

  Focus Pro paid month to month, after a 7-day free trial. The Mac listing shows the same price.

• Focus - 3 Months$14.99

  per 3 months, US App Store in-app purchase

  A three-month Focus Pro term, shown on the iPhone and iPad listing but not on the Mac one.

• Focus Yearly$39.99

  per year, US App Store in-app purchase

  Listed first on both listings. Other items named Focus Yearly appear at $19.99, $27.99, $29.99 and $49.99, plus Focus Early Bird at $29.99.

• Patron Subscription$59.99

  per year (the Mac listing calls it annual)

  A higher-priced subscription item on both App Store listings. The vendor's site does not describe what it adds.

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.

Focus - Deep Work Timer

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing costs about 52% less than monthly

  The US App Store lists Focus Yearly first at $39.99 against Focus - Monthly at $6.99, which comes to $83.88 over twelve months.

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.