Focus To-Do vs Focusbuddy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Focus To-Do grades higher than Focusbuddy: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Focus To-Do grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. Focusbuddy grades higher on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Focus To-Do
Pomodoro timer combined with a task list and time reports
Focusbuddy
Chrome extension combining categorized tasks with a countdown timer
Which one is for you
Pick Focus To-Do if
- Fits if you want your Pomodoro timer and your to-do list in one app
- Works for students and workers who track focus time per task or project
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to know what Premium adds before paying, since the listings don't say
- Skip it if you're on Linux or want a web app, as neither is listed
- Too light for blocking apps on an iPhone, since the App Whitelist is only in the Android listing
- Watch out: one Premium purchase shows no billing period and costs $1.99 on iOS but $3.99 on Mac
- Watch out: prices are only in the app stores, and Windows is a direct download from the vendor's site
Pick Focusbuddy if
- Fits if you live in Chrome and want one timer per task
- Works for people comfortable loading an unpacked extension
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you won't use developer mode, since install is a ZIP loaded unpacked in Chrome
- Not for you if you want break cycles, as the timer has fixed lengths only
- Not for you if you use another browser or a phone; Chrome is the only one listed
- Watch out: the site says free 'for now' and calls the extension new, with room to improve
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFocus To-DoGood | 2.0GPAFocusbuddyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPremium is $3.99 for 3 months or $11.99 once for life on the US App Store, under this category's $3.99 a month on paper. But the listings never say what Premium unlocks, so there's nothing to weigh the price against. | BFree, though the site says only 'for now', so the price may change. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree to download and use, with or without an account. But the store listings don't say which features are kept back for Premium, so the wall is somewhere and you'll meet it without warning. | BThe site calls it completely free, with the words 'for now', and no paid plan is listed. |
| Features | CA timer with lengths you set, tasks with due dates, repeats, reminders, subtasks and priorities, reports by day, week, month and project with a Gantt chart, and white noise while you work. The gap is blocking: the App Whitelist and Forest view are only in the Android listing. | DTask categories, a task list and a timer per task. The timer offers fixed lengths with no break cycle, and the site calls it new and simple. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 14,600 App Store ratings. You can start without making an account, and an alarm tells you when each round ends. | DNo store rating on record. Installing means downloading a ZIP from Google Drive and loading it unpacked in Chrome's developer mode. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android, Mac, Windows and a Chrome extension, with lists and focus records synced between them. Phones and computers, then, but no web app, no Linux and nothing it connects to. | CChrome only; no other browser or device is listed. |
| Best for | a Pomodoro timer and a to-do list in one app | a task list with timers in a Chrome extension |
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: Focus To-Do and Focusbuddy. How we grade
Price against what you get
Focus To-Do starts at $1.33 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Focusbuddy has no paid plan and scores 1.3.
Focus To-Do scores higher, and starts $1.33 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other focus apps on the chart, 1 scores higher than Focus To-Do for less, and none scores higher than Focusbuddy for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Focus To-Do can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Focus To-Do also covers time tracking.
At a glance
| Focus To-Do | Focusbuddy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $1.99 (period not shown), $3.99 / 3 months or $11.99 lifetime (US App Store) | Free |
| Free plan | Free to download and use with in-app purchases for Premium. The store listings do not say which features are limited to Premium. | The site calls it completely free, with the words 'for now'. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Shenzhen Tomato Software Technology Co., Ltd. | GroupFunnels LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | focusbuddy.app |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Focus To-Do
- The store listings do not say which features need Premium, so the limits of the free version could not be confirmed.
- The Focus To-Do Premium purchase carries no billing period on the US App Store and is listed at $1.99 for iOS and $3.99 for Mac.
- Prices appear only in the app stores; the vendor's site lists downloads but has no pricing page.
- The Windows version is a direct download from the vendor's site, and no web app or Linux version is listed.
Focusbuddy
- Installation means downloading a ZIP from Google Drive and loading it unpacked in Chrome's developer mode.
- The site calls it new and simple, with room to improve, and free only 'for now'.
- Chrome only; no other browser or device is listed.
- The timer offers fixed lengths only, with no break cycle.
Key features
Focus To-Do
- Pomodoro timer
- Pomodoro and break lengths are adjustable, with short and long breaks, pause and resume, a skip-break option, a continuous mode and a warning before a session ends.
- Tasks and projects
- Tasks take due dates, recurring schedules, reminders, subtasks, color-coded priorities, notes and an estimated number of pomodoros.
- Reports
- Statistics cover total focus time, completed to-dos and time per project, with trend charts, a Gantt chart of focus time and a calendar view.
- Sync across devices
- Lists and focus records sync between phone and computer; the listings name iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Android and Windows.
- White noise and alarms
- A choice of white noise can play during a session, and an alarm or vibration marks the end of each pomodoro.
- Forest and App Whitelist
- The Android listing adds a Forest view, where focused time grows a plant, and an App Whitelist that limits which apps can be used while focusing.
Focusbuddy
- Task categories
- Group tasks under titles such as health or wealth.
- Task list
- List the tasks inside each category.
- Timer per task
- Pick a task, then choose a 5, 15, 30, 60 or 90 minute timer.
- Toolbar extension
- Pin the extension to the Chrome toolbar and open it from the icon.
Plans
Focus To-Do
Free$0
The app as downloaded, with or without an account. The listings do not spell out where the free version stops.
Focus To-Do Premium$1.99
billing period not shown on the US App Store listing
An in-app purchase listed with no period at $1.99 for the iPhone and iPad app and at $3.99 for the Mac app.
3 Months$3.99
per 3 months, US App Store in-app purchase
Premium for three months, listed at the same price for the iOS and Mac apps.
Lifetime$11.99
one-time purchase, US App Store in-app purchase
Premium for a single payment, listed at the same price for the iOS and Mac apps.
Focusbuddy
Free$0
The whole extension, installed from a ZIP file. The site says it is free for now.
Ways to pay less
Focus To-Do
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Premium for a one-time payment
The US App Store lists a Lifetime in-app purchase at $11.99 for both the iOS and Mac apps, against $3.99 for 3 months.
Focusbuddy
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Focus To-Do or Focusbuddy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Focusbuddy is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $1.33 a month for Focus To-Do. Focus To-Do starts at $1.99 (period not shown), $3.99 / 3 months or $11.99 lifetime (US App Store), and Focusbuddy is free.
Which has a free plan, Focus To-Do or Focusbuddy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Focus To-Do and Focusbuddy have a free plan.
Which platforms do Focus To-Do and Focusbuddy run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Focus To-Do lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.