Focus Timer vs Stretchly (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stretchly grades higher than Focus Timer: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Stretchly grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Focus Timer
Free Pomodoro timer for Linux, formerly GNOME Pomodoro
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Focus Timer if
- Fits if you're on Linux and want a Pomodoro timer built for the desktop
- Works for people who skip breaks and need the whole screen covered to make them stop
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or a Mac, as it's Linux only
- Not for you if you want the same timer on your phone, since no phone app is listed
- Too light for blocking, as nothing in it blocks a website or an app
- Watch out: the GNOME top bar indicator is a separate extension, needs GNOME Shell 48 or later, and only shows after you log out
- Watch out: moving from GNOME Pomodoro means copying your old database across by hand, and the D-Bus interface has no manual yet
Pick Stretchly if
- Fits if you sit at a Mac, Windows or Linux computer all day and forget to rest
- Works for people who want a free reminder with no account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want it on a phone, as no mobile version is listed
- Watch out: the Mac build is unsigned and needs a Gatekeeper workaround to open
- Watch out: Mac needs macOS Monterey (12) or later
- Tight if you want preference sync, since Sync Preferences goes to sponsors
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFocus TimerGood | 3.0GPAStretchlyVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the GPL, with no paid version at all, when the rest of this category starts at $2.99 a month. It runs on donations through GitHub Sponsors, Ko-fi, Liberapay and PayPal. | AFree and open source, with optional sponsorship on GitHub or Patreon. |
| Free plan and trial | AAll of it is free: timer, break overlay, statistics, tray icon, shortcuts and the automation. Nothing is held back to sell you later, because there's nothing to sell. | AThe full app is free; sponsors only get contributor and sync preferences. |
| Features | CIt does Pomodoro timing completely: your own lengths, a full-screen overlay when a break starts, pause, rewind, extend or skip, daily, weekly and monthly stats, and shell, D-Bus or command-line hooks. But timing is the smaller job here. Nothing blocks a website or an app. | BMini and long breaks, break ideas, idle and do-not-disturb awareness, postpone and strict mode and command-line control, with no gap the listing names. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and a few hurdles the listing admits to: the GNOME top bar indicator is a separate extension that only appears after you log out, and moving from GNOME Pomodoro means copying your old database across by hand. | CNo rating on record. The Mac build is unsigned, so first launch needs a Gatekeeper workaround. |
| Platforms and integrations | DLinux and nothing else, as a Flatpak on Flathub with community packages for Fedora and Arch. One operating system. No Windows, macOS or phone app is listed. | CMac, Windows and Linux, a program for computers only, with no phone version. |
| Best for | a free Pomodoro timer on the Linux desktop | break reminders on Mac, Windows and Linux |
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 Timer and Stretchly. How we grade
Price against what you get
Focus Timer has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Stretchly has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Stretchly scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other focus apps on the chart, none scores higher than Focus Timer for less, and none scores higher than Stretchly 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 Timer also covers Pomodoro timer and time tracking.
- Stretchly also covers menu bar app.
In commonFree planLinuxOpen source
At a glance
| Focus Timer | Stretchly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open-source software under the GPL 3 or later, installed from Flathub. The project lists no paid version and takes donations through GitHub Sponsors, Ko-fi, Liberapay and PayPal. | Free app. Optional sponsorship on GitHub or Patreon unlocks contributor preferences and preference sync. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Kamil Prusko | Jan Hovancik |
| Price read from | flathub.org | hovancik.net |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Focus Timer
- Linux only: it ships as a Flatpak on Flathub, with community packages for Fedora and Arch. No Windows, macOS or phone app is listed.
- On GNOME, the top bar indicator needs the separate Focus Timer extension, which supports GNOME Shell 48 and later and is only picked up after logging out.
- Renamed from GNOME Pomodoro: people moving to the Flatpak version copy their old database file across by hand to keep their statistics.
- The D-Bus interface has no reference manual yet; the FAQ points to the interface XML files in the repository instead.
Stretchly
- Desktop only; no phone version is listed.
- The Mac build is unsigned, so first launch needs a Gatekeeper workaround.
- Mac needs macOS Monterey (12) or later.
- Sync Preferences and Contributor Preferences go to sponsors and contributors.
Key features
Focus Timer
- Custom sessions with full control
- Set your own focus, short-break and long-break lengths. A running session can be paused, rewound, extended or skipped, and work resumes automatically after a break by default.
- Screen overlay on breaks
- A full-screen overlay appears when a break starts as a prompt to step away. Notifications and sounds mark the start and end of sessions, and an announcement warns before a break.
- Statistics
- Daily, weekly and monthly statistics show how much focused work was logged. History sits in a local SQLite database that is backed up automatically every day.
- Tray icon and global shortcuts
- A system tray icon shows timer status with quick actions, global shortcuts control the timer from any app, and a compact mode shows a small countdown window.
- GNOME Shell extension
- An optional extension for GNOME Shell 48 and later adds a top bar indicator, a live countdown in notifications, automatic Do Not Disturb and a lock screen widget.
- Automation, D-Bus and CLI
- Custom actions run shell commands on timer events, media playback can pause for breaks, and a D-Bus interface and command-line options link the timer to your own scripts.
Stretchly
- Mini and long breaks
- Defaults to a 20-second mini break every 10 minutes and a 5-minute long break every 30 minutes; all intervals are adjustable.
- Break ideas
- Each reminder window carries a suggestion for the break.
- Idle and Do Not Disturb awareness
- Pauses breaks after 5 idle minutes and while Do Not Disturb is on.
- Postpone and strict mode
- A break can be postponed once, and strict modes can stop skipping.
- Command-line control
- A stretchly command talks to the running app.
Plans
Focus Timer
Focus Timer$0
The complete Linux app and its optional GNOME Shell extension: timer, break overlay, statistics, tray icon, shortcuts and automation.
Stretchly
Free$0
The full app; sponsors also get Contributor Preferences and Sync Preferences.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Focus Timer or Stretchly?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Focus Timer and Stretchly are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Focus Timer or Stretchly?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Focus Timer and Stretchly have a free plan.
Which platforms do Focus Timer and Stretchly run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Stretchly lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a Linux app. 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.