Focus Timer vs TomatoBar
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
Where they differ
- Focus Timer is free. TomatoBar is free.
- Only Focus Timer lists a Linux app.
- Only TomatoBar lists a macOS app.
- Focus Timer also covers time tracking.
- TomatoBar also covers menu bar app.
In commonFree planOpen sourcePomodoro timer
At a glance
| Focus Timer | TomatoBar | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 and open-source software under the MIT license, downloaded from the project's GitHub releases. The repository lists no paid version. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Kamil Prusko | Ilya Voronin |
| Price read from | flathub.org | github.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Focus Timer
- Linux users who want a Pomodoro timer built for their desktop
- People who skip breaks and want a full-screen reminder
- Scripting actions around the timer with shell commands or D-Bus
TomatoBar
- Mac users who want a plain Pomodoro timer at no cost
- People who prefer open-source software they can inspect or modify
- Scripting a timer from the command line or reading its log
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.
TomatoBar
- macOS only. Version 3.0 and later need macOS Big Sur or newer; older macOS versions and the Touch Bar are supported only by releases before 3.0.
- The README describes no task list, reports or sync between devices; session history is kept only as a JSON log file.
- Homebrew marks its tomatobar cask as disabled since September 1, 2026 for failing the Gatekeeper check, though the README still gives the Homebrew command.
- The latest stable version, 3.6.1, is dated February 19, 2026. Before the 3.6 releases that month, the previous one, 3.5.0, came out in September 2023.
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.
TomatoBar
- Adjustable intervals
- Set the length of the work interval, the short rest and the long rest, and how many work intervals make up a set before the long rest is taken.
- Menu bar timer
- Start and stop the timer from a menu bar popover. Showing the countdown in the menu bar, stopping after a break and launching at login are each a setting.
- Optional sounds
- Three sound effects, named Windup, Ding and Ticking, can each be switched on or off. Version 3.6.0 added volume controls for them.
- Break notifications
- A notification says when it is time for a short or long break and when the break is over. The break notification carries a Skip button.
- Global shortcut and URL control
- A global keyboard shortcut starts or stops the timer, and so does opening the tomatobar://startStop URL, for example from the command line.
- JSON event log
- Each change of timer state is written in JSON to a log file inside the app's container, which other tools can read to analyze how time was spent.
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.
TomatoBar
TomatoBar$0
The complete Mac app: adjustable intervals, three sound effects, break notifications, a global shortcut and a JSON event log.
