Focus Timer vs Workrave (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Workrave 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
Workrave grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
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 Workrave if
- Fits if you want RSI breaks and a daily limit on Windows or Linux
- Works for people who want free software with public source code
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, as that port exists only in the untested development version
- Skip it if you want a phone version, since none is listed
- Watch out: the site describes the features only briefly
- Too light for coaching or exercises beyond the break prompts
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFocus TimerGood | 3.0GPAWorkraveVery 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 software with no paid plan, source code public. |
| 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 program is free with no ads or tier. |
| 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. | CMicrobreaks, rest breaks, a daily limit and statistics. The basics, with a feature set that dates from its long history. |
| 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. | BNo rating on record, but it is a program you install and start using. |
| 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. | CWindows and Linux desktop only, with no phone app and Mac only in an untested build. |
| Best for | a free Pomodoro timer on the Linux desktop | RSI break reminders on 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 Workrave. 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. Workrave has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Workrave 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 Workrave 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.
In commonFree planLinuxOpen sourceTime tracking
At a glance
| Focus Timer | Workrave | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 software with no paid plan. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Kamil Prusko | Raymond Penners and Rob Caelers |
| Price read from | flathub.org | workrave.org |
| 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.
Workrave
- The download page lists Windows and GNU/Linux; a macOS port exists only in the untested development version.
- No phone version is listed.
- The interface and feature set date from the project's long history and are described only briefly on the site.
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.
Workrave
- Microbreaks
- Typically a 30-second break every 3 minutes; duration and frequency are configurable.
- Rest breaks
- Typically 10 minutes every 45 minutes, also configurable.
- Daily limit
- Prompts you to stop once a set amount of computer time is reached.
- Statistics
- Counts breaks taken, postponed and ignored, plus daily, weekly and monthly use.
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.
Workrave
Free$0
The full program; source code is public.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Focus Timer or Workrave?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Focus Timer and Workrave are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Focus Timer or Workrave?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Focus Timer and Workrave have a free plan.
Which platforms do Focus Timer and Workrave run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Workrave lists a Windows app. 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.