Pomatez vs TomatoBar (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pomatez grades higher than TomatoBar: 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
Pomatez 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.
Pomatez
Free open-source Pomodoro desktop app with a built-in task list
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Pomatez if
- Fits if you want a free desktop timer that locks you out during breaks
- Works for people who want a small task list beside the timer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a phone or web version; it is desktop only
- Not for you if you want productivity reports, which are a roadmap item
- Tight if you set your own shortcuts, as keyboard shortcuts cannot be customized yet
- Watch out: full-screen breaks do not cover multiple monitors
Pick TomatoBar if
- Fits if you want a plain Pomodoro timer in the Mac menu bar at no cost
- Works for people who want to start the timer from a script or read its log themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're not on a Mac, as it's macOS only, and version 3.0 on needs Big Sur or newer
- Too light for anyone who wants a task list, reports or sync between devices
- Not for you if you install everything through Homebrew, since its cask there is marked as disabled
- Watch out: before the 3.6 releases of February 2026, the last one, 3.5.0, was from September 2023
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAPomatezVery good | 2.6GPATomatoBarGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download from GitHub and the Snap Store, with no paid version listed. | AFree and open source under the MIT license, straight from the project's GitHub releases, with no paid version anywhere in the repository. The middle of this category is $3.99 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no account and no cap; the project's pages list no paid plan. | AFree outright, with nothing to upgrade to: the intervals, the three sounds, the break notifications, the global shortcut and the JSON log are all there is, and all of it is included. |
| Features | CCustomizable rules, a task list, full-screen breaks, strict mode and special breaks. Productivity reports and saved task history are roadmap items, and full-screen breaks skip extra monitors. | CIt does the Pomodoro job fully, and that job is a small one. Work, short rest and long rest lengths, sets, three sounds, break notifications with a Skip button, a global shortcut. The README describes no task list, no reports and no sync, and your history is a JSON log file. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. Install it and start a round, with nothing to configure first. | CNo store rating on record, and getting it onto the Mac is the awkward part: you download it from GitHub releases, and Homebrew has had its tomatobar cask disabled since September 1, 2026 for failing the Gatekeeper check. After that it's one menu bar popover. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux only. No web, iOS or Android version, though the site lists mobile as coming. | DOne operating system. macOS only, and version 3.0 and later need Big Sur or newer. No integrations listed, though opening a tomatobar:// URL will start or stop the timer from a script. |
| Best for | a free desktop Pomodoro timer with a task list | a no-frills Pomodoro timer in the Mac menu bar |
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: Pomatez and TomatoBar. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pomatez has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TomatoBar has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Pomatez scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other focus apps on the chart, none scores higher than Pomatez for less, and none scores higher than TomatoBar 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
- Pomatez also covers tasks.
- TomatoBar also covers menu bar app.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourcePomodoro timer
At a glance
| Pomatez | TomatoBar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to download from GitHub and the Snap Store; the project's pages list no paid version. | 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 | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Roldan Montilla Jr | Ilya Voronin |
| Price read from | zidoro.github.io | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Pomatez
- Desktop only: no web, iOS or Android version, though the site lists a mobile version as coming.
- Keyboard shortcuts cannot be customized yet, per the site's roadmap.
- Productivity reports and a saved task history are roadmap items, not current features.
- Full-screen breaks do not cover multiple monitors.
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
Pomatez
- Customizable rules
- Change the default Pomodoro configuration, including work and break lengths.
- Built-in task list
- Keep a simple list of to-dos and mark items done.
- Full-screen breaks
- Break time can take over the whole screen. The site says multiple monitors are not supported yet.
- Strict mode
- Stops you pausing, skipping or resetting a timer once it has started.
- Special breaks
- Set fixed times for breaks such as lunch without changing the Pomodoro configuration.
- Desktop controls
- Always on top, minimize or close to tray, progress in the tray, compact mode, dark theme and keyboard shortcuts.
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
Pomatez
Pomatez$0
The full desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux.
TomatoBar
TomatoBar$0
The complete Mac app: adjustable intervals, three sound effects, break notifications, a global shortcut and a JSON event log.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pomatez or TomatoBar?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Pomatez and TomatoBar are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Pomatez or TomatoBar?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Pomatez and TomatoBar have a free plan.
Which platforms do Pomatez and TomatoBar run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Pomatez lists Windows and Linux apps. Both list a macOS 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.