Session vs TomatoBar
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Session
Pomodoro focus timer with analytics for Mac, iPhone and iPad
Where they differ
- Session starts at $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99). TomatoBar is free.
- Only Session lists an iOS app.
- TomatoBar is open source, according to its own site.
- Session also covers site & app blocker and time tracking.
- TomatoBar also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| Session | TomatoBar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $3.33 / month, billed yearly ($39.99) | Free |
| Free plan | Unlimited sessions and breaks, analytics for the past 2 days, and your calendar events shown inside Session. | Free and open-source software under the MIT license, downloaded from the project's GitHub releases. The repository lists no paid version. |
| Free trial | 7 days of Pro free on creating an account, with no subscription started | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Translucent LLC | Ilya Voronin |
| Price read from | stayinsession.com | github.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Session
- Mac and iPhone users who work in Pomodoro intervals
- People who want a record of focused time by category or client
- Students, who can ask for 30% off for one year
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
Session
- Apple platforms only: macOS, iOS and iPadOS. No Windows, Android or web version is listed.
- The free plan shows analytics for the past 2 days only, and custom session and break lengths need Pro.
- Blocking needs Pro, and the pricing page lists website and app blocking as Mac only.
- Real-time device sync, Slack muting and Apple Calendar event creation are Pro features.
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
Session
- Pomodoro sessions
- Work in 25-minute sessions separated by breaks. Setting your own session and break lengths needs Pro.
- Focus analytics by category
- Tracks how long you focus on each category, such as writing, coding or a client. Free shows the past 2 days and Pro opens the full session log.
- App and website blocking on Mac
- Pro blocks the apps and websites you choose while a session runs. Website blocking works in Safari, Chrome, Brave and Microsoft Edge.
- Calendar events
- Every plan shows your calendar events inside Session. Pro can also create an Apple Calendar event automatically when a session finishes.
- Slack status
- Pro updates your Slack status when the timer starts and restores it when the timer ends.
- Device sync and automation
- Pro syncs in real time, so a session started on a Mac can be ended on iOS, and adds automation through AppleScript on macOS and Apple Shortcuts on iOS.
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
Session
Free$0
Unlimited sessions and breaks, analytics for the past 2 days, and calendar events shown in the app.
Pro Yearly$3.33
per month, billed yearly ($39.99)
Custom session and break lengths, full session log, Mac app and website blocking, Slack muting, device sync and automation.
Pro Monthly$4.99
per month, billed monthly
The same Pro features paid month to month. The vendor notes that prices differ slightly by region.
TomatoBar
TomatoBar$0
The complete Mac app: adjustable intervals, three sound effects, break notifications, a global shortcut and a JSON event log.
Ways to pay less
Session
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs about a third less
Pro is $39.99 billed yearly ($3.33 a month) against $4.99 billed monthly, which works out about 33% cheaper over a year.
- Education
Student discount: 30% off for one year
Students are eligible for a 30% discount for one year, non-renewing, by contacting support with a .edu email address or other proof of student status.
TomatoBar
No public discounts listed.
