Stretchly vs TomatoBar (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stretchly 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
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.
Which one is for you
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
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
| 3.0GPAStretchlyVery good | 2.6GPATomatoBarGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with optional sponsorship on GitHub or Patreon. | 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 | AThe full app is free; sponsors only get contributor and sync preferences. | 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 | 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. | 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 | CNo rating on record. The Mac build is unsigned, so first launch needs a Gatekeeper workaround. | 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 | CMac, Windows and Linux, a program for computers only, with no phone version. | 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 | break reminders on Mac, Windows and Linux | 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: Stretchly and TomatoBar. How we grade
Price against what you get
Stretchly 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.
Stretchly scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other focus apps on the chart, none scores higher than Stretchly 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
- TomatoBar also covers Pomodoro timer.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceMenu bar app
At a glance
| Stretchly | TomatoBar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free app. Optional sponsorship on GitHub or Patreon unlocks contributor preferences and preference sync. | 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 | Jan Hovancik | Ilya Voronin |
| Price read from | hovancik.net | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
Stretchly
Free$0
The full app; sponsors also get Contributor Preferences and Sync Preferences.
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, Stretchly or TomatoBar?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Stretchly and TomatoBar are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Stretchly or TomatoBar?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Stretchly and TomatoBar have a free plan.
Which platforms do Stretchly and TomatoBar run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Stretchly 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.