TomatoBar vs Vitamin-R
We give TomatoBar and Vitamin-R the same GPA: 2.8 out of 4.0. TomatoBar grades higher on the free plan. Vitamin-R grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Vitamin-R
Time-boxing and Pomodoro timer for the Mac
How we grade them
| 2.8GPATomatoBarGood | 2.8GPAVitamin-RGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the MIT license, downloaded from the project's GitHub releases. The repository lists no paid version. | A$29.95 once for a Single User licence, on as many of your own Macs as you like, with a free Noise Machine licence included. That's about half a year of a typical focus app. The catch: updates stop before version 5.0, and covering all future upgrades costs a further $29.95. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe complete app is free: adjustable intervals, three sound effects, break notifications, a global shortcut and a JSON event log. There's nothing to upgrade to. | CThere's no free plan. The trial is fully functional for 14 days, with no sign-up and no credit card, and then it stops working until you buy an unlock code. |
| Features | CWork, short rest and long rest lengths you can set, three sounds with volume controls, break notifications with a Skip button, and a global shortcut. Those are the basics, done neatly, and it goes no further. The README describes no task list, reports or sync, and your history is only a JSON log file. | AOne objective per time slice, a Now & Later Board for stray thoughts, breaks that can lock the screen, and a log book with charts of the hours you focus best. Slices can be tagged by project or client and exported to CSV. Classic Pomodoro timing and ambient soundscapes are built in too. |
| Ease of use | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is as far as we'll go. It's a popover in the menu bar where you start and stop the timer. One snag: Homebrew has marked its tomatobar cask as disabled since September 1, 2026 for failing the Gatekeeper check. | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is as far as we'll go. It asks more of you than a countdown: name the objective, pick a slice, reflect at the end. A global shortcut opens a command window so you can run it all by typing. |
| Platforms and integrations | DmacOS only, and version 3.0 and later need macOS Big Sur or newer. No integrations are listed, though opening a tomatobar:// URL starts or stops the timer from the command line. | DMac only, and the current version needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. No iPhone, Windows or web version is offered. The vendor positions it alongside to-do apps such as OmniFocus and Things. |
| Best for | a no-frills Pomodoro timer in the Mac menu bar | getting started on tasks you keep putting off, on a Mac |
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: TomatoBar and Vitamin-R. How we grade
Where they differ
- TomatoBar is free. Vitamin-R starts at $29.95 one-time purchase (Single User license).
- TomatoBar has a free plan. Vitamin-R does not, though it has a free trial.
- TomatoBar is open source, according to its own site.
- Vitamin-R can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Vitamin-R also covers time tracking and focus music.
At a glance
| TomatoBar | Vitamin-R | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $29.95 one-time purchase (Single User license) |
| Free plan | Free and open-source software under the MIT license, downloaded from the project's GitHub releases. The repository lists no paid version. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial, fully functional, with no sign-up and no credit card |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Ilya Voronin | publicspace.net |
| Price read from | github.com | publicspace.net |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Vitamin-R
- People who keep postponing vague or intimidating tasks
- Mac users who want more structure than a bare countdown timer
- Light time tracking by project or client with CSV export
- Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
Worth knowing
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.
Vitamin-R
- Mac only: the current version needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. No iPhone, Windows or web version is offered.
- There is no free plan: the trial stops working after 14 days until an unlock code is bought.
- The standard license stops before version 5.0; covering all future upgrades costs a further $29.95 for the Forever Upgrade.
- It is not a task manager. The vendor positions it alongside to-do apps such as OmniFocus and Things.
Key features
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.
Vitamin-R
- Objectives and time slices
- Each session starts with one specific, reachable objective and a time slice of 15 to 25 minutes. Visual, audio and spoken prompts keep it in view, and the app can shrink to a menu-bar countdown.
- Now & Later Board
- A stray thought, such as an email to send or an errand, is written down as one line on the board so you can return to the task and pick it up afterwards.
- Log book and analytics
- Every completed time slice is recorded. Charts show a week of focused time and the hours when you focus best, and slices can be tagged by project or client and exported to CSV.
- Breaks and Pomodoro timing
- Time slices alternate with timed breaks, which can lock the screen. The timing and rhythm of the classic Pomodoro Technique are built in as an option.
- Keyboard command window
- A global shortcut opens a command window from any app, where a time slice can be set up and controlled by typing instead of using the mouse.
- Focus soundscapes
- White noise and ambient soundscapes, from busy coffee shops to quiet beaches, can play while you work to mask distractions.
Plans
TomatoBar
TomatoBar$0
The complete Mac app: adjustable intervals, three sound effects, break notifications, a global shortcut and a JSON event log.
Vitamin-R
Single User$29.95
one-time purchase
Any number of installations for one person, minor updates up to but not including version 5.0, and a free Noise Machine license.
Family$59.95
one-time purchase, up to 5 people
Any number of installations for up to 5 people in the same family. The order page lists it as $30.00 on top of the Single User price.
Small Business$149.95
one-time purchase, up to 20 people
Up to 20 people in the same family or organization, listed as $120.00 on top of the Single User price.
Business$299.95
one-time purchase, up to 50 people
Up to 50 people in the same organization, listed as $270.00 on top of the Single User price.
Enterprise$749.95
one-time purchase, unlimited people
An unlimited number of people in the same organization, listed as $720.00 on top of the Single User price.
Ways to pay less
TomatoBar
No public discounts listed.
Vitamin-R
- Lifetime license
Forever Upgrade for a further $29.95
Adding the Forever Upgrade option on the order page costs $29.95 on top of the license and includes all future product upgrades.
- Other savings
Upgrade pricing for existing owners
Owners of any earlier version can buy the Single User upgrade to version 4 for $19.95, and anyone who bought after 1 January 2021 gets version 4 free.
