The Focusmate Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Focusmate in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Focusmate
The Insider’s Guide
Virtual coworking that pairs you with a partner on video
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among focus apps, read from Focusmate’s own pages.
Made by Focusmate Inc. · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Focusmate’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Focusmate’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 41 of the 65 other focus apps we grade
Focusmate is a virtual coworking service, a practice also called body doubling. You book a 25, 50 or 75-minute session, are matched with another member on a video call, say what you plan to do, work quietly with cameras on and check in at the end. It runs in a desktop or mobile browser with nothing to install.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Focusmate, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Nothing to install and no account to wire up: book a slot, turn up in the browser, say what you're working on.
- 1
Best for working beside a partner on video
Your camera has to stay on the whole time, there's no native app, and Business pricing isn't published.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $8 / month, billed annually.
- 3
There is a free plan
3 sessions per week, with no credit card required.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
25, 50 and 75-minute sessions
Book a session for a time you choose and Focusmate matches you with a partner. It says over 99% of bookings are matched; if one is not, the next slot is 15 minutes later.
- 6
Favorite partners
Star a partner you worked well with, or a friend, to make it easy to book sessions with that person again instead of a random match.
- 7
Task modes
Mark a session as Desk, Moving or Anything, so a partner knows whether you will be at a computer or doing something like cooking or cleaning.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 41 of 65
That is against the other focus apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Focusmate you would be making video calls. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Focusmate at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $8 / month, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Focusmate Inc., since 2015
- Category
- Focus Apps
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for working beside a partner on video
Focusmate pairs you with another member on video for 25, 50 or 75 minutes: you each say what you'll do, work quietly, then check in at the end. Free is 3 sessions a week, and unlimited is $8 a month billed yearly or $12 monthly. Your camera has to stay on the whole time, there's no native app, and Business pricing isn't published.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Plus is $8 a month billed annually, or $12 monthly, for unlimited sessions. Among the coworking services it lists as rivals that's the lowest: Deepwrk is $12, Flown $19, Flow Club $33. Can't afford it? The pricing FAQ invites you to get in touch. |
| Free plan and trial | B | 3 sessions a week for good, with no credit card. That covers a push now and then; wanting one every day is what pushes you to Plus. |
| Features | C | Sessions of 25, 50 or 75 minutes, a partner matched for you, favourites to book again, Quiet Mode for libraries, task modes for cooking or cleaning, and video and chat built in. It does one-to-one coworking fully, and that's a smaller job: no timer of your own, no blocking, no tracking. |
| Ease of use | B | Nothing to install and no account to wire up: book a slot, turn up in the browser, say what you're working on. There's no app, so no store rating to check that against. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A browser, on a computer or a phone, with an add-to-home-screen trick. It connects to Google Calendar and Beeminder and has a public API, which is what lifts it above web-only. No native app, mind. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Focusmate is for
- Fits if you start tasks more easily when someone else is there, including if you have ADHD
- Works for people working alone at home who want body doubling on a schedule
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you won't keep a camera on for the whole session, because that's required
- Tight if you're staying free and want a session every day, as you get 3 a week
- Not for you if you want a proper phone app, since it only runs in the browser
- Too light for timing or blocking, as there's no timer of your own, no blocker and no tracking
- Watch out: $8 a month means paying the year up front, monthly is $12, and Business pricing isn't published
Good to know
Good for
- People who start tasks more easily with someone else present
- Remote workers and students who put work off when alone
- Body doubling on a schedule, including for members with ADHD
Worth knowing
- The free plan is limited to 3 sessions per week; unlimited sessions need Plus.
- A camera is required and has to stay on for the whole session.
- There is no native app. On a phone or tablet it runs in the browser and can be added to the home screen.
- Business pricing is not published; the pricing page links to an inquiry form.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Focusmate has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8 / month, billed annually.
The pricing FAQ invites you to get in touch.
Free
$0
3 sessions per week, with no credit card required.
Plus
$8
per month, billed annually; $12 billed monthly
Unlimited sessions. The pricing page notes that taxes may be added at checkout.
Business
Custom
For enterprises, small businesses and learning communities. No price is listed; the page links to more information and an inquiry form.
The free plan
3 sessions per week, with no credit card required.
Read from focusmate.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Annual billing costs a third less than monthly
Plus is $8 a month when billed annually and $12 a month when billed monthly, which works out to about 33% less over a year.
Stated on focusmate.comOther savings
Help for people who cannot afford Plus
The pricing FAQ invites anyone who cannot afford the full price of Plus to contact the company. It does not state an amount or eligibility rules.
Stated on focusmate.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Virtual coworking that pairs you with a partner on video. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, video calls.
It does one-to-one coworking fully, and that's a smaller job: no timer of your own, no blocking, no tracking.
- 25, 50 and 75-minute sessions
- Book a session for a time you choose and Focusmate matches you with a partner. It says over 99% of bookings are matched; if one is not, the next slot is 15 minutes later.
- Favorite partners
- Star a partner you worked well with, or a friend, to make it easy to book sessions with that person again instead of a random match.
- Task modes
- Mark a session as Desk, Moving or Anything, so a partner knows whether you will be at a computer or doing something like cooking or cleaning.
- Quiet Mode and session chat
- Quiet Mode tells your partner you cannot use a microphone, for libraries and shared offices. Goals and progress go in the in-session text chat instead.
- Video in the browser
- Sessions run on Focusmate's own video, with virtual backgrounds, screen sharing and picture-in-picture, so no separate video call app is needed.
- Calendar invites
- Each booking sends a calendar invite, which Focusmate says works with Apple, Google and Outlook calendars. There is also a Google Calendar integration.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Calendar
- Beeminder
Focusmate is made by Focusmate Inc., and has been around since 2015.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
41/65
Other focus apps it is graded above
Focusmate's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 41 of the 65 other focus apps we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 41 of 65) and worst on features (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $8 a month, against a middle price of $2.82 for the category: 34 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 13 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 66 focus apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Focusmate’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 30 of 65
- BFree plan and trialAbove 41 of 65
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 65
- BEase of useAbove 17 of 65
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 39 of 65
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 56 focus apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Focusmate is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Focusmate you would be making video calls. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $96 a year.
What you could not
- Video calls.
- It plugs into other products, Google Calendar and Beeminder among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Focusmate’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Flow Club, FLOWN, Caveday, StudyStream and Deepwrk
The 5 tools Focusmate is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Flow Club
Free trial · from $33.33/mo
Hosted virtual coworking sessions for focused work and body doubling.
- Focusmate has a free plan. Flow Club does not, though it has a free trial.
- Flow Club also covers focus music.
- 2.2GPA
FLOWN
Free plan · from $19/mo
Virtual coworking with facilitated focus sessions and body doubling.
- FLOWN can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- FLOWN also covers Pomodoro timer and focus music.
- 1.6GPA
Caveday
Free trial · from $35/mo
Guided group focus sessions on Zoom, running all day.
- Focusmate has a free plan. Caveday does not, though it has a free trial.
- Caveday also covers goals.
- 2.4GPA
StudyStream
Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Live video study rooms open around the clock.
- Only StudyStream lists iOS and Android apps.
- StudyStream also covers tasks and Pomodoro timer.
- 2.2GPA
Deepwrk
Free trial · from $12/mo
Hosted body doubling sessions online for adults with ADHD.
- Focusmate has a free plan. Deepwrk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Deepwrk also covers Pomodoro timer and focus music.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Focusmate free?
Focusmate has a free plan. 3 sessions per week, with no credit card required.
How much does Focusmate cost?
Focusmate lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Focusmate work on?
Focusmate is available on Web.
Does Focusmate offer any discounts?
Focusmate publicly lists the following: Annual billing costs a third less than monthly; Help for people who cannot afford Plus.
Does Focusmate have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Focusmate is listed for Web.
Does Focusmate have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Focusmate is listed for Web.
Is Focusmate open source?
Focusmate is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Focusmate have an API?
Yes. Focusmate offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Focusmate integrate with?
Focusmate's listing names Google Calendar and Beeminder. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Focusmate?
Focusmate is made by Focusmate Inc. It dates from 2015.
What are the alternatives to Focusmate?
The closest alternatives to Focusmate in our directory are Flow Club, FLOWN, Caveday, StudyStream and Deepwrk.
How does Focusmate compare with other focus apps?
Focusmate's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 41 of the 65 other focus apps we grade, and level with 9.
Is Focusmate good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Focusmate B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8 a month, against a middle price of $2.82 for the category: 34 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Focusmate?
To replace Focusmate you would be making video calls. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Focusmate’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Focusmate's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-30.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Focusmate Inc. Prices change, so check focusmate.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Focusmate, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/focusmate
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Focusmate: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/focusmate
Know someone choosing between focus apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/focusmate/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded focus apps after Focusmate, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Focus Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 66 focus apps we grade, compared
- ScreenZen Insider's GuideFree app that delays and blocks distracting apps and sites3.6 GPA
- Flora Insider's GuideFree focus timer that grows trees, alone or with friends3.2 GPA
- Flow Insider's GuideMinimal Pomodoro timer for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Focusmate’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Focusmate is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Focusmate Inc. Prices and plans change: check focusmate.com before you buy.