TomatoBar

Contents

1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from TomatoBar’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on TomatoBar’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.

1. 1

   Best for a no-frills Pomodoro timer in the Mac menu bar

   There's no task list, no reports and no sync, and it's Mac only.

2. 2

   It is free

   TomatoBar has no paid plan at all. Free and open-source software under the MIT license, downloaded from the project's GitHub releases. The repository lists no paid version.

3. 3

   It runs on macOS

   macOS.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

   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.

6. 6

   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.

7. 7

   A 2.6 GPA, above 30 of 65

   That is against the other focus apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

8. 8

   Keep it

   TomatoBar is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

• TomatoBar

  $0

  The complete Mac app: adjustable intervals, three sound effects, break notifications, a global shortcut and a JSON event log.

Read from github.com on Oct 9, 2026.

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.

TomatoBar is made by Ilya Voronin, and has been around since 2018.

TomatoBar's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 30 of the 65 other focus apps we grade, and level with 10.

It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 53 of 65) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).

TomatoBar has no paid plan.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Flow, Be Focused, Session, Focus - Deep Work Timer and Pomofocus

The 5 tools TomatoBar is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

• 

  3.2GPA

  Flow

  Free plan · from $17.99/yr

  Minimal Pomodoro timer for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

  • Only Flow lists an iOS app.
  • TomatoBar is open source, according to its own site.
  • Flow can be bought with a one-time purchase.

  TomatoBar and Flow compared in full
• 

  3.0GPA

  Be Focused

  Free plan · from $2.99/mo

  Pomodoro timer with tasks for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

  • Only Be Focused lists an iOS app.
  • TomatoBar is open source, according to its own site.
  • Be Focused can be bought with a one-time purchase.

  TomatoBar and Be Focused compared in full
• 

  2.2GPA

  Session

  Free plan · from $3.33/mo

  Pomodoro focus timer with analytics for Mac, iPhone and iPad.

  • Only Session lists an iOS app.
  • TomatoBar is open source, according to its own site.
  • TomatoBar also covers menu bar app.

  TomatoBar and Session compared in full
• 

  2.0GPA

  Focus - Deep Work Timer

  Free plan · from $6.99/mo

  Pomodoro timer with tasks and time tracking for Apple devices.

  • Only Focus - Deep Work Timer lists an iOS app.
  • TomatoBar is open source, according to its own site.
  • Focus - Deep Work Timer also covers tasks and time tracking.

  TomatoBar and Focus - Deep Work Timer compared in full
• 

  3.0GPA

  Pomofocus

  Free plan · from $3/mo

  Browser-based Pomodoro timer with a task list and reports.

  • Only Pomofocus lists a web app.
  • Only Pomofocus lists Windows and Linux apps.
  • TomatoBar is open source, according to its own site.

  TomatoBar and Pomofocus compared in full

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.

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.

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