Skip to content
ToolGPA

The Vitamin-R Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Vitamin-R 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.

Download the PDF
Pass it onEmailLinkedInXWhatsApp
ToolGPAOctober 2026

Vitamin-R

The Insider’s Guide

Time-boxing and Pomodoro timer for the Mac

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among focus apps, read from Vitamin-R’s own pages.

Made by publicspace.net · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.4GPA

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 Vitamin-R’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Vitamin-R’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.4

GPA, above 18 of the 65 other focus apps we grade

Vitamin-R is a time-boxing app for the Mac from publicspace.net. You name one specific objective, work on it for a time slice of 15 to 25 minutes, park stray thoughts on a Now & Later Board and finish with a short reflection that feeds a log book. It also supports classic Pomodoro timing and plays background soundscapes. It is sold as a one-time purchase with a 14-day trial.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Vitamin-R, taken from its own pages and our grades.

The typed command window helps once you know it.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for getting started on tasks you keep putting off, on a Mac

    Vitamin-R is a Mac timer for tasks you keep putting off: name one small objective, work on it for 15 to 25 minutes, and park stray thoughts on a board for later.

  2. 2

    What it costs

    Paid plans start at $29.95 one-time purchase (Single User license).

  3. 3

    You can try it first

    14-day free trial, fully functional, with no sign-up and no credit card

  4. 4

    It runs on macOS

    macOS.

  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    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.

  7. 7

    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.

  8. 8

    A 2.4 GPA, above 18 of 65

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

  9. 9

    Keep it

    The plain part of Vitamin-R you could make: Pomodoro timer and time tracking. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.

Vitamin-R at a glance

Pricing
Free trial, from $29.95 one-time purchase (Single User license)
Free plan
No
Free trial
14-day free trial, fully functional, with no sign-up and no credit card
Runs on
macOS
Made by
publicspace.net, since 2010
Category
Focus Apps
Our grade
2.4 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for getting started on tasks you keep putting off, on a Mac

Vitamin-R is a Mac timer for tasks you keep putting off: name one small objective, work on it for 15 to 25 minutes, and park stray thoughts on a board for later. It's $29.95 once, but it's Mac only, it stops working after the 14-day trial, updates end before version 5.0 unless you pay $29.95 more, and it blocks nothing.

ToolGPA report cardVitamin-RGraded Oct 10, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyA$29.95 once, on as many of your own Macs as you like, with a Noise Machine licence thrown in. A year of the typical focus subscription is about $48, so you're ahead inside eight months. Updates stop before version 5.0 unless you add $29.95 for the Forever Upgrade.
Free plan and trialCNo free plan. What you get is a 14-day trial of the whole app with no sign-up and no card, and then it stops working until you buy an unlock code.
FeaturesBIt covers the time-boxing job: one named objective per slice, a Now & Later Board for stray thoughts, breaks that lock the screen, a log book that charts your focus by time of day, tags by project or client and CSV export. It blocks nothing, though, and isn't a task manager.
Ease of useCNo store rating on record, and there's a method to learn here rather than a button to press: name the objective, choose a slice length, reflect at the end, keep the board tidy. The typed command window helps once you know it.
Platforms and integrationsDOne operating system. Mac only, and the current version needs macOS 13 Ventura or later; no iPhone, Windows or web version is offered.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.4

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 Vitamin-R is for

  • Fits if you keep postponing vague or intimidating tasks and work on a Mac
  • Works for people who want light time tracking by project or client, with CSV export

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if you're not on a Mac, as no iPhone, Windows or web version is offered, and it needs macOS 13
  • Not for you if you want something free, because the trial stops working after 14 days
  • Too light for anyone hoping it replaces their to-do app, since it isn't a task manager
  • Not for you if you want sites and apps blocked while you work, which it doesn't do
  • Pricey if you want every future version, since the license stops before 5.0 and the Forever Upgrade is $29.95 more

Good to know

Good for

  • 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

  • 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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$29.95 one-time

To start

Vitamin-R is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $29.95 one-time purchase (Single User license).

  • 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.

Trying it first

14-day free trial, fully functional, with no sign-up and no credit card

Read from publicspace.net on Oct 9, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • 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.

    Stated on publicspace.net

  • 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.

    Stated on publicspace.net

What the app costs elsewhere

Each country’s App Store price for the app, against $29.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.

CountryPrice thereIn dollarsAgainst the US
Canada$39.99$28.116% less
Turkey₺1.499,99$30.50about the same
India₹ 2,999$31.00about the same
Philippines₱ 1,990.00$31.686% more
South AfricaR599.99$36.2921% more
Germany34,99 €$39.2131% more
United Kingdom£29.99$39.6532% more
BrazilR$ 199,90$39.9433% more

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: macOS

Time-boxing and Pomodoro timer for the Mac. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, keyboard-first, Pomodoro timer, time tracking, focus music, menu bar app.

It blocks nothing, though, and isn't a task manager.
From our grade for features
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.

Where it runs

  • macOS

What it works with

  • OmniFocus
  • Things

Vitamin-R is made by publicspace.net, and has been around since 2010.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

18/65

Other focus apps it is graded above

Vitamin-R's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 65 other focus apps we grade, and level with 11.

It stands best on value for money (A, above 40 of 65) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 66 focus apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Vitamin-R’s own letter is outlined.

  • AValue for moneyAbove 40 of 65
  • CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 65
  • BFeaturesAbove 48 of 65
  • CEase of useAbove 0 of 65
  • DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 65

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

The plain part of Vitamin-R you could make: Pomodoro timer and time tracking. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.

That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 36 of the 65 other focus apps grade higher. It costs $29.95, paid once.

What you could make

  • Pomodoro timer and time tracking: an app builder makes these well.

What you could not

  • A library of sound you would have to license.
  • A native app living in the menu bar.
  • A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Vitamin-R’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

Session, Flow, Focus, Be Focused and TomatoBar

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

  • 2.2GPA

    Session

    Free plan · from $3.33/mo

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

    • Session has a free plan. Vitamin-R does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Session lists an iOS app.
    • Vitamin-R can be bought with a one-time purchase.
    Vitamin-R and Session compared in full
  • 3.2GPA

    Flow

    Free plan · from $17.99/yr

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

    • Flow has a free plan. Vitamin-R does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Flow lists an iOS app.
    • Vitamin-R also covers time tracking and focus music.
    Vitamin-R and Flow compared in full
  • 2.4GPA

    Focus

    Free trial · from $49 one-time

    Mac app that blocks distracting websites and apps on a schedule.

    • Vitamin-R also covers focus music.
    • Focus also covers site & app blocker.
    Vitamin-R and Focus compared in full
  • 3.0GPA

    Be Focused

    Free plan · from $2.99/mo

    Pomodoro timer with tasks for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

    • Be Focused has a free plan. Vitamin-R does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Be Focused lists an iOS app.
    • Vitamin-R also covers time tracking, focus music and menu bar app.
    Vitamin-R and Be Focused compared in full
  • 2.6GPA

    TomatoBar

    Free

    Free open-source Pomodoro timer for the Mac menu bar.

    • TomatoBar has a free plan. Vitamin-R does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Vitamin-R can be bought with a one-time purchase.
    • TomatoBar is open source, according to its own site.
    Vitamin-R and TomatoBar compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

12

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 Vitamin-R free?

No, Vitamin-R is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, fully functional, with no sign-up and no credit card.

How much does Vitamin-R cost?

Vitamin-R lists 5 plans. Single User: $29.95 one-time purchase.

What platforms does Vitamin-R work on?

Vitamin-R is available on macOS.

Does Vitamin-R offer any discounts?

Vitamin-R publicly lists the following: Forever Upgrade for a further $29.95; Upgrade pricing for existing owners.

Does Vitamin-R have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Vitamin-R is listed for macOS.

Does Vitamin-R have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Vitamin-R is listed for macOS.

Is Vitamin-R open source?

Vitamin-R is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.

What does Vitamin-R integrate with?

Vitamin-R's listing names OmniFocus and Things. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Who makes Vitamin-R?

Vitamin-R is made by publicspace.net. It dates from 2010.

What are the alternatives to Vitamin-R?

The closest alternatives to Vitamin-R in our directory are Session, Flow, Focus, Be Focused and TomatoBar.

How does Vitamin-R compare with other focus apps?

Vitamin-R's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 65 other focus apps we grade, and level with 11.

Could I make my own version of Vitamin-R?

The plain part of Vitamin-R you could make: Pomodoro timer and time tracking.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Vitamin-R’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Vitamin-R's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-02.

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 publicspace.net. Prices change, so check publicspace.net 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

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, "Vitamin-R: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/vitamin-r

Know someone choosing between focus apps?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/vitamin-r/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded focus apps after Vitamin-R, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Vitamin-R’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. Vitamin-R is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by publicspace.net. Prices and plans change: check publicspace.net before you buy.