The app offers the standard Pomodoro timer experience, but that’s it. We’d recommend it for users who would not mind spending a bit more for time-tracking. Check Out Focus Booster (Free, Premium Plans Start at $2.99) #3 PomoDoneApp — Dedicated Pomodoro App for Mac. PomoDoneApp is one of the most popular timer apps for Mac and other platforms. Stay focused with the simple pomodoro timer. Available in light and dark mode. View timer progress at all times with the mini timer. Available for download on Mac OS X 10.8+. Session data saved to the web app for reporting. See what you have accomplished in a day with timesheets. Visualise your productivity with the most productive day graph.

Do you struggle to finish your tasks? (Are you mentally drained after working all day?) Download one of these 6 Pomodoro timers, so that you can enjoy more energy, focus, and drive!

The Pomodoro method can help you complete todos, write faster, and do more—without the typical distractions that prevent you from getting things done (GTD).

Quick Links

• 6 Timer Apps on Mac (Pomodoro Friendly Apps)

What is the Pomodoro method?

The Pomodoro method is a way to have more energy, more focus, and work faster throughout the day.

The Pomodoro Technique was created by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980's as a way to boost productivity in highly creative fields of work.

In essence it's a productivity hack that harnesses the power of getting things done by eliminating distractions and adding accountability.

Download one of these 6 Mac apps to get started, and learn how you can easily apply the technique to 3x your creative output.

6 Timer Apps on Mac (Pomodoro Friendly Apps)

Finding a good Mac timer app is hard. Many on the App Store are out of date, buggy, crash, or are difficult to use.

Here are 6 different countdown timer apps that you can use on macOS High Sierra and Mojave.

1. Super Easy Timer (4.3 stars: ★★★★☆)

If you want a simple timer that is easy to change, download Super Easy Timer for Mac.

1. Use a Full Screen countdown timer
2. Use natural language to create timers by typing '25' or '25 minutes'
3. Minimize or hide the timer so it's less distracting

Download Now

Super Easy Timer from the Mac App Store (Limited 40% discount)

Free 7-Day Trial

You can try Super Easy Timer for free. Send the 7-Day Free Trial directly to your Inbox.

2. Tomato One (★★★★☆)

Tomato One (Free with ads, Disable ads for $1.99)

A minimal pomodoro timer app with Menubar support for starting, taking breaks, and tracking sessions.

3. BreakTime (★★★★☆)

BreakTime ($4.99)

Need more accountability?
BreakTime will prevent you from working after your 25 minute timer goes off. You can make it enforce the breaks, or give yourself permission to cheat.

4. Good Timer (★★★★★)

Good Timer ($0.99)

A minimal timer that you can customize with milliseconds and resize. The user experience is a bit harder to use because of the auto-hiding UI, otherwise, it's super compact after you start a timer.

5. Be Focused (★★★★★)

Be Focused (Free trial, $4.99 for full version)

A full featured pomodoro timer, but its user interface is more complex. Use this if you want metrics and if you want to see how many pomodoro's you complete.

6. Red Hot Timer (4.5 stars: ★★★★☆)

Red Hot Timer (Free trial, $4.99 for full version)

The text-based timer that inspired me to create Super Easy Timer. It crashed and locked up, which is why I originally created my timer, after buying Red Hot Timer.

The user experience is a bit clunky, and the developer may have fixed the crashes that I had with macOS High Sierra.

Usability and Productivity

There are things I like in each of these timer apps, but none of them work like I wanted, which is why I created Super Easy Timer (try the 7-day trial for free.

How to Do the Pomodoro Method

1. Pick a task and break it down into chunks of work
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes
3. Work uninterrupted for as long as the timer is going
4. Mark that you've completed one unit of work (tally on a calendar)
5. Take a 5 minute break (Every 4, take a 20-30 minute break)
6. Restart with a new task

Why the Pomodoro Method Works?

Doing tasks with total focus allows you to do deeper work (Read Cal Newports book: Deep Work). The timer is your accountability partner and keeps you focused and on track.

The challenging part of information work is that tasks are not always well defined, and they tend to take longer than we expect.

This can be frustrating for someone who just wants to finish a chunk of code, write the paper, or publish a new website.

The Pomodoro gives you a metric to use as you work on these creative endeavors, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment for a large task that might take weeks to complete.

The sense of accomplishment is the reason that you feel good, because you marked down a unit of work, and you got something done, even if it's just one small part of the big problem.

Break Up Large Tasks into Easy Pomodoros

The breaks should not be looked at as interruptions, but instead as a way to recharge and activate your subconscious mind to continue working on the problem.

While you take a physical break from your work, your mind will continue to work on the problem for you, doing the heavy lifting, so that you can work faster and more effectively.

It's ok even if you don't finish a task within the 25 minutes.

Why?

Because your mind hates open loops, and it'll keep thinking about the problem, giving you new insight, creating ideas, trying to finish the work when you're not actively thinking about the problem.

Most creative people make their discoveries away from the work bench, when they're on a walk, taking a nap, or relaxing.

The One Rule

When the timer is going you have a rule.

You don't stop working if the timer is active. (unless it's a real emergency).

While the timer is going you don't check email . . .

. . . you don't respond to texts
. . . you don't get into a discussion with co-workers
. . . you don't refill your coffee cup
. . . you don't talk to your boss
. . . you don't do anything that isn't the one task that you decided to work on when you started the work session.

Prepping for Your Next Pomodoro

Starting the Pomodoro method can be a little awkward at work or around your family who are used to having you always available.

Before you start, you'll want to tell your co-workers, your boss, or your family that you'll be busy for the next 25 minutes.

When you're done your work session, you can chat with them briefly during your 5 min break. If you need to, bribe your kids to be quiet until you're timer dings.

Your Energy Levels Are Higher With More Breaks

You can burn out your energy if you just work straight for 4 hours.

If you don't get out of your chair, your body is going to be fatigued from holding your posture, from not moving.

Your joints will be stiff, and your eyes will be tired.

Any creative task that requires mental energy is going to be taxing as well.

After a long day of non-stop coding I can feel pretty drained.

Every Tally is a Victory

Instead of being bogged down with not making progress on a specific goal. Reward yourself with completing units of work: Pomodoro sessions.

It's more accomplishing to feel that you've done the work when you've crossed off 10 tally's on your calendar, than it is to say I've finished task X.

The problem with finishing task X, is that it might require tasks A, B, C, D, E, and F.

. . . and if you don't complete all those tasks in one day, then finishing task X is a failure . . .

. . . failure is not a good feeling.

Instead flip it around.

Feel accomplished because you completed the subtasks, even if that meant it took longer than you expected.

What should you do on your breaks?

Ideas for Effective 5 Minute Breaks

1. Stand up and stretch
2. Do some yoga poses (downward dog or touch your toes and hang for 30 seconds)
3. Look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to reduce eye strain
4. Blink 60-90 times over 1-2 minutes to prevent dry eyes
5. Roll your shoulders and try to touch your elbows together to relax your shoulders
6. Take a walk around your parking lot, trail, or side walk
7. Go to the bathroom
8. Read a 3-5 pages from a book
9. Eat a fruit or vegetable snack
10. Refill your water or coffee (just dont' get sucked into a conversation)
11. Do squats

Ideas for Effective 20 Minute Breaks

1. Go for a 20-minute walk outside (at noon to maximize your vitamin D)
2. Read a book in your favorite chair
3. Eat your lunch outside
4. Do a 20-minute yoga routine
5. Meditate for 20 minutes
6. Write about a different topic

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Did you download any of the Mac apps? Have you done a pomodoro session yet?

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Some Pomodoro Apps are straightforward time management tools — giving you a digital way to track 25 minutes, followed by a 5 minute break. Other Pomodoro apps offer customization, such as a sound library for you to play ambient noise while you’re on task. Finally, some Pomodoro apps are designed to integrate seamlessly with your workflow processes and offer advanced analytics that let you look for inefficiencies in your schedule.

To help you find the best one for your needs, we put together a list of the 9 best Pomodoro apps that increase productivity.

If you’re looking for a free Pomodoro timer that helps increase your productivity while integrating with Slack, check out Focus Mode by Geekbot.

Contents

1. Focus Mode by Geekbot(Recently Voted #3 Product of the Day in Product Hunt)

When we made Focus Mode — our free Pomodoro App — we wanted something that increased your productivity while integrating with your existing workflow and the tools you already use.

That’s why we designed Focus Mode to integrate directly into your Slack channel. Slack is a great tool, but it’s also known for causing a lot of interruptions. By putting our Pomodoro App into Slack, we’re able to help you curb those interruptions.

Let’s look at how.

With Focus Mode, you can customize how long you want to be in “focus mode” for before taking a break.

Once you turn on Focus Mode, your Slack status reflects the current task you’re working on. This is really helpful for teams because now your co-workers and supervisors know what you’re working on without having to interrupt you to find out.

For more info on how our free Pomodoro for Slack integration works, see this quick ~1-minute video below, or read our post where we discuss its benefits and functionality in greater detail.

2. Forest

Forest is one of the most unique Pomodoro apps on our list. The idea is that every task is represented in the app by a tree and as you work on your task, your tree grows. But if you abandon your task, your tree dies. So the goal is to grow a forest by constantly adding tasks and completing them.

Pomodoro Technique Software Mac

If you’re interested in learning how Forest looks in practice before downloading it to your phone, here’s a comprehensive review that goes through what each screen looks like.

3. Minimalist

Minimalist is a Pomodoro timer app for people who like a sleek, modern look. Whereas most Pomodoro apps on our list are some kind of red — pomodoro is Italian for tomato — the Minimalist is all black and white.

When you open the app, you’re taken to a blank white screen. From there, you can swipe down to add new tasks. You can assign due dates to each task and also give the task a priority, from low to high.

High priority tasks are raised up to the top of your screen. Then you can click on the task and Minimalist takes you to another mostly white screen with a thin black circle that works as your Pomodoro timer.

4. FocusList

FocusList is a daily planner and focus app that works with all iOS products (including Mac computers).

The app comes with a few more features than most basic Pomodoro apps. For example, you can open up stats to see a calendar view of your past activities. This lets you track how often you were on task during workdays and whether any day of the week was particularly productive (or unproductive).

Plus, you can drill down to each day and see which exact tasks you worked on.

FocusList is better suited for individuals who want to disconnect from their normal work channels than it is for someone looking to improve their productivity within their team.

5. Pomotodo

Pomotodo has a free version and a paid, professional version. Pomotodo works with both iOS and Android devices.

With its pro plan, which costs $3.90 a month, you get advanced features such as:

• Advanced to-do lists. With to-do lists, you can set subtasks, reminders, recurring tasks, and add notes.
• Pomo goals. Set goals for how many pomos you want to complete in a given day.
• Integrations with iCalendar and Google Calendar. Put your tasks in iCalendar and Google Calendar. This can be shared with your team members so they can check your online Calendar to see if you’re currently working on a scheduled Pomo.
• Work report. Get end of the week work reports emailed to you, highlighting areas where you were most productive, including what tasks you finished.
• Customized duration. Like most Pomodoro apps, Pomotodo lets you customize your Pomo duration — 10 minutes, 25 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.
• A larger library of sounds. Some Pomodoro apps are completely silent, others have a soft ticking noise, and some even let you use your own music. When you upgrade to Pomotodo’s pro version, you get access to a variety of sounds, such as ambient white noise tracks — like birds in the rainforest or waves crashing on a beach.

Given its rather lightweight advanced features, there are more powerful Pomodoro apps on our list for a similar price.

6. Focus Booster

Focus Booster offers three different plans, ranging from free to $4.99 per month.

There’s the free plan, which is a simple, lightweight Pomodoro app. You can track 20 Pomodoro sessions per month. Once you start using the paid plans (with individual and professional tiers), you gain access to a dashboard to help you overview your productivity.

On the Individual Plan — which is $2.99 a month — you get 200 Pomodoro sessions per month. If you’re sticking with 25-minute Pomo, that means you get around 83 hours worth of time tracking a month, which equals just a little over 20 hours a week.

On the professional plan ($4.99 a month) you get unlimited Pomodoro sessions, plus you can also tie in revenue reporting with your Pomodoro reports.

Note: While tying in revenue reporting is a nice feature, it’s not so simple to show a relationship between how hard someone is working and how much revenue has increased. A Pomodoro measures the length of a task, not the effectiveness of a task.

7. Focus Keeper

Focus Keeper is a simple, straightforward Pomodoro app that was developed solely for iOS devices.

Like other Pomodoro apps on our list, you can use Focus Keeper to:

• Set a task you need to finish.
• Set the timer for 25 minutes.
• Stay focused until the timer rings, alerting you it’s time for a break.
• Take a short five-minute break. Let your eyes rest by looking away from the screen, or get up, stretch, and walk around.
• After finishing four focus sessions, the app tells you to take a longer break (between 15-30 minutes).

If you’re looking for more features, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan. Premium Focus Keeper users have access to custom Pomodoro sessions, color and theme options, data reports beyond three days, and a variety of alarms and ticking sounds.

8. Clockwork Tomato

Clockwork Tomato is an established Pomodoro app that’s specifically built for Android devices. It has been on the market for years and has a receptive audience with Android users.

You can configure the times, colors, sounds, and style. So, for example, you can set a 30 minute Pomodoro with a 10 minute break and you can customize it so the Clockwork Tomato plays the sound of rain falling while you’re on task.

If you want more functionality from Clockwork Tomato, you can upgrade within the app and get activity logs of your productivity.

9. Focus To-Do

Focus To-Do is a Pomodoro app that works with both iOS and Android devices. It has a really simple interface but offers more customization than other straightforward Pomodoro apps on our list.

For example, you can create categories or labels that are color coordinated, such as having a category for project-specific tasks. This is helpful when it comes to looking at Focus To-do’s analytics, because now you can clearly see which tasks are taking up the most of your time.

There is a paid version for Focus To-Do, but most customers agree that the free version alone is more than advanced enough, as with the free version you get categories, sounds, and customizable timers.

Final Thoughts: Are You Ready to Increase Your Productivity?

As we said at the beginning, there are literally hundreds of productivity apps (if not more) available on the Apple Store and the Google Play store. Then there are even more platforms available online.

You can choose a simple Pomodoro timer that doesn’t offer any advanced features — such as analytics and a library of sounds to listen to while you’re on task — or you can choose a Pomodoro app that lets you write a daily task list, organize our tasks by category, and view analytics at the end of the week.

If you’re looking for a free Pomodoro timer that helps increase your productivity while integrating with Slack, check out Focus Mode by Geekbot.

Frequently asked questions

What Is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro technique is a popular way to track and improve your productivity. Developed by Francecso Cirillo, an Italian software engineer who needed a way to stay focused on his studies, the technique is both simple and effective.

A Pomodoro is a set time for staying on tasks, followed by a quick break. Traditionally, the ratio works like this: 25 minutes on task, followed by a 5 minute break.

You can technically work in Pomodoros with something as simple as a kitchen timer or stopwatch. Just set the timer for 25 minutes, get on task, and once 25 minutes has passed, take your break, then repeat. Once you’ve done 5 Pomos in a row, take a longer break — somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes.

Free Pomodoro App Mac Os

But most people see the benefit of finding a Pomodoro app that lets them use their phone or computer to increase productivity.

Which Pomodoro App Is the Best?

The best Pomodoro App is one that works for your specific needs. Obviously, a college student is going to need a slightly different Pomodoro App than a software developer. We made Focus Mode by Geekbot to work as a Pomodoro Timer that integrates with Slack.

By doing this, you can be on task, while communicating to your team members what you’re working on. Plus, you don’t have to add another tool to your belt — you already use Slack. Focus Mode takes that functionality and leverages it in your favor.

Is Pomodoro Effective?

Yes, the Pomodoro method is very effective for getting things done. Pomos work because they focus your mind on the job at hand while breaking up larger projects into more digestible tasks.

Free Pomodoro App Mac Free

Unfortunately, a lot of our time at work is often spent thinking about work or avoiding what we need to be doing by spending our time with small, menial tasks that aren’t a priority.

Why Is Pomodoro 25 Minutes Long?

Free Pomodoro App Macbook

Pomodoros are 25 minutes because that’s pushing the lengths of your attention span, without completely setting you up for failure. But you don’t have to do a 25 minute long Pomo session.

If you’re new to Pomodoro — or someone who really struggles with staying on task for a long time — you can set 15-minute Pomodoros. And you can track over the weeks as you grow more and more comfortable with extending the length of your Pomodoros.

Pomodoro Desktop App Mac

Breaks are normally 5 minutes long, and then 15-minute long breaks after you’ve completed a number of Pomodoros.