There’s something about a well-designed app that can make nearly any task feel so much more enjoyable, purposeful, and easy. This holds especially true for a Pomodoro timer app, transforming your most important tasks into seamless sessions of focus and productivity.
In this article, we’ll first cover what the Pomodoro Technique is for anyone unfamiliar with this time management method. Then, we’ll share our top three favorite Pomodoro apps — because trust us, there are lots of options out there to sift through! By the end of this post, you’ll have everything you need to start mastering your time and cutting down on procrastination, starting today. Let’s start!
Note: Pomodoro® is one of the trademarks of Francesco Cirillo.
What is the Pomodoro Technique for time management?
In a nutshell, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that splits work time into 25-minute sprints, interspersed with regular breaks. By breaking your work into manageable 25-minute intervals, known as pomodoros, you can keep your focus sharp while avoiding burnout. These short bursts of productivity help prevent procrastination and enhance mental clarity, making it easier to stay on track and accomplish tasks efficiently.
Here’s how to introduce the Pomodoro method to your workflow:
- Pick a single task.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes and work only on the task at hand. (Every 25-minute work session is called a pomodoro.)
- When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper (or app!) and take a 5-minute break.
- After a certain number of pomodoros (traditionally four) take a longer break. Cirillo recommends a 20- to 30-minute break to allow the brain to “assimilate new information,” but some users report that a 15-minute break also works well.
Fun fact: Francesco Cirillo created this method as a university student in the late 1980s using his tomato-shaped kitchen timer; hence “pomodoro,” the Italian word for tomato!
What is a Pomodoro timer?
Practically speaking, a Pomodoro timer will tell you when each pomodoro is over, as well as when to start and stop each short break and long break. It can be adjusted to be a 5-, 25, or 30-minute timer — or however long you’d like your sessions to be.
Plus, there’s just something about a countdown that helps us stay accountable for how we use our time. You’re always free to use an old-fashioned kitchen timer (like Francesco Cirillo). But if you want to get the most productivity out of the technique, it helps to automate. That's where these apps come in. They offer more than a simple timer, with light task management, a choice of alarm sounds, and the ability to keep pomodoros coming without having to reset your timer manually each time.
When carefully selecting our choices, we took the following into account:
- Functionality
- Visually appealing and easy-to-navigate user interface
- App cost
Check them out below, listed in alphabetical order.
1. Focus Keeper: Best native app for mobile devices
If you’re looking for an app you can download on your mobile device, allow us to introduce Focus Keeper. Focus Keeper is compatible with iOS and Android, and it’s also available as an in-browser web app. Features include a minimalist interface, custom timer, light task management, and different background and alarm sounds. It even syncs with your own music library, so you can listen to your favorite focus playlist while you work (lofi, soft Jazz, and brown noise are all great options).
We also appreciated the charts feature. This tells you how many pomodoro sessions you’ve had over the last 30 or 14 days. It also offers “Auto-Continue,” which essentially keeps the timer running so you don’t need to start pomodoros or breaks manually.
Pricing
Focus Keeper is free, although you can upgrade to a paid plan ($2.99 monthly or $9.99 annually) to gain access to premium features like custom timer lengths, volume control, and focus reminders.
2. Pomofocus: Best web app (with a built-in to-do list)
Pomofocus is by far one of the best online Pomodoro timer we’ve tried (and we tried many). It hits all the marks:
- Simple to use
- Easy on the eyes
- Accessible to anyone with internet access
You don’t need a certain device or even a Pomofocus account to use it. And, did we mention it’s free?
Plus, there’s a built-in task list for you to keep track of whatever you have to do during a work session. The timer is completely customizable, so if the default 5-, 15-, and 25-minute intervals don’t work for you, you can always change them as you please. We also love how Pomofocus displays the countdown right next to the favicon, so that when you’re working in another browser tab, you can see how much time you have left at a glance.
Pricing
Pomofocus is free to use. Paid plans start at $3 a month, which give you access to premium features like the ability to add projects, import tasks from Todoist, see yearly reports, and more.
3. Toggl Track: Best desktop app and browser extension
Last but not least, time tracking app Toggl Track comes out on top in not one but three categories: desktop app, mobile app, and browser extension. Toggl Track is compatible with iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
In comparison to Focus Keeper and Pomofocus, Toggl Track offers many more features, including:
- Time tracking with billable rates
- Reporting
- Project and revenue tracking
- Team scheduling and management
But, if you’re only looking for a Pomodoro timer, don’t let all of that scare you away. Toggl Track is amazingly intuitive to use — and that includes its Pomodoro time tracking feature.
Whether you decide to use Toggl Track’s Pomodoro timer in the mobile app, desktop app, or extension, you can expect a clean user interface that encourages you to focus on the task at hand.
You’ll receive a notification when it’s time to take a break, so you can get in the flow without watching the clock. Plus, you can customize your intervals, choose your alarm sounds, and enable/disable a ticking sound during focus intervals.
Pricing
Toggl Track is free to use, and there’s no paywall to the Pomodoro feature. If you’d like access to all of Toggl Track’s time tracking features, however, upgrade to a paid plan starting at $9 a month.
Bottom line
Ticking off your to-do list and hitting your due dates can be difficult amongst distractions like Slack, emails, and social media. The Pomodoro Technique and these Pomodoro timer apps can help! The question is, which app is best for you?
If you’re going to be doing most of your pomodoros on your phone, we recommend Focus Keeper. If you need to do pomodoros in your browser, Pomofocus is a great pick. And, if you want a Pomodoro timer that offers more in the task management and time tracking department, Toggl Track offers plenty of other features right within the app.
About the author
Judy Tsuei is a Simon & Schuster author, speaker, and podcast host. She has been writing for Clockwise for several years while also being featured in MindBodyGreen, BBC Travel, Fast Company, Hello Giggles, and more. As the founder of Wild Hearted Words, a creative marketing agency for global brands, Judy is also a mentor with the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed accelerator. Judy advocates for mental and emotional health on her popular podcast, F*ck Saving Face. Follow along her journey at WildHeartedWords.com.
