Best Pomodoro Timers to Rocket Your Productivity
Updated on 28 Nov 2023 • 6 min read • posted by Yevhen Codes
Are you weary of incessantly glancing at your device, getting distracted by notifications, and lacking concentration? Why not attempt the Pomodoro method, a time-management technique centered on segmenting work into twenty-five-minute intervals succeeded by a five-minute reprieve? The principle behind this is to assist in keeping you concentrated, efficient, and lively throughout the day.
How can you use the Pomodoro method? Download a Pomodoro app on your mobile device, tablet, or PC.
Best Pomodoro Apps
- For a web-based Pomodoro timer: Yellow Tomato
- For a gamified approach: Forest App
- For smart reports: Flat Tomato
- For task classification: Focus To-Do
- For multiple projects: Focus Booster
- For web-based tracking: Pomofocus
- For Apple users: Plantie
While Francesco Cirillo (developer of the Pomodoro method) had fewer distractions back in his day, he did not have a Pomodoro technique app to help him focus and be productive. Today’s solutions are much more than simple timers. Let’s see what apps out there you can leverage.
Yellow Tomato — Simple Pomodoro Timer
Yellow Tomato is an intuitive Pomodoro timer that helps you focus right in your favorite browser. No app, no install — use it simply by accessing the website and allowing your browser to notify you. Just set up your workable time interval, list distracting sites, and focus on the task until the time is up.
You can set up a 25-minute interval as well as 30/45/60-minutes and focus on the task until the time is up. Once you hear a short beep it's time to mark what you completed and take a break. Keep track of your productive Pomodoros with Productive Fish Pomodoro Timer.
Platform: web
Pricing: free
Forest App
Forest app helps you to stay focused and introduces a gamified approach of planting and growing trees. If you start working and use your phone in a non-related way (eg. open Messenger), you get a warning. If you keep switching back from your tasks to less important distractions, your tree will stop growing and will eventually dry out. You are free to set the time frame for how long you want to focus between 10 and 120 minutes. After each period is completed, you receive coins in proportion to how long you have not used your phone. (From which you can buy beautiful trees that are just waiting to be grown.)
Moreover, if you are persistent enough, you can plant a real tree in a designated place, which can be a real motivating force. You can listen to the background noise of a Parisian café or a sandy beach to help to focus.
Setting up 25-minute-long intervals in Forest will just do the trick. However, measuring quick breaks and long pauses are not yet available. Still, if you are looking for a great Pomodoro timer app, that helps you focus and forces you – in a gamified way – to do so, Forest is a wonderful choice.
Platforms: iOS, Android
Pricing: $3.99
Flat Tomato
Flat Tomato application is crafted to fulfill every need of a Pomodoro-er. Wonderful design with easy-to-use interfaces supports you along your day of study and work. You can set tasks, start timers for the different intervals and you can also listen to ambient music and background noises, such as ocean waves, to support your focus.
The app’s core is the Pomodoro technique, and all its features are designed with that in mind. And what makes it a top-ranked, best Pomodoro app? It offers smart reports and analytics to understand what you have done, which, to be honest, gives quite the satisfaction.
Platforms: iOs, macOS
Pricing: free
Focus To-Do
Focus To-Do seems similar to Flat Tomato and at its core, they both are to help you nurture the Pomodoro technique. However, Focus To-Do offers a complete platform to set up different tasks with categorization, prioritization capabilities. By standard Pomodoro and task management can be done via two different solutions using integrations, Focus To-Do offers them under one umbrella.
You will be able to break down your tasks into small pomodoros and organize them throughout your day. This is by far the best Pomodoro technique app if you are looking for an all-in-one solution.
Platforms: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows
Pricing: free
Focus Booster
Focus Booster is close to its competitor, Flat Tomato, but is available on all platforms, including on the web via a browser. It makes it one of the best solutions to utilize the Pomodoro technique as it is easy-to-setup and affordable.
You can set timers, do the intervals and breaks, and review your data after your session on a minimalist, yet beautiful user interface. With the free plan you can track 20 pomodoro sessions per month and have productivity reporting. The paid plan is featured with unlimited amounts of sessions and CSV data export.
Platforms: web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows
Pricing:
- Starter: free
- Professional: $4.99
Pomofocus
Pomofocus is the most straightforward and minimalistic approach to measure your intervals. You can make the best out of it even as a guest, but then you won't be able to see your results in well-organized charts. If you need to quickly set up your Pomodoro infrastructure, this is the best solution.
Stripped down to its very core is by far the most intuitive Pomodoro solution. Pomofocus alows you to make a list of tasks, plan your pomodoro sessions and view the report. No app, no install - use it simply by accessing their website and allowing your browser to notify you.
Platform: web
Pricing: free
Plantie
Your personal productivity is about to blossom with the Plantie app. This app with a user-friendly design helps you remain focused on your work, rewarding you with joyful growth and harvest. By tracking your daily progress, you earn motivating badges and unlock more fruit as you succeed.
Visualizes your work periods and rest intervals as your virtual garden's growth and yield. The app is simple to use and have all necessary settings: focus mode, notifications, progress reports. The Plantie could be a good free alternative to the Forest app.
Platform: iOS
Pricing: free
What Makes a Pomodoro Method App Effective
The potency of the Pomodoro Technique lies in its unpretentiousness. The deployment of a powerful PC or a virtual assistant is dispensable for its operation. A timer, digital or analog, is adequate for the task. Nonetheless, the most superlative Pomodoro timer applications supplement the system with additional features and make it easier to apply.
Easy-to-use
Any apps should be intuitive to be picked up by users, but it especially stands for solutions meant to make our lives easier. Imagine a software that takes away your time to make you able to get a better performer.
Reviewing
Analytics is key not just for your boss to see your performance, but to show results for yourself. It provides satisfaction to see all the tasks you’ve accomplished.
Integrations
Managing complex projects nowadays require several software solutions to use and the best way to utilize them is via integrations. Data shared between these apps makes your life so much easier.
Tips on How to Use a Pomodoro App
We’ve already covered the question of how to use the Pomodoro timer in our article on the Pomodoro method. However, if you use a specialized tool for this technique, how can you boost your productivity with it? Here are a few practical tips:
Customize your intervals. While the traditional Pomodoro technique suggests working for 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break, everyone's optimal productivity intervals might vary. Experiment with longer or shorter work periods to see what suits you best. Almost every tool allows you to adjust these settings effortlessly.
Combine with task management. Many Pomodoro tools also include task management features, allowing you to track which tasks you're focusing on during each Pomodoro. Always make sure to prioritize your tasks and work on the most important ones first.
Avoid multitasking. The essence of the Pomodoro technique is to focus on one task at a time. If you're finding it hard to stick to one task, try breaking it down into smaller, manageable chunks that can each be completed in one Pomodoro.
Use the tool consistently. Try to make a commitment to use the tool every day, even if it's only for a short amount of time at first. Over time, you'll build a habit that can significantly improve your productivity.
Utilize notifications wisely. Use the notifications feature to remind you when to start and stop work. However, ensure that other notifications (like email or social media alerts) are turned off during your work periods to avoid distractions.
Remember, the ultimate goal is not just to complete more Pomodoros but to use your time effectively and maintain a sustainable, healthy approach to work. Experiment with different strategies until you find what works best for you.
Final Thought
The Pomodoro technique is an excellent approach for accomplishing tasks, whether you're a project manager, freelancer, or student managing personal projects. With the Pomodoro technique as your secret weapon, you can conquer any task with ease and achieve your goals faster than you ever thought possible. Try out a range of the best Pomodoro timers and discover the one that best complements your work style and preferences.
