Short answer: pick Pomofocus if you want a plain, fast timer that plans your task list in pomodoros. Pick Flocus if you want a good-looking focus dashboard with themes, ambient sound and music, and no ads on the free plan. Want steady background sound and more timer methods without paying? Nova Focus is a free third option.
Prices and features checked on pomofocus.io and flocus.com on 2026-09-30. Nova Focus is our product; we are not affiliated with either tool.
At a glance
| Pomofocus | Flocus | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Minimal timer and task list | Customisable “focus dashboard” with themes |
| Timer modes | Pomodoro, short break, long break, any lengths | Pomodoro, countdown, stopwatch, Animedoro; flip clock on Plus |
| Free plan | Full timer, tasks, up to 3 templates, reports; ads | Timer, up to 3 tasks at a time, one-day stats, limited themes and ambient sounds, curated playlists; no ads |
| Paid plan | $3/month, $18/year, $54 lifetime | Plus $5/month billed yearly (early bird; normally $9); lifetime normally $149 |
| Free trial | 7 days | None stated |
| Tasks | Pomodoro estimates, finish-time estimate, templates; projects on Premium | Up to 3 tasks free; full task suite with durations and ETAs on Plus |
| Stats | Reports; yearly report on Premium | One day free; daily, weekly, monthly on Plus |
| Focus sounds | Ticking, white noise, brown noise | Limited ambient sounds free; all sounds and soundscapes on Plus |
| Music | None | Flocus-curated playlists; your own Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud on Plus |
| Looks | Simple colour themes | Themes; uploads and YouTube video themes on Plus |
| Integrations | Todoist import and webhooks (Premium) | Cross-device sync (Plus) |
| Schools and teams | Not listed | Education and group plans on request |
Timer and planning
Pomofocus opens straight into a 25-minute timer. Add tasks, estimate them in pomodoros, and it tells you what time you will finish. Everything is adjustable: lengths, auto-start, long-break interval and alarm sound. It is the more practical planner of the two.
Flocus gives you more ways to time: Pomodoro, countdown, stopwatch and Animedoro. Its free plan keeps up to three tasks at a time; Plus adds the full task suite with durations and ETAs.
Sound, music and looks
This is where Flocus leads. Its free plan already has some ambient sounds and curated playlists, and Plus unlocks every sound, soundscapes and connections to your own streaming playlists. You can upload your own themes or use a YouTube video as a background on Plus.
Pomofocus keeps sound simple: an alarm of your choice and, if you want, ticking or white or brown noise while you work.
Price
Pomofocus is the cheaper upgrade at $3 a month, and its $54 lifetime price is about a third of Flocus’s usual $149. Flocus’s free plan has no ads, while Pomofocus’s does. Flocus’s early-bird Plus price of $5 a month is billed yearly; its monthly-billing price sits behind a toggle and we could not confirm it.
Who should pick which
- Pomofocus: you plan your day in pomodoros, want reports and Todoist import, and prefer a no-frills screen. Pay $3 a month if the ads bother you.
- Flocus: you want your focus space to look and sound good, like extras such as clear mode and a notepad, and want music inside the same tab.
- Nova Focus: you want calm background sound for free, with no ads and no account, and methods beyond 25/5 explained honestly.
The free third option
| Nova Focus | |
|---|---|
| Price | Free, no ads, no account |
| Timer | Pomodoro 25/5, 50/10, 52/17, Animedoro, Flowtime, countdowns from 1 minute to 3 hours, classroom mode |
| Sound | Rain, café and brown noise under every timer, each with its own volume; pink and white noise on the Music page |
| Music | Nova Sounds playlists on Spotify, from a Stockholm focus-music label |
| Not included | Task list, stats, themes, sync across devices |
Start with the 25/5 timer, or read our longer Pomofocus alternative page.