Short answer: Pomofocus is a clean, reliable Pomodoro timer with a task list. If you want the same kind of timer with rain, café and noise, focus music, and more methods than 25/5, with no ads, try Nova Focus. If you plan your day inside the timer, keep Pomofocus.
Features and prices checked on pomofocus.io on 2026-09-30.
What Pomofocus does well
Pomofocus is the timer many people find first, and for good reason:
- It opens straight into a 25-minute timer, with short and long break tabs.
- Tasks with pomodoro estimates, and a “finish at” time for your list.
- Up to three templates free, and reports of your focus time.
- Settings for every length, auto-start, long-break interval and alarm sounds.
- Premium ($3 a month, $18 a year, $54 lifetime) adds projects, yearly reports, report download, Todoist import, webhooks and no ads.
Why people look for an alternative
- They want music, not just noise. Pomofocus offers ticking, white noise and brown noise as focus sounds. There are no playlists.
- They want other methods explained. Pomofocus lets you set any length, but it does not help you decide whether 25/5, 50/10 or 52/17 suits your work.
- Ads. The free version shows ads; removing them needs Premium.
- A room, not a desk. Teachers and study groups want big digits on a projector.
Nova Focus vs Pomofocus
| Nova Focus | Pomofocus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no ads | Free with ads; Premium $3/month, $18/year, $54 lifetime |
| Account | Not needed | Optional sign-in |
| Presets | Pomodoro 25/5 (with a 30/5 option), 50/10, 52/17, Flowtime, Animedoro, countdowns from 1 minute to 3 hours | Any lengths you set for Pomodoro, short and long break |
| Method guidance | Each method page explains its origin and evidence | Short explainer of the Pomodoro Technique |
| Background sound | Rain, café and brown noise under the timer, each with its own volume; pink and white noise on the Music page | Ticking (fast/slow), white noise, brown noise |
| Music | Nova Sounds playlists on Spotify | None |
| Tasks and estimates | No | Yes |
| Reports | No | Yes (yearly report on Premium) |
| Integrations | Embeddable timer for Notion or a website | Todoist and webhooks (Premium) |
| Classroom / fullscreen | Classroom mode and fullscreen on single timers | Not a listed feature |
Who should pick which
Keep Pomofocus if you estimate tasks in pomodoros, like seeing when your list will be done, want reports of your focus time, or use Todoist. For $3 a month it is fair value, and it is well established.
Pick Nova Focus if you want calm music or steady sound during sessions, want to try other rhythms (50/10 for longer tasks, Flowtime when fixed intervals break your flow), teach or study in a room with a projector, or simply prefer no ads without paying.
Use both if you like Pomofocus for planning: keep its task list in one tab and play Nova’s sound in another. Only one timer should be running.
Moving from Pomofocus in one minute
- Pomofocus defaults to 25-minute pomodoros with a long break after four rounds. The Nova Focus 25/5 timer uses the same rhythm, with a 15-minute long break.
- If you had changed the lengths, pick the matching preset on the timer hub or type your own length.
- Choose a sound. Brown noise will feel familiar; try rain or the Nova Lo-Fi playlist for a softer start.
Comparing Pomofocus with the focus dashboard Flocus instead? Read Pomofocus vs Flocus.