Comparison

Session Pomodoro Focus Timer vs Study Timer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Session Pomodoro Focus Timer

This app helps users improve focus and productivity by guiding them through timed work sessions and breaks. It blocks distracting websites and apps, mutes notifications, and automates workflow elements like Do Not Disturb and music playback. Users can also track their time and review their progress.

Highlights
  • Timed work and break sessions
  • Website and app blocking (Mac only)
  • Mute Slack notifications
  • Automated Do Not Disturb
  • Music playback automation
  • Apple Calendar sync
  • Session progress tracking
Features
Read full description

- Do you procrastinate and spend your time mindlessly? - have problem with focusing? - often get distracted while trying to focus? - maybe you are burned out because you worked too much and forget to take necessary break? - or, maybe have an ADHD? Session can help you with your focus problem. Trusted daily by tens of thousands of engineer in Silicon Valley, independent studios in Madrid, writers in Netherlands, and creative worker + freelancer all over the world. It helps you be more productive by guiding you to work in sessions, block distractions, track your time, and remind you to rest. GET INTO HABIT OF WORKING IN TIME BLOCK Inspired by Pomodoro technique, Session helps you block your time for focus. 25 minutes or 45 minutes is all you need to get closer to your goal KEEP YOUR FOCUS BY BLOCKING WEBSITES AND APPS THAT DISTRACT YOU (MAC ONLY) Session block distracting website and apps when you started a Session. It'll automatically restore your website when you are on rest / session has ended. BLOCK SLACK TEAM Session will automatically mute Slack team you choose when Session has started and open them up again when Session has stopped working. DON'T FORGET TO TAKE A REST Forcing yourself to work on long period of time is ineffective. Rest is as important as work / study. Why? Because rest is a crucial time where you: - store what you have learned in your head, and where - your brain solve difficult problem on the background. Notice that you usually get a new idea and solves problem when you're on walk and shower. Or anywhere where you're away from "work". AUTOMATE YOUR WORKFLOW (AUTOMATIC DO NOT DISTURB, PLAY MUSIC) Imagine having no distracting notifications while working on. It's possible by turning on Do Not Disturb. What if you can turn it on when you started your Session, and disable it after Session ends—all automatically? Or maybe change bulb color, play Apple music when Session has started? Different playlist on break? It's possible with Session. Automate it with AppleScript on MacOS and Apple Shortcut on iOS SEE YOUR SESSIONS ON APPLE CALENDAR WITH ONE WAY SYNC. See automatically create Sessions on Apple Calendar to review how your day has progressed. REVIEW YOUR SESSIONS Are you spending more time on a task than it's worth? Session keep you mindful by tracking your work and ask what you have learned after Session has ended. Session tracks what you have worked on, what have you learned, and for how long. Review your progress and journey that you have made. — Need support? Contact philip@stayinsession.com for assistance! — Learn about what Session can do here: https://www.stayinsession.com/learn — Join our Discord community channel here: https://discord.com/invite/5KASx2T4RU

— Terms: https://www.stayinsession.com/terms Privacy policy: https://www.stayinsession.com/privacy-policy

About

Study Timer

This app helps you focus on tasks with customizable timers, motivational quotes, and visual progress tracking. It prioritizes user privacy by storing all data locally on your device. Features include Pomodoro timers, repeating sessions, and lock screen integration.

Highlights
  • Customizable timed tasks
  • Dynamic Island and Live Activity integration
  • Pomodoro timer with customizable cycles
  • Repeating sessions scheduling
  • Visual progress tracking chart
  • Motivational quotes
  • No data collection
Read full description

Keep your focus sharp, your privacy protected, and your productivity soaring. From motivational quotes and task names, to a progress chart that displays your daily focus for each task, along with separate cards for historical data, Study Timer - Shadow Task is the perfect app for students, hobbyists, professionals, and anyone looking to track and master their time. Everything you do stays on your device and never leaves the app. We believe that unnecessary data collection is a violation of your trust. That’s why we don’t collect any data. We listen to your feedback. If there’s a feature you’re dying to see, an annoying software bug, or confusing design choices that drive you crazy, simply select Submit Feedback in the Settings sheet and drop us a note. We’ll get the issue fixed or the feature added as soon as possible! Key Features: - Customizable Timed Tasks: Create, edit, and delete tasks with ease. Set individual durations for both session and break times, tailoring each task to fit your needs. - Dynamic Island and Live Activity: View timer intervals and progress from your lock screen or in the Dynamic Island while concentrating in another app. - Pomodoro: Stay productive with timed work intervals followed by breaks. The work-break cycle can be customized for each task, giving you full control of your focus. - Repeating Sessions: Need a task to repeat? Schedule how many times you want your work-break combo to cycle, helping you maintain consistent progress. - Visual Progress Tracking: Track your progress with an intuitive chart that resets daily. Get insights on your total focus time across days, weeks, months, and years. - Motivational Quotes: Make your focus time personal by drawing inspiration from other people. You can even enter your own quotes! - No Data Collection: Your privacy matters. Shadow Task stores all data locally on your device, ensuring that your personal task history and progress remain completely private. Why Shadow Task? Shadow Task goes beyond just a basic timer. It gives you the flexibility to customize your focus sessions while ensuring you get the breaks you need to stay energized and avoid burnout—all while preserving your privacy. With its easy-to-use interface and powerful tracking features, you’ll be able to see your productivity soar. What’s more, Shadow Task allows you to take control of your time and productivity. Every moment you focus is one less moment spent on distractions and one more moment to spend meaningfully. Shadow Task helps you save time and focus on what really matters. Download Shadow Task today and take control of your time, one task at a time. We’re here to cheer you on the whole way!

Screenshots

Session Pomodoro Focus Timer4 screens
Study Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Study Timer at free against Session Pomodoro Focus Timer's free with in-app purchases. Study Timer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Session Pomodoro Focus Timer's advantage is ratings volume (364 vs 3) and update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Session Pomodoro Focus Timer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Study Timer sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Study Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Session Pomodoro Focus Timer has 364 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Session Pomodoro Focus Timer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Study Timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Session Pomodoro Focus Timer ships an update every 5 days, Study Timer monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and July 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Session Pomodoro Focus Timer versus Study Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSession Pomodoro Focus TimerStudy Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (364 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews93.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings364 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS13.4 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTranslucent LLCCurvachip LLC

Customer experience

Session Pomodoro Focus Timer

All ratings364 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral0.8%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews447 reviews
Positive93.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.1%

Study Timer

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Session Pomodoro Focus Timer

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Issues with editing past sessions
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Integrate with more productivity apps and to-do lists
  • Add Apple Watch app support
  • Expand customization options for themes and sounds
  • Improve documentation and onboarding for advanced features

Study Timer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Session Pomodoro Focus Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Session monthly subscription$4.991 Month
  • Session yearly subscription$39.991 Year
3 purchases

Study Timer

One-time3
  • Cup of Coffee$2.99
  • Pomodoro Patron$4.99
  • Deep Work Donor$9.99

Questions

Is Session Pomodoro Focus Timer free?
Session Pomodoro Focus Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Study Timer free?
Study Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Session Pomodoro Focus Timer or Study Timer?
Study Timer is rated higher. Session Pomodoro Focus Timer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 364 ratings, while Study Timer averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Session Pomodoro Focus Timer or Study Timer have ads?
Neither Session Pomodoro Focus Timer nor Study Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Session Pomodoro Focus Timer or Study Timer?
Session Pomodoro Focus Timer ships an update every 5 days, and Study Timer monthly. Most recently, Session Pomodoro Focus Timer was updated on September 23, 2026 and Study Timer on July 23, 2026.

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