Comparison

Zen vs Pomodoro Timer

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

Head to head
About

Zen

A minimalist timer designed to improve focus through structured work and break intervals. It uses calming Japanese-inspired visuals and ambient sounds to create a peaceful work environment, helping users build better focus habits without distractions.

Highlights
  • Minimalist Pomodoro timer
  • Japanese-inspired visual scenes
  • Ambient sound cues for focus and breaks
  • Customizable focus and break durations
  • Keeps display awake
  • Ad-free experience
Features
Read full description

A calmer way to focus. Zen is a minimalist Pomodoro timer that helps you build better focus habits. Work in focused intervals, take short breaks, and repeat. It’s a simple way to bring a little more structure and calm to your day. Watch time flow, not count down. Instead of watching numbers tick away, watch a brushstroke slowly fill a beautiful Japanese-inspired scene. A gentle, visual way to see time passing without the pressure of a countdown. Find your rhythm. Choose your own focus and break durations, then let gentle sounds guide you through each session: - Focus: Soft rain accompanies your work session. - Break: A low, distant rumble signals it’s time to take a breather. - Back to focus: Birds signal the end of your break and the start of your next session. Less distraction, more focus. Explore five calming scenes, enjoy thoughtfully designed ambient sounds, and keep your display awake so your artwork stays in view. No dashboards, complicated statistics or unnecessary clutter. Just a beautiful timer to help you slow down, settle in and focus.

About

Pomodoro Timer

This app helps you optimize your time and boost work efficiency using the Pomodoro Technique. It features customizable timers, notifications, and detailed statistics to track your progress and achieve daily goals.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro Technique implementation
  • Customizable work and break intervals
  • Background operation
  • Alarm with notifications
  • Detailed statistical reports
  • Daily goal setting
  • Light and dark themes
Features
Read full description

Get more done in less time with Pomodoro Timer — a beautifully minimalist focus timer built on the proven Pomodoro Technique. Work in focused sprints, take refreshing breaks, and watch your productivity soar, all without draining your battery or your willpower. The idea is simple but powerful: work with full focus for a set time, then rest. Repeat. Our Pomodoro Timer guides you through every cycle with clear alarms and notifications, while detailed statistics reveal when and how you do your best work. WHY YOU'LL LOVE POMODORO TIMER • Customizable intervals — set your own work, short break and long break lengths. • Long breaks on your terms — trigger a longer rest after a set number of cycles. • Alarms & notifications — stay on track without watching the clock. • Daily goals — challenge yourself and build momentum every day. • Detailed statistics — see your most productive days and peak hours. • Monthly overview — track your focus and progress over time. • Runs in the background — keeps timing without burning battery. • Helpful content — practical tips to boost your productivity. • Works offline — light & dark themes — available in 70+ languages. HOW THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE WORKS 1. Choose the task you want to focus on. 2. Start the timer (25 minutes by default). 3. Work with full focus until it rings. 4. Take a short break (5 minutes by default). 5. After four cycles, enjoy a longer break (15 minutes by default). 6. Repeat, and watch the focused work add up. BEAT PROCRASTINATION FOR GOOD Big tasks feel less scary when you only have to focus for one short sprint. By breaking work into manageable intervals with guaranteed breaks, the Pomodoro Technique helps you start sooner, concentrate harder and avoid burnout. Momentum builds with every completed session. KNOW YOUR PRODUCTIVITY The built-in statistics turn effort into insight. Discover the days and hours when you focus best, see how many Pomodoros you complete, and use that knowledge to plan smarter, calmer, more productive days. PERFECT FOR • Students studying for exams and assignments. • Professionals tackling deep, focused work. • Writers, coders, designers and creatives. • Anyone who wants to beat distraction and procrastination. Take back your focus, one Pomodoro at a time. With this Minimalist Pomodoro Timer, productivity feels effortless, breaks feel earned, and progress is always within reach. Your most focused self starts now. WHY THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE WORKS Our brains aren't built for endless focus. Short, timed sprints work with your natural attention span instead of against it: knowing a break is coming makes it easier to start and easier to stay locked in. The breaks aren't slacking — they're what keep your focus sharp, session after session. DESIGNED TO STAY OUT OF YOUR WAY A timer should help you focus, not distract you. That's why Pomodoro Timer keeps things clean and quiet, runs reliably in the background, and gently signals each transition so you can stay immersed in your work. No clutter and no fuss — just you and the task in front of you. BUILD A PRODUCTIVE ROUTINE With daily goals and a monthly overview, it's easy to turn focused work into a habit. Set a target number of Pomodoros, hit it each day, and watch your consistency build into real, visible momentum over weeks and months. Pomodoro timer and focus tool: use the Pomodoro Technique with customizable work and break intervals, alarms, daily goals and detailed statistics to beat procrastination and supercharge your productivity. Download Pomodoro Timer today and make every minute count. Privacy Policy: https://www.shpavda.com/products/pomodoro-timer/privacy/ Terms & Conditions: https://www.shpavda.com/products/pomodoro-timer/terms/ios/

Screenshots

Zen4 screens
Pomodoro Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zen at none against Pomodoro Timer's 2. Zen also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (80% vs 60%). Pomodoro Timer's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support 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. Pomodoro Timer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Zen asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Zen against 4.5 for Pomodoro Timer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 14 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Zen's written reviews are positive against 60% of Pomodoro Timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zen ships an update every 6 months, Pomodoro Timer every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Zen versus Pomodoro Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZenPomodoro Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (6 ratings)4.5 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings614 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB115 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAn TrinhSHPAVDA, TOO

Customer experience

Zen

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

Pomodoro Timer

All ratings14 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral7.1%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

None

Zen

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Pomodoro Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Ad-Free$0.991 Month
  • Yearly Ad-Free$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Zen free?
Zen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pomodoro Timer free?
Pomodoro Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Zen or Pomodoro Timer?
Zen and Pomodoro Timer are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 14 ratings respectively.
Do Zen or Pomodoro Timer have ads?
Pomodoro Timer shows ads; Zen does not.
Which is updated more often, Zen or Pomodoro Timer?
Zen ships an update every 6 months, and Pomodoro Timer every 2 months. Most recently, Zen was updated on November 3, 2026 and Pomodoro Timer on November 3, 2026.

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