# Pomocat vs Study Buddies

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Study Buddies at none against Pomocat's 3. Study Buddies also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Pomocat's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pomocat sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Study Buddies asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pomocat ships an update every 3 weeks, Study Buddies every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pomocat | Study Buddies |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (482 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pomocat-adorable-focus-timer/id1667838757/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **482** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 146 MB | 738 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jaeil Roh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569364106) | [jason punselie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679426285) |

## What reviewers say

### Pomocat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pomocat-adorable-focus-timer/id1667838757)

This app helps you focus on tasks with a cute cat companion and calming white noise. It offers customizable timers, progress tracking, and the ability to focus with friends. Premium features include reminders, more sound options, and advanced to-do list management.

**Highlights:** Cute cat animations, Relaxing white noise, Focus with friends, Progress tracking, Customizable timers, Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly Pass | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Semiannual Pass | $13.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium Annual Pass | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Cute and aesthetically pleasing design
- 👍 Intuitive and simple user interface
- 🎵 Quality variety of focus and break sounds
- ⚙️ Customizable timer ratios and durations
- 🆓 Generous free version with core functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💳 Premium features required for multiple tasks
- 💳 Limited customization without premium
- 🔊 Aggressive meowing sound at timer end
- 🐛 Number overlap on some phone screens
- 🎨 Limited color customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Numbers overlap on certain phone displays
- Theme compatibility issues with iOS 18

**Requested features**

- Home screen widgets for timer tracking
- iPad widget support
- Dynamic Island timer display for background tracking
- More color customization for cat and app interface
- Built-in to-do list functionality


### Study Buddies

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-buddies-focus-timer/id6446861499)

This app uses a gamified Pomodoro technique to help users focus on tasks and reduce phone usage. It offers ambient sounds and competitive features to motivate users to build better habits and improve productivity.

**Highlights:** Gamified focus timer, Pomodoro technique, Habit tracking and building, Ambient sounds (lo-fi, white noise), Competitive features with friends, Phone addiction reduction

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pomocat free?

Pomocat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Study Buddies free?

Study Buddies is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Pomocat or Study Buddies have ads?

Both Pomocat and Study Buddies show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pomocat or Study Buddies?

Pomocat ships an update every 3 weeks, and Study Buddies every 2 months. Most recently, Pomocat was updated on October 8, 2026 and Study Buddies on October 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*