Comparison

Roots vs PomoTomo App

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

Head to head
About

Roots

This app helps you regain control of your phone usage by setting app limits, scheduling downtime, and participating in detox challenges. It provides insights into your screen time habits and offers features like 'Monk Mode' for focused periods. Aimed at improving well-being and reducing phone addiction.

Highlights
  • App and website blocking
  • Scheduled downtime
  • Phone detox challenges
  • Monk Mode for strict blocking
  • Digital dopamine monitoring
  • Daily goals and progress tracking
  • Personal balance score
Features
Read full description

Roots is the #1 screen time app. Set boundaries with your phone, and unlock more time.  Screen time has a major impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. We're here to help — with better app limits, digital downtime, daily goals, balance score, and more. Join thousands of people using Roots to build a better relationship with their phone. WHAT TO EXPECT - Better screen time management - Unlock 2 hours per day - Stop scrolling mindlessly - Cure your phone addiction - Detox from phone dopamine - Find better balance - Be more present - Stay focused BLOCK NOW - Start blocking apps at any time with one tap BETTER APP LIMITS - Block any app or website based on time limits or number of opens SCHEDULE DOWNTIME - Be intentional with "mindful mornings", "evening wind down", and more PHONE DETOX CHALLENGES - Personalized challenges to compete with yourself and friends - Challenges with neuroscientist and Roots Chief Science Officer, Tj Power BLOCK WITH "MONK MODE" - App blocking that doesn't let you unblock until tomorrow MONITOR DIGITAL DOPAMINE - Not all screen time is equal, so we help you understand the impact of each app DAILY GOALS - Set goals for screen time and phone pickups, and track your daily progress PERSONAL BALANCE SCORE - Daily score helps keep you accountable with beautiful illustrations and visuals SCREEN TIME TRENDS - View the progress and trends of your screen time journey BUILD A STREAK - Build a streak as you stay under limits, earn cheat days and custom app icons BLOCK ADULT WEBSITES - Keep yourself off adult websites once and for all DON’T JUST TAKE IT FROM US "We’re all guilty of being obsessed with our phones. Roots helps you break free." -- Tj Power, Neuroscientist and Author “It's beautiful, and it works” -- Jameston78 “This app does what it says” -- Casper-F “Worth every penny” -- Thehikingfool PRIVACY GUARANTEED We use Apple’s Screen Time API so all of your phone usage data stays on your phone. TERMS & CONDITIONS - Auto-Renewing Subscription Options: Roots Plus (Monthly or Annual) - Terms: https://www.getroots.app/terms - Privacy Policy: https://www.getroots.app/privacy-policy

About

PomoTomo App

This app combines the Pomodoro technique with social accountability to boost productivity. Work alongside others in real-time channels, share progress updates, and get inspired by a community focused on getting things done.

Highlights
  • Social focus sessions with friends
  • Real-time activity updates in channels
  • Progress tracking with photo posts and captions
  • Calendar heat map for analytics
  • Goal setting for focus areas
  • Offline timer functionality
Features
Read full description

PomoTomo is Pomodoro with friends! Whenever you walk into a busy cafe or go out to study with a friend, there's always a clear boost in your productivity. But when you're home alone, you find yourself procrastinating. Why is that? Body doubling is a strategy where your productivity increases when you work alongside someone. PomoTomo helps fight procrastination by using the Pomodoro technique to start your tasks and body doubling to finish them. FOCUS WITH FRIENDS PomoTomo is a social productivity app that keeps track of real-time events in channels filled with people who share your interests. When you join a channel and start your timer, everyone receives live updates on your activity. Channels can be created by anyone. You can also view channel-specific feeds, see if people you follow are in that channel, and chat with members. GET INSPIRED Focus sessions are posts created after your timer is done. You can post photos, create a caption, and save your work to specific folders (stacks) in your profile. Think of it as your own personal gallery of progress. Rather than posting just the finished product, PomoTomo encourages posting as you go, allowing you to view your progress over time. You can also follow other users to see a variety of activities they're working on. It can be used for drawing, studying, and even cooking! Social media can be addictive, taking away time from the work you need or want to do. We don't want to discourage social media, but we do believe the content you consume throughout your day matters. So rather than completely rejecting it, you can embrace it while being productive with PomoTomo. Although social media may offer a handful of motivational posts, the vast majority of content we consume bombards us with instant gratification. This can be dangerous for our productivity because it makes low-stimulation tasks harder to complete. That's why posts on PomoTomo are oriented around the work done by other users. You can like posts, create comments, and view posts specific to channels you're interested in. BEAT PROCRASTINATION Pomodoro is a study technique that breaks up larger tasks into bite-sized pieces. For example, one hour of studying can be daunting, but by breaking it up into four 15-minute study sessions, it's easier to get started and build momentum. PomoTomo has the Pomodoro technique deeply integrated by focusing posts around study sessions. ANALYTICS AND GOAL TRACKING Focuses are the general skills or hobbies you're working on. These are tracked on the analytics page in a calendar heat map to get a glance at how much you've done over a span of day, month, or year. Goals can also be set for each focus area to help you stay consistent, since 1% every day can add up. It's productivity with rewards, customizable to you. WORKS OFFLINE If you're at a cafe and they don't want to give the WiFi password, you can start a timer and save your sessions completely offline after logging in once. Don't be afraid to stop or start timers anywhere you are. ----- Getting things done doesn't have to be alone. Download PomoTomo and start your productivity journey!

Screenshots

Roots4 screens
PomoTomo App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: PomoTomo App at free against Roots's free with in-app purchases. PomoTomo App also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Roots's advantage is ratings volume (3.1K vs 4). On price, update cadence, 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. Roots sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and PomoTomo App sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PomoTomo App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roots has 3.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Roots's written reviews are positive against 100% of PomoTomo App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Roots ships an update every 2 weeks, PomoTomo App every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Roots versus PomoTomo App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRootsPomoTomo App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3.1K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.1K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.016.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size355 MB56 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMWMNapoleon Torrico IV

Customer experience

Roots

All ratings2,867 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews369 reviews
Positive75.6%
Neutral5.1%
Negative19.2%

PomoTomo App

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Roots

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Apps getting blocked when they shouldn't be
  • Screen time data not syncing correctly
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Subscription issues and inability to cancel
  • Trouble with the initial setup and syncing

Requested features

5 requests
  • Home screen and lock screen widgets
  • Customizable challenges and ability to share with friends
  • More options for the 'Do Not Disturb' mode
  • Improved analytics and progress tracking
  • Ability to easily adjust app limits without resetting

PomoTomo App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

18 purchases

Roots

Subscriptions18
  • Roots Plus - Monthly Plan$6.991 Month
  • Premium$7.997 Days
  • Roots Plus - Weekly Plan3 Days trial$7.997 Days
Show 15 more
  • Roots - Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Roots Plus - Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Roots - Monthly Plan$19.991 Month
  • Premium Pass7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Roots Plus - Annual Plan$29.991 Year
  • Premium$39.991 Year
  • Roots Plus - Annual Plan7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Premium Pass$59.991 Year
  • Roots Plus - Annual Plan7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Premium1 Month trial$69.991 Year
  • Roots Plus - Annual Plan$79.991 Year
  • Premium Pass1 Year trial$99.991 Year
  • Premium3 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Premium Pass1 Month trial$99.991 Year
  • Premium Pass7 Days trial$99.991 Year
5 purchases

PomoTomo App

Subscriptions2
  • Plus (Monthly)$0.991 Month
  • Plus (Yearly)$9.991 Year
One-time3
  • Study Buddy$1.00
  • Focus Boost$5.00
  • Knowledge Master$10.00

Questions

Is Roots free?
Roots is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PomoTomo App free?
PomoTomo App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Roots or PomoTomo App?
PomoTomo App is rated higher. Roots averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while PomoTomo App averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Roots or PomoTomo App have ads?
Neither Roots nor PomoTomo App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Roots or PomoTomo App?
Roots ships an update every 2 weeks, and PomoTomo App every 4 weeks. Most recently, Roots was updated on October 27, 2026 and PomoTomo App on October 12, 2026.

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