Comparison

Session Timer vs Tomato Hour

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

Head to head
About

Session Timer

Enhance your concentration and build lasting focus habits with distraction-free work sessions. Utilize proven techniques, immersive soundscapes, and intelligent tracking to understand and improve your productivity without burnout.

Highlights
  • Customizable focus timers
  • Work-break rhythm intervals
  • Immersive ambient soundscapes
  • Intelligent progress tracking
  • Task management and assignment
  • Data export for analysis
Features
Read full description

DEEPFOCUS helps you reclaim your attention and build deep focus habits that last. Create distraction-free work sessions, stay productive without burnout, and see real progress over time. CORE FOCUS EXPERIENCE Turn any moment into a deep work session. Start focused timers from 5 minutes to 2 hours and match them to your goals: a 25-minute reading sprint, a 90-minute coding block, a 45-minute writing session, or a quick 10-minute review. DeepFocus gives every session a clear start and end so you can begin faster, avoid endless screen time, and stay locked in. FOCUS INTERVAL TECHNIQUE Use a proven work-break rhythm with minimal effort. Pick classic 25 minutes of focus with 5-minute breaks or fully customize your own intervals. DeepFocus automatically switches between focus and rest and prompts you when it is time to work and when it is time to recover. This helps you build long productive streaks while reducing mental fatigue and decision overload. IMMERSIVE SOUND ENVIRONMENT Block distractions with concentration-friendly soundscapes. Choose from carefully selected options like rain forest, urban cafe, silent library, ocean waves, and calm instrumental backgrounds to stay engaged without pulling your attention back to your surroundings. INTELLIGENT PROGRESS TRACKING Understand your focus habits so you can improve intentionally. DeepFocus shows: - Sessions completed today, this week, and this month - Total time spent in deep focus - Streaks of consecutive focused days - The time of day you are most productive - Trends and patterns over time Ask yourself practical questions like: When do I focus best? How many hours did I really study this week? Am I improving compared to last month? TASK MANAGEMENT Know exactly what you are spending your focus on. Assign each session to a category such as Work, Study, Coding, Reading, or create your own custom task. When the day or week ends, review which activities used most of your deep focus time and adjust your schedule so your effort matches your priorities. PREMIUM FEATURES Upgrade your focus system with deeper insights and more control: - Advanced analytics with deeper habit insights - Custom task creation and detailed task management - Apple Focus Mode integration to reduce interruptions while you work - A larger premium ambient sound library - Session effectiveness ratings to track quality, not only time - Data export to back up or analyze your focus results elsewhere Whether you are studying for exams, driving deep work at a job, or protecting uninterrupted creative time, DeepFocus gives you structure, feedback, and an environment built to keep you on task. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://marcn.app/privacy

About

Tomato Hour

This productivity app helps you stay focused using a Pomodoro timer that syncs across your iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac. It features real-time updates on your devices, including the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen, and allows you to track your focus time accurately.

Highlights
  • Real-time sync across iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac
  • Dynamic Island and Lock Screen integration
  • Watch face complications
  • Honest focus time tracking
  • To-dos convert to Pomodoros
  • Strict focus mode without pause
  • Privacy-first design with no servers
Features
Read full description

Tomato Hour is a focus timer that spans iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac. Start a pomodoro on your watch, and your iPhone's Dynamic Island and Mac's menu bar follow along. REAL-TIME SYNC ACROSS THREE DEVICES Built on Apple's private CloudKit sync — act on one device, all three follow instantly. No need to pull out your phone: a glance at your wrist or menu bar keeps your focus in sight. DYNAMIC ISLAND & LOCK SCREEN Time remaining shows live in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen, so you always know where you are without opening the app. WATCH FACE COMPLICATIONS Put the countdown right on your watch face. Turn the Digital Crown to scroll through today's focus stats. HONEST FOCUS RECORDS Stretch a pomodoro to 30 minutes and it logs 30 minutes — the time that actually happened, not the time you planned. Grouped by day, with tag breakdowns. TO-DOS BECOME POMODOROS Tap a to-do to start timing. Change what you're working on mid-session without breaking your rhythm. STRICT FOCUS MODE No pause button by default. You get an alert when a pomodoro or break ends — when to move on is up to you. PRIVACY FIRST No account, no servers of ours. Every record lives on your own devices and in your private iCloud database. We cannot see what you're focusing on.

Screenshots

Session Timer4 screens
Tomato Hour4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tomato Hour at none against Session Timer's 3. Tomato Hour also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Tomato Hour asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Session Timer against 5.0 for Tomato Hour. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Session Timer ships an update every 5 weeks, Tomato Hour every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Session Timer versus Tomato Hour: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSession TimerTomato Hour
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.117.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcelo Nardone瑞玮 朱

Customer experience

Session Timer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Tomato Hour

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Session Timer

Subscriptions2
  • DeepFocus Monthly$1.991 Month
  • DeepFocus Yearly$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • DeepFocus - Track your Time$19.99
None

Tomato Hour

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Session Timer free?
Session Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tomato Hour free?
Tomato Hour is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Session Timer or Tomato Hour?
Session Timer and Tomato Hour are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Session Timer or Tomato Hour have ads?
Neither Session Timer nor Tomato Hour shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Session Timer or Tomato Hour?
Session Timer ships an update every 5 weeks, and Tomato Hour every 3 days. Most recently, Session Timer was updated on October 15, 2026 and Tomato Hour on October 12, 2026.

Other comparisons