Comparison

Pomodoro Focus Timer vs ReadSlow

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

Head to head
About

Pomodoro Focus Timer

This app uses the Pomodoro technique to help you focus on tasks and understand your time usage. It offers a customizable timer, ambient sounds, idea capture, and detailed statistics to build a sustainable focus rhythm.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro timer with customizable phases
  • Ambient sound mixing for focus
  • Quick idea capture and organization
  • Session tagging for detailed tracking
  • Focus history and statistics
  • Widgets and Live Activities support
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

Focus timer + white noise for calmer, more consistent work. PomoJoy turns the Pomodoro method into a simple focus ritual for iPhone: start a session, protect your attention, and see your progress over time. Focus better with: - Flexible work, short-break, and long-break sessions - Ambient sound mixing for a calmer workspace - Inbox for capturing ideas before they become distractions - Tags for work, study, exercise, and projects - Focus Journey by day, week, and month - Trends, totals, averages, tag breakdowns, and activity heatmaps - Widgets and Live Activities to keep focus visible - Alerts when sessions end - iCloud sync across your devices Made for students, makers, developers, writers, remote workers, and anyone building a steadier focus habit. Start a session. Stay with it. Build a focus rhythm that lasts. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ReadSlow

Features
Read full description

ReadSlow isn't another "save it for later" tool. It's a small ritual for actually finishing one article a day β€” bilingual support is just the handrail that makes that easier. β€”β€” Why this app exists β€”β€” You can read English/French/German/Chinese..., but don't always have the energy to push through a few thousand words. You'd love to just read the translation, but don't want to lose the feel of the original. Your "to-read" list keeps growing, while the list of things you've actually finished barely moves. If that sounds like you, ReadSlow is built for you. β€”β€” How it helps you "finish" β€”β€” β—Ž Bilingual side-by-side reading A reading space designed for long-form text, with the original and the translation side by side. The default nudges you toward the original; when you get stuck, the translation is one tap away. No guilt for glancing at the translation. β—Ž Light rhythm and feedback Date, current streak, a small mark β€” light feedback that turns "one a day" into a habit. No points, no badges β€” just the quiet line: "I actually read this one today." β—Ž A 7-article reading queue Your queue holds at most 7 articles. Want to add an 8th? Remove one first. This isn't a bug β€” it's the feature. A number you can see the end of forces one question: "Are these 7 the ones I truly want to read?" β€”β€” What it isn't β€”β€” Not an all-in-one translator. Not a content library. Not driven by points or badges. Every feature serves a single goal: making it easier to finish today's article. β€”β€” One last thing β€”β€” In an age where scrolling short videos and feeds has become the default, sitting down to finish a few-thousand-word foreign language article has become something rare, something quietly worth being proud of. ReadSlow only wants to help you do that small thing, once a day. β€”β€” About ReadSlow Plus β€”β€” To access the premium features, become a Plus member. Subscribe yearly or monthly, and your iTunes account will be charged upon confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage your subscription in the App Store account settings. β€”β€” Legal β€”β€” β—Ž Privacy Policy: https://dominich.notion.site/ReadSlow-Privacy-Policy-3a63caf5a3e280bcb89ecec6f80581b1 β—Ž Terms of Use: https://app.notion.com/p/dominich/ReadSlow-Terms-of-Use-3a63caf5a3e280fb9d83db5a45b410a7

Screenshots

Pomodoro Focus Timer4 screens
ReadSlow3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ReadSlow at every 3 days against Pomodoro Focus Timer's weekly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Pomodoro Focus Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and ReadSlow sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pomodoro Focus Timer ships an update weekly, ReadSlow every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 7 level
Pomodoro Focus Timer versus ReadSlow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPomodoro Focus TimerReadSlow
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumβ€”
DevicesiPhone, Mac β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size28 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerζ…§ζ–Œ εˆ˜η‚œδΈœ ι»„

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Pomodoro Focus Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$19.99
2 purchases

ReadSlow

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Yearly$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Pomodoro Focus Timer free?
Pomodoro Focus Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReadSlow free?
ReadSlow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pomodoro Focus Timer or ReadSlow have ads?
Neither Pomodoro Focus Timer nor ReadSlow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pomodoro Focus Timer or ReadSlow?
Pomodoro Focus Timer ships an update weekly, and ReadSlow every 3 days. Most recently, Pomodoro Focus Timer was updated on November 5, 2026 and ReadSlow on October 31, 2026.

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