Comparison

Pomodoro Timer vs Habit Stacking

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

Head to head
About

Pomodoro Timer

This app helps you regain control of your focus time by blocking distracting applications and providing a customizable timer. It offers a simple, ad-free system to prevent unconscious app usage and support dedicated study or work sessions.

Highlights
  • Horizontal digital clock display
  • Customizable Pomodoro timer
  • Stopwatch functionality
  • Deep Focus app blocking
  • Ad-free experience
  • Horizontal desk design
Features
Read full description

You decided to focus—and somehow ended up on social media or watching videos again. Sound familiar? It's not because you lack willpower. Today's apps, social media above all, are designed to make you open them without thinking. Instead of letting your time be spent on autopilot, Deskmate helps you choose for yourself how to spend it. Deskmate doesn't rely on willpower. Just start the timer— that's your "focus switch." Open only the apps you want to focus on, and let Deep Focus block the rest. Protect your focus time with a system, not self-restraint. Deskmate is an app that quietly helps you choose how you spend your time. — KEY FEATURES — ■ Landscape Digital Clock Place it on your desk for a beautiful time display—your cue to get into focus mode. ■ Pomodoro Timer Automatically repeats a "25 minutes of focus + 5 minutes of break" cycle. Work and break lengths are fully customizable. ■ Stopwatch Simply track your study and work time. ■ Deep Focus Blocks the apps you choose, like social media and video apps, while you focus. Protects your focus with a system, not willpower. ■ Moods (clock designs) Clock designs like "Rainy Day" and "Midnight City" that change the atmosphere of your desk. No ads, in any feature. Deskmate never shows anything that gets in the way of your focus. — PERFECT FOR — • People who mean to focus but end up scrolling social media • Anyone who wants to dive deep into study or work • People working or studying from home who struggle to stay focused • Anyone looking for a quiet, ad-free app — CHANGE THE MOOD OF YOUR DESK — Deskmate is designed for landscape mode. No flashy decorations. No annoying ads. A simple design that blends into your desk. Before you know it, it's a permanent fixture there. Your desk companion. — STOP "MINDLESS SCROLLING" WITH A SYSTEM — "I keep opening Instagram without thinking." "Suddenly I'm watching YouTube." That's where Deep Focus comes in. While you focus, the apps you try to open simply won't launch. No need to fight temptation with willpower. Deskmate keeps you from getting sidetracked—so you don't have to. Your focus time stays yours. — PLANS — ■ Free • All clock, Pomodoro timer, and stopwatch features • Ambient sounds • "Simple Digital" mood • Deep Focus (up to 30 minutes per day) ■ LIGHT • All moods • Future content, including new moods • Deep Focus (up to 30 minutes per day) ■ PRO • Everything in LIGHT • Unlimited Deep Focus LIGHT and PRO are each available as a monthly or yearly subscription. Prices vary by country and region, so please check the App Store for details. New subscribers can try it free for 7 days. — GET STARTED — The clock, timer, and stopwatch are free to use, always. You can also try Deep Focus free for up to 30 minutes a day. A quiet companion for your desk—and your focus. You decide how to spend your time. — ABOUT SUBSCRIPTIONS — • After the 7-day free trial, the price of your selected plan will be charged to your Apple Account automatically. • Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/deskmate-termsofuse-en Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/deskmate-privacypolicy-en

About

Habit Stacking

Features
Read full description

Big goals fail because they start too big. Cubit starts with the moment after your coffee. Habit stacking is the one technique behind every routine that actually lasts: take a moment you already own (after coffee, after lunch, when you climb into bed) and attach a chain of tiny actions to it. Cubit is built around that single idea. You never track a lonely habit again; you run a stack, one block after another, and the anchor moment does the remembering for you. WHAT YOU GET • Routines that run themselves: every stack hangs on a real anchor moment, so you stop relying on willpower and start relying on sequence. • A first stack in under a minute: pick from 24 built-in micro-habits such as one push-up, box breathing, a gratitude note or phone face-down. • Momentum you can see: check off each block and watch the progress ring close in real time, stack by stack. • Streaks that mean something: current and best streaks per stack, plus a seven-day consistency score that tells you the truth about your week. • A nudge at exactly the right moment: an optional daily reminder fires at each stack's anchor time, not at some random hour. • Your own habit library: add any micro-habit with an icon and an estimated time, search it, and drop it into as many stacks as you like. PERFECT FOR • Anyone who has downloaded a habit tracker before and quietly abandoned it by week three. • Morning people and night owls building a ritual that fits their actual day. • Readers of Atomic Habits and Tiny Habits who want the method, not another checklist. • Busy parents, students and shift workers who only have two spare minutes at a time. WHY NOT JUST USE A HABIT TRACKER? A tracker gives you a grid of empty boxes and hopes you remember. Cubit gives each habit a home: a trigger, a place in the sequence, and a ring that fills as you move through it. Three tiny actions chained to one anchor beat one big resolution every time. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT No account. No sign-up. No sync servers. No analytics sent anywhere. Every stack, habit and check-off lives on your iPhone and nowhere else. The only permission Cubit ever asks for is notifications, and only if you switch on a reminder. FULL ACCESS Cubit is a premium app. Unlimited stacks and blocks, the full habit library, per-stack progress rings, streaks and reminders are unlocked with a Weekly or Yearly subscription. Pricing is shown in the app in your local currency before you confirm. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and can be managed or cancelled at any time in your Apple ID settings. Build your first stack tonight: anchor it to "after dinner", add three blocks, and check them off before you sleep. Terms of Service: https://pnkl26.web.app/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://pnkl26.web.app/privacy-policy Support: pnkhanhlinh0206@gmail.com

Screenshots

Pomodoro Timer4 screens
Habit Stacking4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pomodoro Timer at fortnightly against Habit Stacking's every 2 months. Pomodoro Timer also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, 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. Pomodoro Timer sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Habit Stacking sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pomodoro Timer ships an update fortnightly, Habit Stacking every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Pomodoro Timer versus Habit Stacking: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPomodoro TimerHabit Stacking
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size157 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerkosuke nagadoriLinh Phan Nhat Khanh

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Pomodoro Timer

Subscriptions5
  • LIGHT Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • PRO Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • LIGHT Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • PRO Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • PRO Yearly (Founder)1 Year trial$49.991 Year
3 purchases

Habit Stacking

Subscriptions2
  • Cubit Habit Stack Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Cubit Habit Stack Yearly$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Daily Checklist Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Pomodoro Timer free?
Pomodoro Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Habit Stacking free?
Habit Stacking is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pomodoro Timer or Habit Stacking have ads?
Neither Pomodoro Timer nor Habit Stacking shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pomodoro Timer or Habit Stacking?
Pomodoro Timer ships an update fortnightly, and Habit Stacking every 2 months. Most recently, Pomodoro Timer was updated on October 30, 2026 and Habit Stacking on October 28, 2026.

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