OpenFocus vs Box

OpenFocus is a minimal pomodoro timer that starts the moment you open it. Free, forever. No ads. No in-app purchases. No account. No subscription. Setup-free at launch — yet there when you want to tune it. — Features — Starts instantly The focus timer is already counting down by the time the screen appears. No start button. No mode to pick. Custom focus and break durations Default is the classic 25/5. Open the settings sheet (when stopped) to set focus (5–90 min) and break (5–30 min) independently, in 5-minute steps. Long break (optional) Pomodoro Technique–style long break. After every Nth completed focus (configurable, 2–8), the break extends to 3× its normal length. Off by default. 7 color themes Choose from mono, ink, sea, forest, sand, rose, dusk. The chosen theme applies app-wide and also to the Lock Screen Live Activity and Dynamic Island. 4 timer faces Pick how the countdown looks: ring (default hairline), digital (bedside-clock LCD), flip (mechanical split-flap tiles), or analog (single-hand). Digital and flip can rotate to landscape with a tap — handy when you prop the phone up on a desk. Adjust on the fly Settings open mid-session too. Color, face, daily goal, and keep-awake change instantly. Focus and break durations stay locked until you fully stop the timer, so the running countdown never desyncs from what you see. Daily session counter The app counts completed focus sessions per day (auto-resets at midnight). Optionally set a daily goal (1–20) to see progress like "today · 3 / 8" — leave it at 0 and only the count is shown. Keep screen awake (optional) When on, the screen stays on while the timer is in the foreground. Useful for the "place phone on desk and watch the countdown" workflow, without changing your device-wide auto-lock. Auto phase switching When focus ends, break begins. When break ends, focus begins. The cycle continues without you touching the screen. Lock Screen & Dynamic Island Built on iOS Live Activities. Check the remaining time from your Lock Screen or the Dynamic Island without opening the app. Beautifully animated Each theme has its own focus and break colors. Smooth color crossfades on phase change, subtle haptics, Apple-grade SF Symbol morphing — every transition feels native. Reliable alarms Powered by iOS 26 AlarmKit. Notifies you at the end of every focus and break interval, even in the background, even on silent. Privacy first We don't collect anything. Settings and timer state are stored only on your device. No network requests, no analytics, no tracking. — Best for people who — • Want to try the pomodoro technique without setup overhead • Like a single tap to start — but still want to tune their own cadence and look • Are tired of cluttered timer apps • Believe in minimal tools done well — Not for people who — • Need statistics or reports • Want task management built in OpenFocus is built by subtraction, not addition. Minimal at first. Quietly customizable when you ask for it.

Capture it first. Sort it later. A thought is gone before you get back to it. Box is a small box for keeping it. Put down whatever comes to mind, before you think it through. Shape it later, when you have the time. Box is a native app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. ■ Box, Note, Do ・Box Save thoughts, links, photos, and files. Sorting can wait. ・Note For anything worth more than a line. Every edit is kept in history, so you can always go back. ・Do Today, List, and Buy are ready from the start. Add the lists you need as you go. Inside the app, Inbox is simply "Box" and ToDo is "Do." It's a tool you reach for every day, so the names stay light. ■ What it does ・iPhone, iPad, and Mac (native SwiftUI) ・Private sync over iCloud ・Quick save from the share sheet (iPhone, iPad) ・Quick save from anywhere (Mac / ⌃⌥⌘B) ・Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets ・A focus timer with Live Activity ・Projects, tags, and attachments ・A Trash that keeps items for 30 days ■ Free to start The free version holds up to 10 items across Box, Note, and Do. Every feature is there to try. Box Pro (one-time purchase) ・Unlimited items ・Change the app icon ・Includes Box Pro features added in the future There is no subscription. Buy it once, and it stays yours. ■ About your data Your data lives only in your own private iCloud. No account to create. No ads. No analytics. No tracking. Purchases are handled by Apple, so the developer never sees your data or payment details. Built in Yokohama, by one developer.