Flow vs Needle · Pomodoro Timer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Flow
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Make space for deep focus with a timer that adapts to the way you work. Flow is a calm, flexible focus system for work, study, reading, writing, meditation, and everything in between. Create routines that fit your day, keep the countdown visible across your Apple devices, and turn each completed session into useful progress. FOCUS YOUR WAY - Create custom timers with your own name, icon, color, focus duration, break length, and rounds - Build Pomodoro-style routines for deep work, study sessions, reading, writing, or mindful breaks - Pause, skip, restart, or stop a session whenever your plans change - Choose light or dark appearance to match your space STAY FOCUSED EVERYWHERE - Follow your session from iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch - Keep the timer close with widgets, Dynamic Island, and Live Activities - Choose focus music and control Apple Music playback without leaving the timer SEE YOUR PROGRESS - Earn reward points and build streaks as sessions add up - Compare routines and review focus time, completion patterns, and your most productive hours - Use Focus Coach for practical guidance based on your focus history - Compare Flow focus time with Apple Health mindful-minute summaries REFLECT AND IMPROVE - Record your mood and distractions after a session - Add a short note about what worked or what got in the way - Search your history by routine, note, or date - Return to past sessions to spot patterns and make your next focus block better FLOW PRO only for $0.99 for Lifetime! Unlock Extensions, unlimited Custom Timers, the full History archive, advanced Insights, Focus Coach, Apple Health comparison, and Apple Music controls, Widgets, Live activity, Dynamic Island. Whether you are protecting time for a demanding project, studying for an exam, reading without distraction, or building a steadier daily rhythm, Flow gives you a clear place to begin. Find your flow, one focused session at a time. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Needle · Pomodoro Timer
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Needle is a calm, beautiful Pomodoro timer that helps you spend your time on what matters, one session at a time. Pick what you want to focus on, set the length, and start. When the time is up, take a real break. That's the whole method, proven for decades. FOCUS WITHOUT FRICTION • Set the length on a tape in the middle of the screen, then start in one tap • Focus Lock adds a few seconds of friction before you can give up early — or, set to Locked, refuses to let you stop until the block ends • Tag every session: Work, Study, Code, anything you like • A real alarm at the end of a session that breaks through silent mode and Focus SOUND AND SCENES TO WORK TO • A full-screen focus player opens as your session starts • Quran recitations, free for everyone: choose from up to 14 reciters and listen to all 114 surahs • Lofi tracks across three moods — Ambient & Zen, Chillhop & Jazz, Late Night — bundled and offline, no account, no streaming; one free track in every mood, the full library with Needle+ • 40 ambient sounds — rain, nature, night, travel and more — to layer, each with its own volume (Needle+) • Looping video scenes, or none at all SEE WHERE YOUR TIME GOES • A day view, a week strip, and a full session timeline • Build a daily streak and keep it alive • Set a daily goal that fits your life and watch it fill • Export every session to CSV whenever you want ON EVERY SCREEN YOU OWN • iPhone, iPad and Mac — on Mac, a compact Liquid Glass timer that lives in the menu bar • An Apple Watch app that runs sessions on its own • Control Center tiles • Start, pause and stop the timer from Spotlight, Siri and Shortcuts MAKE IT YOURS • Backgrounds and eight alternate app icons • Eleven languages • Dark by design, easy on the eyes at 2am Needle+ (optional subscription) The full lofi library and all 40 ambient sounds, unlimited tags and colors, detailed stats and insights, and Live Activity with the Dynamic Island. Family Sharing supported, so one subscription covers your whole family. Monthly or yearly; payment is charged to your Apple Account and renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Your time is your most valuable asset. Spend it on what matters. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Needle · Pomodoro Timer at every 2 weeks against Flow's every 5 weeks. Flow's advantage is iOS requirement (17.2 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Flow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Needle · Pomodoro Timer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Flow ships an update every 5 weeks, Needle · Pomodoro Timer every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Flow | Needle · Pomodoro Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 136 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Neerav Kothari | Galiya Zhenis |
In-app purchases
Flow
- Monthly Pro7 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Yearly Pro7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Weekly Pass$0.99
Needle · Pomodoro Timer
- Needle+ Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Needle+ Yearly7 Days trial$5.991 Year
Questions
Is Flow free?
Is Needle · Pomodoro Timer free?
Do Flow or Needle · Pomodoro Timer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Flow or Needle · Pomodoro Timer?
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