Comparison

BubbleFocus vs Pomo Tender

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

Head to head
About

BubbleFocus

Features
Read full description

Make room for one thing at a time. BubbleFocus is a Pomodoro and focus timer for studying, reading, writing, and getting work done. Choose a tag, set your time, and let a glass bubble keep you company. A SIMPLE WAY TO BEGIN Start with a tap, or enable flip control on a supported iPhone: place it face down to begin, pick it up to pause, and put it down again to continue. Flip control works while the app is open on the home screen. FIND YOUR OWN RHYTHM Choose a countdown or use the Pro count-up timer for open-ended work. Pause and resume when you need to. After a session, choose your break and enjoy the floating bubbles before returning to your next task. SEE WHERE YOUR TIME GOES Keep your focus history organized with tags. Review completed sessions, then explore trends, a weekly timeline, tag distribution, and a yearly heatmap with Pro. Focus sessions of at least five minutes are saved as valid records. BUILT FOR EVERYDAY USE Follow your timer through Live Activities on supported devices. Use light or dark appearance and choose a photo for your home background. No BubbleFocus account is required. Optional iCloud sync keeps focus history and tags in sync; active timers stay on the device where they started. Alarm alerts are free on supported devices running iOS 26 or later and require system authorization. Adding time to a completed countdown is also free, using "+2 min" in the app. BUBBLEFOCUS PRO Pro adds count-up timing, longer sessions up to 180 minutes, complete statistics, unlimited tags, and the Apple Watch companion. Pro is available through a monthly or yearly subscription, or a lifetime purchase. Features that require Pro are marked in the app. Availability of system features depends on your device and OS version. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. A lifetime purchase does not renew. BubbleFocus 2.0 is the new name and design of WaterFocus. Privacy Policy: https://policy.oneleaf.fun/bubblefocus/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Pomo Tender

Features
Read full description

Pomo Tender is a focus timer built to last, not to make you feel guilty. It follows the Pomodoro method β€” work sessions broken up by rests β€” without turning your attention into a score to beat. No streak to protect, no accusing reminder: your statistics tell you what happened, kindly. YOUR DATA NEVER LEAVES YOUR DEVICE Pomo Tender has no server and makes no network calls. No account to create, no tracker, no advertising. Your tasks, statistics and settings are encrypted locally (AES-GCM 256-bit) with a key tied to your device, and excluded from iCloud backup. Nothing reaches us, because there is no one at the other end. THE TIMER β€’ Freely adjustable work and rest durations β€’ Automatic cycle sequencing β€’ Full-screen view with estimated finish time β€’ Faithful recovery after the app is closed: elapsed cycles are recovered YOUR TASKS β€’ Activity types, due dates, notes β€’ Search by title, activity or date β€’ Pomodoro counter per task β€’ Start a session straight from a task YOUR STATISTICS β€’ Focus time, completed cycles, consistency β€’ Day, week, month and year views β€’ Readable charts, never preachy ONE TIP A DAY A focus tip when you open the app, one per day, in a pop-up you dismiss with a tap. It follows what you actually work on: after a study, sport or creative session, every other tip comes from that same category. Can be turned off in settings. WHEREVER YOU ARE β€’ Apple Watch: ring, controls and wrist haptics β€’ Quick start widget on the home screen β€’ Live Activity on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island β€’ Interface adapted for iPad FIVE LANGUAGES English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese. YOUR THEME Light or dark, Pomo Tender stays clean and distraction-free β€” that's the default theme, entirely free. POMO TENDER PRO Some features are gathered in Pomo Tender Pro, available as a one-time purchase or a subscription β€” both unlock exactly the same thing: β€’ Day Sky and Night Sky themes: animated clouds that drift and part at your touch, stars, a shooting star β€’ Bali theme, its golden jungle and fireflies β€’ Ambient sounds: rain, forest, cafΓ©, ocean, white noise β€’ Blocking distracting apps and websites during focus β€’ Smart calendar: slot reservation and suggested times β€’ Automatic adaptation to iOS Focus modes β€’ Weekly report β€’ Gentle summary and activity breakdown β€’ Unlimited timer presets β€’ Multi-select for tasks Without Pomo Tender Pro, the timer, tasks, today's statistics, daily tip, light and dark theme, Watch app, widget and data export remain fully usable. COMPATIBILITY Live Activity: iOS 16.1 or later. Quick start widget: iOS 17 or later. This app does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Always consult a doctor for any medical concerns. Questions? hello@pomotender.app

Screenshots

BubbleFocus4 screens
Pomo Tender4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Pomo Tender at none against BubbleFocus's shown. Pomo Tender also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, 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. BubbleFocus sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Pomo Tender sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BubbleFocus ships an update every 3 weeks, Pomo Tender every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
BubbleFocus versus Pomo Tender: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBubbleFocusPomo Tender
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks β€” betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.016.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size30 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer荣九 θ”‘Lyvia Najos

In-app purchases

4 purchases

BubbleFocus

Subscriptions2
  • BubbleFocus Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • BubbleFocus Pro Annual$2.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Pro Welcome Offer$0.99
  • BubbleFocus Pro Lifetime$2.99
2 purchases

Pomo Tender

Subscriptions1
  • Pomo Tender Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • Pomo Tender Pro Lifetime$22.99

Questions

Is BubbleFocus free?
BubbleFocus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pomo Tender free?
Pomo Tender is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BubbleFocus or Pomo Tender have ads?
BubbleFocus shows ads; Pomo Tender does not.
Which is updated more often, BubbleFocus or Pomo Tender?
BubbleFocus ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pomo Tender every 5 weeks. Most recently, BubbleFocus was updated on October 14, 2026 and Pomo Tender on October 13, 2026.

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