Comparison

Tempo vs Pomo

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

Head to head
About

Tempo

Features
Read full description

Tempo — focus, stripped to the essentials. Pick a duration and start. Your time left and progress ring live on the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen, so you always know how long is left without unlocking or switching back. ONE FLOW, DONE RIGHT · Dial a duration or tap a preset — start instantly · Live progress ring on the Dynamic Island / Lock Screen, system-smooth and battery-friendly · A strong alert at zero wraps each session up cleanly RESTRAINT IS A FEATURE · No subscription, no ads, no social, no leaderboards · Designed not to nag or hook — use it and get on with your day TEMPO PRO (one-time purchase, yours forever) · Custom themes: 6 palettes that light up the Island and Lock Screen · Custom presets: save your own set of durations · History & stats: revisit every session and your total time PRIVACY FIRST · Everything stays on your device and your iCloud — never uploaded · No account, no tracking, no third-party SDKs Focus was always meant to be this simple.

About

Pomo

A beautifully designed Pomodoro timer for focused work and study sessions. It offers customizable cycles, app blocking, and insightful statistics without any ads or tracking.

Highlights
  • Customizable Pomodoro cycles
  • App blocking for distraction-free sessions
  • Insightful focus statistics
  • Live countdown on lock screen
  • Companion smartwatch app
  • Calendar sync option
Features
Read full description

Pomo is a calm, design-led Pomodoro timer for deep, focused work — and the study sessions in between. No trees, no pets, no gimmicks. Just a beautiful instrument that helps you start, stay in flow, and see the rhythm of your focus. Everything stays on your device. No account, no cloud, no ads — ever. — A TIMER YOU'LL WANT TO LOOK AT — Choose from a gallery of meticulously crafted focus faces, from a minimalist minute grid to a flowing tide, in warm paper-light and calm dark themes. — BUILT FOR WORK & STUDY — Run classic Pomodoro cycles or set your own focus and break lengths. Long breaks, auto-start and simple labels shape each session around deep work, study, revision or any task. — STAY IN FLOW — Gently block distracting apps for the length of a session, silence notifications, and get a quiet nudge if you wander. Turn on strict mode when you really need to commit. — SEE YOUR RHYTHM — An editorial stats ledger turns sessions into insight: a focus heatmap, per-label breakdowns and all-time totals. Understand your concentration without turning it into a game. — ALWAYS A GLANCE AWAY — A live countdown on your lock screen and a companion smartwatch app keep the timer close. Optionally sync finished sessions to your calendar. — POMO PRO — The core timer is free, forever. Pomo Pro unlocks every focus face, the full stats ledger, app blocking and calendar sync, with a free trial and monthly or yearly billing. No ads, no account, no tracking. Focus, beautifully. Private by design.

Screenshots

Tempo4 screens
Pomo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pomo at fortnightly against Tempo's every 2 months. Tempo's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Tempo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pomo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tempo ships an update every 2 months, Pomo fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Tempo versus Pomo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTempoPomo
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer相超 邱Chirag Arora

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tempo

One-time1
  • Tempo Pro$2.99
2 purchases

Pomo

Subscriptions2
  • Pomo Pro - Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Pomo Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is Tempo free?
Tempo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pomo free?
Pomo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tempo or Pomo have ads?
Neither Tempo nor Pomo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tempo or Pomo?
Tempo ships an update every 2 months, and Pomo fortnightly. Most recently, Tempo was updated on October 8, 2026 and Pomo on October 3, 2026.

Other comparisons