Comparison

Be Focused vs Tomato Timer ۬

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

Head to head
About

Be Focused

This app helps you stay focused by breaking down tasks into timed work intervals with short breaks. It offers task management, customizable timers, progress tracking, and cross-device synchronization. Enhance your productivity and concentration with this effective tool.

Highlights
  • Task creation and management
  • Customizable work/break intervals
  • Progress tracking and reports
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Widgets and Lock Screen controls
  • Sound and notification options
Features
Read full description

Staying on task seems is a real challenge for our screen-bound generation. The Be Focused lets you get things done by breaking up individual tasks among discrete intervals, separated by short breaks. It’s a surprisingly effective way to retain motivation and focus. Create tasks, configure breaks and track your progress throughout the day, week or custom period. Use Be Focused on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac — everything stays perfectly in sync. Task Management • Create and manage tasks • Add notes and due dates to tasks • Organize tasks with tags and filters • Paste task lists from other apps Timer Control • Start, pause, or skip intervals • Auto-start the next interval (optionally) • Plan intervals needed for task completion and track accuracy • Manage completed intervals Timer Customization • Set durations for work sessions, short and long breaks • Define number of intervals before a long break • Set a daily goal for completed intervals • Assign different timer settings to individual tasks Reports • View detailed reports to monitor your progress • Export your data in CSV format Sounds and Notifications • Chronometer ticking sound with adjustable frequency • Variety of alarm sounds • Interactive notifications • Adjustable volume for alarms and chronometer Integration • Sync across all your devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) • Integration with Focus Matrix to manage tasks using urgent/important principle * • Integration with Shortcuts app to automate workflow Quick Access • Widgets for Lock Screen and Home Screen • Live activities for Lock Screen and Dynamic Island • Control to start or stop the timer from the Lock Screen, Controls Center, or Action Button Automation • Integration with Shortcuts app (control tasks and timers via Shortcuts app) • Automate Shortcuts execution on events in Be Focused app Device Support • Apple Watch support • Also available for Mac • Dark and Light mode support Pro Version Features • Single purchase unlocks Pro on iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Sync across all your devices • Tags and filters to organize tasks and maintain focus • Integration with Focus Matrix to manage tasks using urgent/important principle * • Shortcuts execution on events in Be Focused app • Export data in CSV format • No banners, no ads Be Focused is free to download and use forever. However, if you want to access the Pro features on all your iPhones, iPads, and Macs, you can upgrade to the Pro version. The Pro subscription comes in three different options: Monthly, Yearly with a 7-day trial, and Lifetime (one-time payment). Payment will be charged to your App Store account and will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Subscription may be managed and auto-renewal may be turned off in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://xwavesoft.com/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use: https://xwavesoft.com/terms-of-use.html * Integration with Focus Matrix requires the Pro version of Focus Matrix, sold separately.

About

Tomato Timer ۬

This app helps you improve focus and productivity using the Pomodoro Technique. It offers customizable timers, ambient soundscapes, sub-task management, and detailed statistics to track your progress.

Highlights
  • Customizable Pomodoro timers
  • Multiple ambient sound options
  • Sub-task management
  • Advanced statistics tracking
  • Default Pomodoro timer
Features
Read full description

Pomodoro is an age-old time management and effective focus-improvement technique. Our Pomodoro Timer app brings that technique right to your iPhone/iPad. Besides other traditional focus timer apps, our app actually includes the default pomodoro timer, but also allows you to create your own timers and customize the length of your focus session, short break, long break, etc. It might look like a very small app, but it isn’t one, it has options to add sub-tasks, play multiple ambient sounds at once, and track all your focus sessions using our advanced statistics manager (pro-users) Key Features > Default Pomodoro Timer: This is a default timer created which allows people to just download the app and start the pomodoro technique based timer. > Create Multiple Timers: Create multiple Pomodoros or timers for different tasks. So whether you want to improve focus during a workout or study time, create a timer, set focus time, short breaks, long breaks, and you’re done! Do this for all the activities which require high-quality focus time. > Play multiple Ambient sounds at once: Currently our app has recordings of 15 different natural sounds, you can pick multiple For instance, you can play forest, thunderstorm, and bonfire. According to research, music of the right choice can boost focus by 30%. > Add Sub-Tasks: There’s always a micro-task under your main task which you forget, that’s why we’ve added the “add sub-tasks” functionality. Basically, you can add sub-tasks for your main tasks and mark them as done on the go. > Advanced Statistics: Do you want to calculate the time you’ve spent focusing on different tasks? How much is your break time, how many hours of focus did you take on a given day, what was the “Category” which requires more of your focus time, etc.? Well, this app is what you need. What is the Pomodoro Technique? It’s an old technique that helps people to stay focused, boost productivity. How does it work? 1. Choose a task 2. Set a 25-minute timer and work on it. 3. Take a 5 minute “short” break after 25 minutes of focus. 4. Take a long break after you’ve completed 4 focus sessions. It might look like a very basic technique, people who’ve implemented this technique in their lives noticed an improvement in their focus by 20-45%. What are you waiting for? Install the app now. Privacy Policy: https://pomodoro-timer.appstraw.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://pomodoro-timer.appstraw.com/terms-conditions

Screenshots

Be Focused4 screens
Tomato Timer ۬4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Tomato Timer ۬ at none against Be Focused's shown. Tomato Timer ۬ also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). Be Focused's advantage is ratings volume (4.3K vs 188) and review sentiment (89% vs 80%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Be Focused sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Tomato Timer ۬ sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Be Focused against 4.7 for Tomato Timer ۬. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Be Focused has 4.3K ratings behind it against 188, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Be Focused's written reviews are positive against 80% of Tomato Timer ۬'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Be Focused ships an update every 5 months, Tomato Timer ۬ every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Be Focused versus Tomato Timer ۬: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBe FocusedTomato Timer ۬
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (4.3K ratings)4.7 (188 ratings)
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews — better80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4.3K — better188
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB64 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperDenys IevenkoBoltQ Media

Customer experience

Be Focused

All ratings4,318 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.7%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews506 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral5.5%
Negative5.5%

Tomato Timer ۬

All ratings188 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral2.2%
Negative17.8%

User reviews

Be Focused

From 4.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Straightforward and easy to use
  • 🚀 Helps with focus and productivity
  • 💡 Customizable work and break times
  • 📊 Tracks time spent on tasks
  • 🔔 Good notification system

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
  • 🔔 Inconsistent notification sounds
  • 💻 Lack of dark mode
  • 🔍 Difficulty rearranging tasks

Tomato Timer ۬

From 188 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Perfect for students
  • 👍 Helpful and adjustable
  • 💰 Free to use
  • 👍 Simple concept executed well
  • ✨ Sleek and effective

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Timer pauses when switching apps
  • 🐛 Phone locks during timer
  • 🐛 Timer stops when phone is locked
  • 💸 Expensive lifetime subscription
  • ❌ No voice alert customization

Bugs and requests

Be Focused

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Timer resets unexpectedly
  • Timers not syncing correctly across devices
  • Notifications not always working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Option to override Do Not Disturb mode
  • Ability to log partial intervals
  • Time tracking with notes per interval
  • Customizable notification sounds
  • Ability to set task-specific time limits

Tomato Timer ۬

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Timer pauses when using other applications
  • Phone automatically locks during the timer
  • Timer stops when the phone is locked
  • No dynamics island or Live activities
  • Widget is not interactive
Show 5 more
  • Voice alert customization reverts to default
  • Timer goes before I start
  • Timer runs super fast
  • Sound clips abruptly stop and start
  • Timer only counts time when screen is unlocked

Requested features

11 requests
  • Fix timer pausing when switching apps
  • Add dynamic island support
  • Add watch app support
  • Add interactive widget
  • Add Korean language for break notifications
Show 6 more
  • Add cross-device synchronization
  • Add Spanish language support
  • Allow preview of premium ambient sounds
  • Longer ambient sound tracks
  • Adjustable and savable focus length
  • Customizable and savable voice alerts

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Be Focused

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Pro7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$39.99
3 purchases

Tomato Timer ۬

Subscriptions1
  • Pomodoro Pro Yearly3 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • Pomodoro Pro Lifetime Gift$3.99
  • Pomodoro Pro Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Be Focused free?
Be Focused is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tomato Timer ۬ free?
Tomato Timer ۬ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Be Focused or Tomato Timer ۬?
Be Focused and Tomato Timer ۬ are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4.3K and 188 ratings respectively.
Do Be Focused or Tomato Timer ۬ have ads?
Be Focused shows ads; Tomato Timer ۬ does not.
Which is updated more often, Be Focused or Tomato Timer ۬?
Be Focused ships an update every 5 months, and Tomato Timer ۬ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Be Focused was updated on September 24, 2026 and Tomato Timer ۬ on September 19, 2026.

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