Timer, blocker or both
A focus timer counts down a work interval, commonly 25 minutes, then a short break, and a longer break after a few rounds. Some apps stop there; others also block sites and apps while the interval runs. The list mixes both kinds:
| Kind | Apps | What you get for free |
|---|---|---|
| Timer only | Pomofocus, Goodtime, Pomotroid, Flowkeeper, Solanum, Marinara | Work and break intervals, usually with history or reports |
| Timer with blocking | Flow, Forest, Super Productivity | A timer plus an app or web blocker (Flow), Time Guard for 1 app or site (Forest), focus mode with tasks and time tracking (Super Productivity) |
| Blocker with a timer | Cold Turkey Blocker, LeechBlock NG, SelfControl, Freedom | Timed blocks, lockdowns or sessions that keep the sites closed until the time is up |
If you only need the countdown, our focus timer runs work and break intervals in the browser without an account, and the online timer, countdown timer and stopwatch cover plain timing.
What the free plans leave out
Most timers in this list are fully free or open source. The freemium ones draw the line at reports and extras. Pomofocus keeps estimated finish time, templates, visual reports and custom settings free and sells projects, yearly reports, CSV downloads, more than 3 templates, Todoist and webhook integrations and an ad-free view as premium. Forest's free core includes Focus Tracking and Time Guard for 1 app or site; Focus Analytics and Time Guard for several apps are part of Plus, whose price varies by region and platform. Goodtime is ad-free and open source, with labels, pro statistics, backup and export and advanced alerts listed as premium features. Flow says all the basic features are free, with no ads, no sign-up and no credit card, and does not describe a paid tier on its page.
Among the blockers, Cold Turkey's free Blocker includes website blocking, exceptions, timed blocks and statistics; blocking applications, scheduled blocks and the locking features are in the one-time Pro purchase. Freedom's Free plan blocks apps, websites or the entire internet on unlimited devices but leaves out scheduling and Locked Mode, which come with Premium at $3.33 a month billed yearly, $8.99 monthly or $99.50 once.
Website blocking that actually holds
A blocker is only useful if you cannot switch it off in a weak moment. SelfControl is blunt about it: once started, you will be unable to access the blocked sites until the timer expires. LeechBlock NG blocks sites within fixed time periods, after a time limit, or immediately for a set duration with the lockdown feature, in Firefox, Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers. Cold Turkey's free version has timed blocks; the locking features and application password belong to Pro. Freedom's Locked Mode, which prevents quitting, is a Premium feature.
Flow lists an App Blocker and a Web Blocker on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Watch. Forest's Time Guard watches 1 app or site on the free plan, and its browser extension brings the timer to Chrome and Firefox.
Open source timers for every desktop
If you want the timer to stay free and offline, pick an open source app. Super Productivity (MIT) runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS and in the browser, needs no account, keeps your data on the device and adds tasks, time tracking and timesheets around the focus mode. Flowkeeper (GPL) is 100% free with no subscriptions or paid versions on Windows, macOS and Linux. Pomotroid (MIT) ships installers for Windows, macOS and Linux with configurable durations, statistics and themes. Solanum (GPL-3.0-or-later) is the GNOME timer on Flathub with four sessions, short breaks and one long break. Marinara (MIT) is a Chrome extension with history and stats, and Goodtime (GPL-3.0) is on Google Play and F-Droid.
Open source does not mean the timer syncs for free: Super Productivity makes sync optional, and most of the others keep their history on one device. Export it before you switch machines.
Making the intervals stick
The timer is the easy part. Decide on the task before you start the interval, write it down in the app or on paper, and treat the break as part of the method rather than a reward you can skip. A tracker helps you see the pattern over weeks: our list of free habit tracker apps covers apps that count daily sessions, and the printable habit tracker does the same on paper. If the interval timer and the task list live in different apps, the free to-do apps list shows which ones have a timer built in.
Frequently asked questions
Which focus timer is free and open source on every platform?
Super Productivity (MIT) runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS and in the browser, needs no account and keeps data on your device. Flowkeeper (GPL) covers Windows, macOS and Linux with no paid version, and Pomotroid (MIT) ships installers for the same three systems. Goodtime (GPL-3.0) is the open source choice on Android.
Which timer works in the browser without installing anything?
Pomofocus runs on desktop and mobile browsers and keeps the timer, templates and visual reports free. Super Productivity also runs in the browser, with some limitations compared to the desktop app. Our own focus timer runs 25-minute intervals in the browser without an account.
Which free apps block websites during a session?
SelfControl (free, GPL, macOS) blocks a list of sites until its timer expires. LeechBlock NG blocks sites in Firefox, Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers for fixed periods, after a time limit or with a lockdown. Cold Turkey's free Blocker has website blocking with timed blocks, Freedom's Free plan blocks apps and websites on unlimited devices, and Flow lists a Web Blocker and an App Blocker among its free basic features.
Which timers keep statistics for free?
Pomofocus includes visual reports in the free plan and sells yearly reports and CSV downloads as premium. Marinara tracks history and stats in Chrome, Pomotroid shows statistics on the desktop, and Cold Turkey's free Blocker includes statistics. Goodtime has statistics with a pro statistics tier as a premium feature, and Forest's free plan has Focus Tracking while Focus Analytics is part of Plus.
Do I need an account?
Flow says its basic features need no sign-up, and Super Productivity states that no account or registration is required. The open source desktop timers in the list store their data locally. The pages of Pomofocus and Forest do not state whether an account is needed for the free features.