Alternative

A Pomofocus alternative that blocks sites too.

Pomofocus is a clean, popular web Pomodoro timer, and that is the point: it times your work and not much else. If you want the same simple timer but with site blocking, work that tracks across days, and an app that runs offline, GoFlow does all three for free.

Prices and features change. Confirm current details on each app's site.

What does Pomofocus do well?

Pomofocus nails the basics. It is a fast, good-looking countdown in the browser, with a task list, work and break intervals, and reports. For a lot of people that is plenty. It is the kind of tool you open, start, and forget about, which is a real strength.

The limits show up when distractions are the actual problem. A timer tells you to focus. It does not stop you from opening a new tab and drifting onto the same sites you always do. Some of Pomofocus's reporting and settings also sit behind a paid tier.

How does GoFlow compare?

• Same simple Pomodoro flow. Work rounds, breaks, and a task you are focusing on. You can also run fixed-length or open-ended timers when Pomodoro is not the right shape.
• It blocks the sites that pull you away. The free Focus Guard extension closes your chosen distractions while a round runs, then opens them on your break. The timer and the blocker work together.
• Tasks track across days. A task you started Monday is still there Wednesday, and GoFlow adds up the focus time you have put into it. You see real effort, not a daily reset.
• It works offline. GoFlow is an installable PWA. Loaded once, it runs with no connection, so a dropped signal does not stop your session.
• Free, private, no account. Everything is free and stored on your device. Nothing is gated and nothing is uploaded.

Where does Pomofocus still win?

Pomofocus is more established and very polished, with a large user base and a tidy reporting view that many people like. If all you want is a dependable browser countdown with a task list and you do not care about blocking, Pomofocus is a fine pick and you do not need to switch. GoFlow's edge is only worth it if blocking, cross-day tracking, or offline use matter to you.

Quick comparison

This is a snapshot. Features and prices move, so check Pomofocus's own site before you decide.

What does a session feel like in GoFlow?

You pick a task, choose a mode, and start. Say you run a 25-minute Pomodoro round. The clock starts, and the moment it does, the sites you flagged as distractions are closed in your browser by Focus Guard. If you open a new tab and reach for one out of habit, you hit a block screen instead of the feed. When the round ends, your break begins and those sites open back up, so you are not fighting the tool during downtime. The focus time you just put in gets added to that task's running total. Do this a few times across the week and the task page shows hours of real effort, not a number that wiped at midnight. That feedback loop, distractions gone during work and effort visibly stacking up, is the part a plain countdown cannot give you.

Who is GoFlow a good fit for?

GoFlow suits you if you like the Pomofocus style of timer but you keep getting pulled onto the same sites mid-session, or you want your effort on a task to add up over a week instead of resetting each day. It is built around the idea in Cal Newport's Deep Work: set a block, cut the distractions, and let your focus compound. If you only need a clean countdown, stick with what works for you.

Frequently asked questions

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