Zenolab.app
Disclosure: ZenoLab, the studio behind this site, makes three of the apps in this list: Molip, Liquid Focus, and PiduGo. We’ve kept the comparison to facts listed on each app’s US App Store page as of October 15, 2026, and we say where our own apps fall short. Ratings and prices change, so check the store before you decide.
The Pomodoro Technique is simple: work for 25 minutes, rest for 5, and take a longer break after four rounds. Almost any timer can do that. What separates the apps is everything around the timer: whether they block distracting apps, how they track your time, and what’s behind the paywall.
Quick comparison
| App | Download | In-app purchases | Blocks apps on iPhone | Standout feature | App Store rating (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | Free | Yes | Yes, Allow Lists (iOS 16+) | Grow a virtual forest; real tree planting | 4.8 (49,540) |
| Flora | Free | Yes | Leaving the app kills your tree | Plant trees with friends, to-do list | 4.8 (82,863) |
| Focus To-Do | Free | Yes | Not listed | Pomodoro plus a task manager, syncs with Mac, iPad, Apple Watch | 4.8 (14,676) |
| Focus Keeper | Free | Yes | Not listed | Classic Pomodoro with a study tracker | 4.8 (31,698) |
| Be Focused | Free | Yes | Not listed | Tasks, CSV export, widgets, Live Activities, Apple Watch | 4.7 (4,321) |
| Session | Free | Yes | Mac only | Mutes chosen Slack teams during a session | 4.8 (364) |
| Molip (ZenoLab) | Free | Yes | Yes, Screen Time | Labels plus daily to yearly focus charts | Not enough ratings yet |
| Liquid Focus (ZenoLab) | Free | Yes | Not listed | Live Activity and Dynamic Island timer, session timeline | Not enough ratings yet |
| PiduGo (ZenoLab) | Free | Yes | Not listed | Gamified squirrel focus adventures with friends | Not enough ratings yet |
Ratings are the average and count shown in the US App Store on October 15, 2026.
Best for blocking distractions: Forest
Forest turns focus time into a virtual forest. You plant a tree when you start, and it withers if you leave early. On iOS 16 or later you can build Allow Lists that block distracting apps during a session, and the app also tracks daily phone usage. Its developer says the community has planted over 2 million real trees through a partnership with Trees for the Future.
Pick it if a game-like reward keeps you honest. Skip it if you want detailed task management.
Best for focusing with friends: Flora
Flora uses the same tree idea, with more weight on social accountability. Friends can plant trees together, and if anyone leaves their phone, the tree dies for the group. It also has a to-do list with reminders and a widget, and you can tag trees with a task to track progress.
Best for tasks plus Pomodoro: Focus To-Do
Focus To-Do combines a Pomodoro timer with a task manager: projects, reminders, a habit tracker, and time tracking. Pomodoro and break lengths are customizable, with short and long breaks and a continuous mode. It syncs across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, which matters if you plan on a computer and focus on your phone.
Best classic timer: Focus Keeper
Focus Keeper stays close to the original technique: 25-minute sessions, short breaks, and long breaks, all adjustable. It adds a study tracker with charts. If you want a timer without a forest, a to-do system, or a social layer, this is the straightforward option.
Best for Apple power users: Be Focused
Be Focused covers a lot of Apple platform features: Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets, Live Activities for the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, Shortcuts integration, Apple Watch support, and a Mac version. You can attach different timer settings to individual tasks and export your data as CSV. The App Store page says the app is free to use, with a Pro subscription for extras such as sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Best for Mac-based work: Session
Session is built around time blocks of 25 or 45 minutes. It can mute Slack teams you choose while a session runs, and it blocks websites and apps, but only on Mac. On iPhone it works as a timer and time tracker, so it makes most sense if your focus work happens at a desk.
The ZenoLab apps
These are ours, so read this section with that in mind. None of them has enough App Store ratings yet to show a score, which is one reason they sit below the established apps here.
Molip: minimalist timer with app blocking
Molip keeps the classic 25/5 rhythm with a long break after four cycles, and lets you change the durations. When a session starts, it uses Screen Time to block the distracting apps you picked. Sessions can carry labels such as “exam prep”, and daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly charts show where your focus time goes. Molip Pro adds unlimited custom durations, a stopwatch mode, unlimited labels, advanced stats, and Home Screen widgets. It needs iOS 17 or later.
Liquid Focus: timer on the Dynamic Island
Liquid Focus is a clean timer with play, pause, and skip controls, haptic feedback, and a Live Activity that shows the countdown on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. A daily session timeline shows start times, durations, categories, and notes. Liquid Pro adds an insights dashboard, custom timer durations, and unlimited categories. Its App Store page says there are no ads.
PiduGo: gamified focus with a squirrel
PiduGo is the playful one. You focus as a squirrel gathering acorns, alone or on group adventures with friends, with nature soundtracks, seasonal forests, a Home Screen widget, and dark mode. If Forest’s growing-tree loop works for you but you want something different, it’s worth a look.
How to choose
Start with the one problem you most want to fix:
- You keep picking up your phone: Forest or Molip, since both block apps on iPhone.
- You need accountability from other people: Flora or PiduGo.
- Your tasks live in the timer app: Focus To-Do or Be Focused.
- You want a timer you can see without unlocking: Be Focused or Liquid Focus for Live Activities.
- You only want a plain timer: Focus Keeper.
All nine are free to download, so the cheapest test is to try two for a week each and keep the one you actually open.
Sources
App Store pages (US storefront), checked October 15, 2026: Forest, Flora, Focus To-Do, Focus Keeper, Be Focused, Session, Molip, Liquid Focus, PiduGo.