Over the past couple of years, the "Pomodoro Technique" has started to infect the world. And it's all the better for it. This productivity philosophy essentially prompts you to focus on a task for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break. Once you've completed four of these cycles, you take a longer 15-20 minute break.

Confused by how something so simple can make much of a difference to your productivity levels? Don't be. It works! All you need is a timer. Sure, the default timer on your phone could do the job. But there are far better options out there on all major platforms that are certainly worth checking out. Here are the best Pomodoro timer apps you should use.

1. Marinara Timer

Marinara Timer Pomodoro web app

With no sign-up required and a completely web-based interface, Pomodoro timers don't get much more convenient than this. When you land on the site, you can pick between three timers. The first is a basic Pomodoro timer, set at the standard time periods (25 minutes, with five-minute breaks).

The second allows you to choose custom time periods, in case those default ones don't work for you. And the third is a standard countdown timer that alerts you when the time's up. Each timer you set up gets its own custom URL.

This is particularly handy if you want a group of colleagues to be working on the exact same schedule. What makes Marinara Timer one of the best Pomodoro timers is its simplicity. You don't even have to understand the Pomodoro method; jump in from whichever device you have and start the timer.

2. Pomofocus

Pomofocus Pomodor timer app

Pomofocus is another productivity timer that's simple to use and can be accessed without installing anything. When you visit the website, just select Start, and the countdown will start. The simplicity is what earns Pomofocus a spot as one of our Pomodoro technique apps for beginners.

Pomofocus uses the default 25-minute periods, as defined in the original Pomodoro technique, followed by short five-minute breaks. After five Pomodoros, a 15-minute-long break starts. Besides the simplicity, Pomofocus allows you to customize different options like whether Pomodoros and breaks start automatically, the number of Pomodoros before a long break, the length of Pomodoros, and the length of both short and long breaks.

You can manually add tasks and an estimate of the number of Pomodoros you think it'll take to finish each. If you use Todoist for task management, Pomofocus could be the add-on you need. This simple timer turns each of your Todoist tasks into a Pomodoro task. However, this feature is locked behind a paywall. You don't need to create an account, but if you do, you can access summary reports and see how you rank against other users on the platform.

3. PomoDoneApp

PomoDoneApp Pomodoro tracking app

PomoDoneApp is one of the most impressive Pomodoro timers out there. Mainly because, like Pomofocus, it syncs with your existing to-do lists so perfectly. This means you don't need to waste time adding tasks to your timer manually. Plus, when you mark a task complete in the timer, it automatically syncs with your to-do list(s) of choice!

You can use the web version completely free of charge. That'll allow you to connect the timer to two services. This is a limited list, including Trello, Wunderlist, Todoist, Evernote, Google Calendar, Microsoft To-Do, Toodledo, and more. Productivity data will be stored for one month.

If you want to use the desktop app, you'll need to pay for the app. And if you want more than two integrations (covering nearly all the popular to-do list apps), the Lite plan goes for $4.32/month (or $2.16/month if paid annually).

While you can use PomoDone for free, you can't set custom timer lengths with the free plan, which makes the Pomodoro timer suitable for advanced users that need more integrations and features.

Download: PomoDoneApp for Chrome | Android | iOS | Mac | Windows | Linux (Free, subscription available)

4. Pomodoro Tracker

Pomodoro Tracker

Another super-simple option, Pomodoro Tracker, is a completely free, web-based option. At the beginning of each day, add each of your to-do items and custom categories to the list on the site. This only takes a couple of minutes.

However, you don't have to manually add tasks since the app supports integrations with Todoist, Trello, Microsoft TODO, and Google Calendar. When you're ready, hit Start, and the timer will guide you through your tasks, sounding an alarm each time you're due to take a break.

Click the Settings button, and you can change the duration of each cycle and break, and also change the volume of notifications. If you want to save your task history, you'll have to sign up for a free account. You can customize Pomodoro Tracker by using custom timers, breaks, and the number of Pomodoros before taking a long break.

You can set Pomodoros to start automatically or not, and the site also has stats allowing you to see how you stack against other users. Pomodoro Tracker stands out because of its many features, considering it's free.

Download: Pomodoro Tracker for Windows (Free)

5. Focus To-Do

Although it's not available on the web, Focus To-Do is still a great option if you like to work with your phone by your side. With the free version, you simply type the name of your task, then hit Start.

Each of your Pomodoro cycles will be tracked, so you can see your progress among a bunch of useful charts within the app. If you want to change the default length of each session and break, you can do that too. Plus, you don't need an account to use Focus To-Do.

You can set Pomodoros and breaks to start automatically, disable breaks, assign priorities to tasks, estimate the number of Pomodoros needed for each task (one of the simple hacks to help increase your productivity), and even enable white noise, so you can fully focus on the task at hand.

There's also the option to upgrade to the Pro version for $4.99 for three months or a one-time purchase of $30. This'll give you access to more themes, data synchronization across different devices, detailed statistics, task tags, unlimited projects, task scheduling, the ability to turn on Strict Mode, and more.

Download: Focus To-Do for Chrome | Android | iOS | Mac (Free, subscription available)

6. Focus Keeper

This is one of our best Pomodoro timers. Simply put, this is not a task management app, there are no integrations to worry about and no account to sign up for. This is pretty much just a timer with a bit of gamification built in. And unless you want to try out some custom timers or schedule unlimited tasks, the free version should be absolutely fine.

As with most of these apps, you can change the default periods to be as long or short as you like. You can choose how many work sessions you want to include in each Pomodoro cycle (here called a "Round"). And you can choose how many work sessions you're aiming to complete during the day.

At the bottom of the app, it's easy to see where you're up to, how many rounds you've completed, and how you're progressing toward your daily goal. There's also a "Charts" tab showing you how much work you've completed recently.

Download: Focus Keeper for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)

7. Be Focused

Be Focused Pomodoro timer on Mac

Neatly tucked away in your Mac's menu bar, this discreet timer allows you to configure the timings of Pomodoro rounds and breaks. As with Focus Keeper, you can also set the number of focus rounds you hope to complete during the day. When you want to check out how you've been performing, there's also a pretty impressive reporting feature built into the app.

If you're happy tracking your productivity just on your Mac, the free version will serve you well. But if you want to access and sync the app on your iOS devices, you'll need to splash out on the $4.99 premium app.

Download: Be Focused for Mac (free) | Be Focused Pro for Mac | iOS ($4.99)

8. Focus Booster

Focus Booster Pomodoro app

Another highly rated Pomodoro Timer, Focus Booster, is definitely worth checking out. As a basic timer with customizable time periods, the free version is fine, though it is limited to just 20 sessions per month.

But it's the paid version that earns Focus Booster its place in this list. For $4.99, you get access to an impressive array of charts to help you get a deeper understanding of your work cycles. But more than that, you can also use the timer as a way to track the work you do for clients. That way, you don't have to use another time-tracking app for that.

You can save full or partial Pomodoro sessions to individual time sheets to help make invoicing less painful. And if you forget to use the timer when completing a task, you can always add this to the timesheet manually.

This is basically a timer for people who've fallen in love with this productivity technique and who want to take the Pomodoro philosophy to the next stage. Before committing, Focus Booster gives you a 30-day free trial after signing up to see if it's the best Pomodoro app for you.

Download: Focus Booster for Windows | Mac (free, subscription available)

Which Pomodoro Timer Will Make You Most Productive?

There's a lot of similarity between all Pomodoro timers. After all, they're each modeled on the same productivity technique: 25 minutes of work followed by five-minute breaks. Complete this four or five times, and you get a longer break.

It's simple, but so many people credit this technique with helping them to skyrocket their productivity. Give it a go by using one of these simple timers to make the whole thing easier.