The Pomodoro technique is one of the most popular ways of getting things done efficiently. The technique has specifically gained popularity due to the rise in distractions, thanks to wider internet penetration and the discovery of many ways to pass the time.
If you want to be more productive, it's one of the highly recommended techniques to incorporate into your daily routine. Thankfully, incorporating the Pomodoro technique into your work is easy by using any one of the readily-available Pomodoro apps.
Here, we'll look at three of the best free productivity apps for Pomodoro that you can start using today.
What Is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro technique is deceptively simple, to the point where it may make you wonder if it will work. However, it can be the perfect antidote for people with a short attention span.
The first step before using the Pomodoro Technique is familiarizing yourself with it. While the technique is simple, reading Francesco Cirillo's book, is a great way to understand how it works and discover how you can use it to its full potential.
To use the technique, you need to begin your day by creating a plan. Make a list of the tasks you are going to tackle. An extremely simple to-do list template, available for download with the PDF of the entire book or as an individual sheet.
The basis of Cirillo's concept is that all tasks should be done in increments of 25 minutes, followed by a 3- to 5-minute break. Every 25 minutes is called a Pomodoro. After 4 Pomodoros, you can take a 15- to 30-minute break.
When planning your day, you need to estimate how many Pomodoros each task will take. Although, this is something you might not be able to do until you get the hang of the technique and understand exactly how you use your time.
To find the method that works best for you, there are several free Pomodoro apps that you can use to boost your productivity. Here are three of the best free Pomodoro apps.
1. Pomatez
The Pomatez app takes all the essential elements of the Pomodoro technique and rolls them up into one tidy little package, and is the best choice for someone who wants the full Pomodoro experience.
The app is free and, even better, open-source and available across Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can use the app to create a task list and prioritize some tasks over others.
Other key Pomatez features include Full-screen breaks, handy if you find it hard to break when time's up, special breaks (for lunch, a snack, etc.), a strict mode to ensure you stick to the workflow, and more.
Pomatez is customizable, letting you dictate the length of your Pomodoros, short breaks, long breaks, and special breaks. Once you download the app, you're good to go—there's even no login page.
The app also has a pretty sleek UI, and it auto-updates, so you don't have to.
2. Tomato Timer
If you'd rather not download an app, Tomato Timer is a useful web app for keeping track of your time. It's free, which is a plus, but it doesn't come short of limitations in the features area. However, Tomato Timer has been around for a long time and is very reliable.
The app does not account for your task list or log, so you will have to use a separate app if you want to keep a task list or a log of your work. Something as simple as a combination of Google Tasks and an Excel sheet would be sufficient.
As far as the online timer is concerned, you can start, stop and reset the timer for your Pomodoro, short and long break, and in the settings page, you can alter the lengths of each period.
You can also customize the sounds from various choices and the volume. There is also a toggle for you to use if you want both Pomodoros and breaks to start when time's over automatically.
Since Tomato Timer is a web app, you can use it from whichever platform you work on and on any web browser. However, it's probably best to use via Chrome, Firefox, or Safari due to the native support of desktop alerts. Additionally, you also get some handy keyboard shortcuts to navigate around.
The bottom line is, if keeping track of your work or visualizing your use of time is important to you, Tomato Timer isn't the app for you. If, on the other hand, you simply want to use the timed method of working without the analytical aspect of the Pomodoro Technique, it will be sufficient.
3. Pomofocus
Pomofocus is another free Pomodoro web app. Unlike Tomato Timer, the website has a modern look, but it's not about the UI alone. For one, you can create an account and track your hours throughout the day, week, and even throughout the year.
Pomofocus also includes advanced features like the ability to add the to-dos you plan to work on during the day. It also includes an option to estimate the number of Pomodoros it'll take to complete each task.
You can also customize the length of both your breaks and Pomodoros, besides the number of Pomodoros you should do before going for a long break. Additionally, Promofocus has a Report tab to track the number of focus hours.
Pomofocus also lets you auto-start breaks and Pomodoros separately, unlike Tomato Timer. And if you've love competing, Promofocus has a rankings section that lists the top users with high focus time every week.
The only caveat is, Pomofocus isn't totally free. However, its free version is quite versatile compared to some paid Pomodoro apps. Paid features include yearly focus hours report, projects support, customizable notifications, dark mode, plus a few extras.
Kickstart Your Productivity With the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is by far one of the best time management tools you can leverage to increase productivity. Implementation is easy, thanks to the plenty of Pomodoro apps available.
While many Pomodoro apps are paid, we've listed three of the best options, some of which are as good as paid ones. Depending on your needs, pick any of the three Pomodoro apps.
But don't stop there. You should also check out our tips on using Pomodoros to your advantage and step up your productivity game.