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App Imp

Pomodoro timer.

Sync & data runs in 7 of the 9 apps here — nobody on this shelf has fixed it.

9 apps · 2,999 reviews held · 638 negative · 2026-08-24 snapshot

61/100 opportunity

6 of 6 factors · not advice
Nobody's fixed it7 of 9 apps78
How far above typical7.1% vs 2.2% typical80
How angrystar3.3 · 45 reviews0
People in the market201,908 ratings44
Room to enterleader holds 41% of ratings59
Willingness to pay8 of 8 checked charge · $2.49 entry100

Mostly solved: login & auth. 6 of 8 apps run below the store’s typical rate on it — while 7 of 9 still carry sync & data complaints.

How this is scored

Weighted mean of the sub-scores, weights re-normalized over whatever is computable (nobody's fixed it 25 · how far above typical 20 · how angry 15 · people in the market 15 · room to enter 15 · willingness to pay 10). Fixed anchors map each count to 0–100: breadth and willingness-to-pay are straight shares; the gap’s heat tops out at 4times the store’s typical rate; anger scores star3 as 0 and star1.5 as 100; reach runs 104 to 107ratings on a log scale; room to enter is one minus the leader’s share of shelf ratings. A factor that cannot be counted is dropped and named — never imputed. The site’s one composite (#115, owner decision 2026-08-15); cited industry benchmarks are never blended in.

5 gaps.

01

Sync & data — unfixed in 7 of 9 apps

high · 7.1% of this shelf’s 638 negative reviews, against 2.2% typical store-wide, at 3.32star average anger.

What they said · 45 reviews
  • Sync fails between devices8 of 45
  • Everything gone at once3 of 45
“Good app but too many glitches — I love the concept of the app and have been using it for years, but there are just too many glitches, including times when my plus subscription was disabled, or cannot sync, or cannot open daily challenges. It’s just frustrating. The in-app support function was also unable to load when I have these issues, so there’s literally no help I can get. Already reconsid”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 3star · Aug 12, 2026
“Serious Sync Issues Between Mac and iOS — I’m extremely disappointed with the synchronization reliability between the Mac and iOS versions. I enabled the option to sync data to Calendar, but the data never appeared in my calendar. Even worse, the data inside the Flow app itself became inconsistent — I originally had three records for today, but now only the middle one remains. There are also ser”Flow: Focus & Pomodoro Timer · 1star · Aug 5, 2026
“Recommended by OT but not quite doing the job. — I have AUDHD with some OCD, anxiety and exhaustion. I am dealing with physical disability as well from nervous system and autoimmune issues. I’m in occupational therapy for speech, physical rehab, and soon will be adding visual OT. My speech therapist thinks that the root of a lot of my problems is actually exhaustion from excessive screen time. My”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 2star · Aug 1, 2026
How it compares
this shelf
7.1%
45 of 638
store-wide
2.2%
typical
breadth
78%
7 of 9 apps
02

Limits & caps — unfixed in 7 of 9 apps

high · 6.3% of this shelf’s 638 negative reviews, against 2.8% typical store-wide, at 2.88star average anger.

What they said · 40 reviews
  • Core feature locked behind the paywall4 of 40
“nice app but — I feel like a lot of features are locked behind pay walls…”Focus Friend, by Hank Green · 2star · Aug 16, 2026
“Lost 5 Years of Progress! — I bought this app in 2021 and used it devotedly since. Recently, it’s gotten more & more greed centric. Recently, it’s logged me out without my permission. It won’t let me sign in! I had earned so many trees, participated in limited social events, & now it’s all GONE! I have been robbed and I’m avail gutted.”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 1star · Aug 8, 2026
“paywall ruined it — i’ve used this app since I was in middle school. I’m 26 now and it’s impossible to use without paying for something. sad to see you go.”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 2star · Jul 17, 2026
How it compares
this shelf
6.3%
40 of 638
store-wide
2.8%
typical
breadth
78%
7 of 9 apps
03

UX — unfixed in 6 of 9 apps

elevated · 3.9% of this shelf’s 638 negative reviews, against 2.9% typical store-wide, at 3.64star average anger.

What they said · 25 reviews
“New update (Aug 2026) is unusable! — I usually avoid reviews, but the previous update(s) have made the app usability worse. This most recent one has made the app’s features extremely glitchy. I could get used to the new interface, but it doesn’t feel like any UX/UI improvement. Hoping there will be a new update soon to fix all the errors!”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 1star · Aug 14, 2026
“Serious Sync Issues Between Mac and iOS — I’m extremely disappointed with the synchronization reliability between the Mac and iOS versions. I enabled the option to sync data to Calendar, but the data never appeared in my calendar. Even worse, the data inside the Flow app itself became inconsistent — I originally had three records for today, but now only the middle one remains. There are also ser”Flow: Focus & Pomodoro Timer · 1star · Aug 5, 2026
“Bloatware Garbage — I’ve used this app from the beginning almost 10 years ago. Even got offers as the 1% user from the developer to test beta features… It used to be cool. Now, it’s turned into corporate, bloatedware garbage where planting a tree feels easier to do in real life than by navigating this app. Having derailed from its original mission of providing the user with a simple interface to”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 1star · Aug 2, 2026
How it compares
this shelf
3.9%
25 of 638
store-wide
2.9%
typical
breadth
67%
6 of 9 apps
04

Billing — unfixed in 8 of 9 apps

35.7% of this shelf’s 638 negative reviews, against 32.1% typical store-wide, at 2.40star average anger.

What they said · 228 reviews
  • Price judged too high for the value16 of 228
  • Trial converted without clear consent3 of 228
“Why do I get ads on premium — I paid for the premium version. Still getting ads. I want a refund”Pomodoro - Focus Timer · 1star · Aug 22, 2026
“Rating changed from five stars to one. — This app used to be so good. Now they somehow think that anyone is going to pay for their subscription service when every update the app gets buggier and buggier. If I close the app, it crashes. I don’t mean close it and open something else. I mean if I go back to the home screen or literally any other app. When the timer hits zero… Nothing happens. The w”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 1star · Aug 12, 2026
“Good app but too many glitches — I love the concept of the app and have been using it for years, but there are just too many glitches, including times when my plus subscription was disabled, or cannot sync, or cannot open daily challenges. It’s just frustrating. The in-app support function was also unable to load when I have these issues, so there’s literally no help I can get. Already reconsid”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 3star · Aug 12, 2026
How it compares
this shelf
35.7%
228 of 638
store-wide
32.1%
typical
breadth
89%
8 of 9 apps
05

Performance — unfixed in 8 of 9 apps

18.0% of this shelf’s 638 negative reviews, against 16.9% typical store-wide, at 2.55star average anger.

What they said · 115 reviews
“New update (Aug 2026) is unusable! — I usually avoid reviews, but the previous update(s) have made the app usability worse. This most recent one has made the app’s features extremely glitchy. I could get used to the new interface, but it doesn’t feel like any UX/UI improvement. Hoping there will be a new update soon to fix all the errors!”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 1star · Aug 14, 2026
“Rating changed from five stars to one. — This app used to be so good. Now they somehow think that anyone is going to pay for their subscription service when every update the app gets buggier and buggier. If I close the app, it crashes. I don’t mean close it and open something else. I mean if I go back to the home screen or literally any other app. When the timer hits zero… Nothing happens. The w”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 1star · Aug 12, 2026
“Good app but too many glitches — I love the concept of the app and have been using it for years, but there are just too many glitches, including times when my plus subscription was disabled, or cannot sync, or cannot open daily challenges. It’s just frustrating. The in-app support function was also unable to load when I have these issues, so there’s literally no help I can get. Already reconsid”Forest: Focus for Productivity · 3star · Aug 12, 2026
How it compares
this shelf
18.0%
115 of 638
store-wide
16.9%
typical
breadth
89%
8 of 9 apps

Is there a market for a new pomodoro timer app?

9 apps compete on this shelf, holding 2,999 App Store reviews — and the widest unfixed complaint, sync & data, runs in 7 of 9 of them at 7.1% of negative reviews against 2.2% typical. Those are counts, not a verdict — the page shows what is unfixed, not whether to build.

What do users complain about most in pomodoro timer?

1. Sync & data — in 7 of 9 apps, 7.1% of negative reviews; 2. Limits & caps — in 7 of 9 apps, 6.3% of negative reviews; 3. UX — in 6 of 9 apps, 3.9% of negative reviews; 4. Billing — in 8 of 9 apps, 35.7% of negative reviews; 5. Performance — in 8 of 9 apps, 18% of negative reviews.

How many pomodoro timer app reviews did App Imp count?

2,999 US App Store reviews across 9 apps, 638 of them negative — counted on the 2026-08-24 snapshot, never estimated.

Searched on the App Store.

Apple’s own suggestions for pomodoro timer terms, in their order.

focus timerpomodoro timerpomodoro timer for no postponepomodoro timer freefocus timer for studyingfocus timer freepomodoro timer cutefocuspomo · pomodoro timer

Searched, but no app on this shelf says it in its name.

Who’s in it

All 9 apps counted on this shelf · 2026-08-24.

App
Flora - Green Focus82,4865%——14%
Forest: Focus for Productivity49,0675%12%3%51%
Focus Keeper - Pomodoro Timer31,5506%4%8%37%
Focus To-Do: Focus Timer&Tasks14,55317%2%6%20%
Pomodoro - Focus Timer10,7994%3%3%25%
FocusPomo · Pomodoro Timer7,4946%3%3%51%
Focus Friend, by Hank Green4,201—15%—29%
Flow: Focus & Pomodoro Timer1,74026%6%3%20%
Pomodoro — Focus Timer18————

Each cell: that app’s share of its own negative reviews. Bold from 1.15 times the store’s typical rate for that complaint, and only where an app holds 20+ negative reviews. Click a column to sort.

What they charge, and what it costs them

Prices from Apple’s public pages; the share counts payment-mechanics language only.

AppMoney complaints
FocusPomo · Pomodoro Timer$3.99–$59.99 · 10 tiers8.6% of 35
Focus Keeper - Pomodoro Timer$3.99–$199.99 · 7 tiers3.4% of 145
Forest: Focus for Productivity$0.99–$35.99 · 9 tiers2.1% of 191
Flora - Green Focus$0.99–$1.99 · 3 tiers0% of 22
Focus To-Do: Focus Timer&Tasks$1.99–$11.99 · 3 tiers0% of 66
Pomodoro - Focus Timer$0.99–$9.99 · 5 tiers0% of 110
Focus Friend, by Hank Green$2.99–$39.99 · 10 tiers0% of 34
Flow: Focus & Pomodoro Timer$2.99–$39.99 · 3 tiers0% of 35

What each one owns, where each is exposed

Productive - Habit Tracker

91,110 ratings · 57% negative

Owns. Largest reach; polished habit-tracking UI

Exposed. 57% negative; forces subscription before any free trial; IAP up to $79.99; bait-and-switch billing complaints dominate

Forest: Focus for Productivity

48,647 ratings · 47% negative

Owns. Gamified focus with strong brand loyalty

Exposed. 47% negative; retroactively paywalled previously free features; account/data loss on restart; IAP up to $35.99

Focus Keeper - Pomodoro Timer

31,453 ratings · 38% negative

Owns. Clean pomodoro UX; long-tenure users

Exposed. 38% negative; removed paid features via update; IAP up to $199.99; heavy survey bloat on redownload

Study Bunny: Focus Timer

20,834 ratings · 23% negative

Owns. Charming aesthetic; loyal student base

Exposed. Ad cadence recently worsened; interstitials on every app-exit; losing long-term users to churn

Flora - Green Focus

82,370 ratings · 8% negative

Owns. Lowest anger; massive reach; IAP max $1.99

Exposed. Minimal monetization ceiling; limited power-user stats and sync depth

Browse the apps behind these counts

Every app we count, with the complaint it runs furthest above the store’s typical rate.

Open the app library
How this is counted

Every number is arithmetic over the reviews we hold, re-counted weekly — nothing modelled, nothing scored. Themes come from a frozen pattern classifier rather than a model reading reviews, so the same review always lands in the same bucket. A shelf rate is pooled across every app here; the store rate is the same count across 12,122 apps. A complaint is only called a gap when at least half the shelf carries it and at least 20 reviews are behind it — a problem concentrated in one app is that app’s bug.