Overview

Pomodoist is a task planner with a built-in Pomodoro timer, for people who want to turn planned work into tracked focus sessions without juggling separate apps. Its open-source license and self-hosting option will appeal to users who want control over the service, while the free plan’s 90-day task-history window is a meaningful constraint.

Key features

Planning and focus

Planning spans an inbox, upcoming tasks, projects, timeline, kanban, and priority matrix, with filters, search, quick-add parsing, task decomposition, and CSV import. That variety can serve both list-driven planning and visual review; it is more machinery than someone seeking only a basic timer needs. The built-in Pomodoro timer adds configurable breaks, local sounds, focus tracking, custom intervals, and statistics, giving users a way to connect task planning with timed work.

Voice, teamwork, and integrations

Voice input can create tasks and recognize dates, projects, and tags. Pro includes voice tasks and subtasks, making it the plan to consider for hands-free capture and more detailed task breakdown. Shared projects, task assignment, and activity history extend the planner to team use. Optional integrations include Google Calendar, a Telegram Mini-App, Apple Watch and widgets, and account sync.

Privacy and control

Pomodoist is open source under the AGPL-3.0-only license, and can be self-hosted with its own accounts, database, and integration credentials. The guide calls for Docker Compose v2, make, openssl, curl, at least 4 GB of RAM, and 40 GB of free disk, so independent operation comes with real setup and infrastructure work. For cloud sync, Supabase processes tasks, projects, tags, reminders, settings, and focus-session data to provide the service and sync devices. The privacy policy says personal data is not sold and ads are not displayed; Axiom handles aggregate website statistics with 30-day retention.

Pricing

The free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and includes tasks, projects, labels, the Pomodoro timer, and productivity reports. Its completed and deleted task history lasts 90 days, which may be enough for current planning but not for long-term retrieval.

Pro costs 29.99 USD per year, billed yearly, and adds voice tasks, subtasks, dates and projects from speech, and task history forever. It suits users who want voice capture or an enduring record; the free plan gives up those features and keeps the history cap. Lifetime costs 99.99 USD per once, a one-time payment for all Pro features and lifetime access with no subscription renewals. It is the option for someone who prefers to avoid recurring payments, provided the upfront cost suits them. Monthly and annual Pro subscription entries have custom pricing.

Platforms

Pomodoist lists macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, Windows, Linux, web, and Telegram, plus a Chrome extension in beta. Android is planned for October 2026, so it is not the right current choice for someone who needs Android access now. Its cross-platform reach is broad for users on the listed systems, but the beta extension is not a finished platform option.

Who it's for

Pomodoist is best suited to individuals or teams who want task organization, focus timing, and reporting in one workflow, especially those who value open-source software or can manage a self-hosted setup. It is less suitable for Android-first users today, people who need completed-task history beyond 90 days without paying, or anyone who wants a timer without a substantial planning layer.

Pros and cons

Pros: A broad set of planning views, task organization tools, and CSV import support different ways of managing work.
Pros: Focus timing, configurable breaks, tracking, and statistics sit alongside task planning rather than in a separate workflow.
Pros: AGPL-3.0-only licensing and self-hosting provide meaningful operational control for technically equipped users.
Cons: Free users lose completed and deleted task history after 90 days; permanent history requires Pro.
Cons: Self-hosting requires server resources and several command-line tools, which raises the effort beyond simply signing up.
Cons: Android is planned, not currently listed as available, and the Chrome extension is in beta.

Alternatives

Choose Focus To-Do if its listed Android support is a priority; it is freemium, and its 3 Months plan is 3.99 USD per month. Consider Pomofocus for a free timer with templates, visual reports, and custom settings across Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. Session may fit Apple-focused users who want to see calendar events inside the app; its free plan includes unlimited sessions and rests but only analytics from the past 2 days.

Focus Keeper is another freemium option. For a free option centered on core focus tools, consider PomodoroTimers, available on Android, iOS, and web. PomoTimer is a free option for web and Windows. PomoTodo is a web-based freemium alternative. Bodhi Timer is a free, GPL 3+ Android meditation timer.

Readers comparing a wider field can browse Pomodoro Timer Apps, Time Blocking Apps, or To-do list apps.

Verdict

Choose Pomodoist if you want a serious task planner tied to focus sessions, need its team or voice features, or value open-source self-hosting. Its strongest case is the combination of planning depth and focus tools; look elsewhere if Android is essential today or if the free plan’s 90-day history is too short.

	Pomodoist	Purple Task
Free plan	Yes
Free trial	Yes
Platforms	Android, extension, iOS, Linux, macOS, Web, Windows	Linux
Free plan	Yes
Custom intervals	Yes
Focus statistics	Yes
Platform coverage	cross-platform
Built-in task list	Yes
Calendar integration	Yes
Recurring tasks		No
Calendar sync		No
Supported platforms		linux

Pomodoist vs Purple Task

Pomodoist

Purple Task