Pomatez is a free, open-source Pomodoro timer desktop application written in TypeScript and released under the MIT licence, built for Windows, macOS, and Linux users who want structured work-and-break cycles running locally on their own machine.

What it is

Pomatez implements the Pomodoro technique as a downloadable desktop application rather than a web service. It ships with a configurable timer, a built-in task list, break enforcement, and a set of desktop integration features such as tray behaviour, always-on-top mode, auto updates, voice assistance, and a dark theme. It lives in the desktop productivity and time-management tooling space, alongside the broader category of productivity timers listed in its topics. Windows, macOS, and Linux are all supported from the same codebase, with officially maintained packages for Snap on Linux and Homebrew Cask on macOS.

The concrete problem it solves is fragmented focus tracking: instead of running a timer in one place and a to-do list somewhere else, Pomatez combines both, and it adds enforcement that plain timers lack. Customizable rules let the default Pomodoro configuration be adjusted to personal preference, while Strict mode prevents pausing, skipping, or resetting the timer once a session has started. Special breaks allow fixed important breaks such as lunch, snack, or dinner without editing the Pomodoro configuration itself, which replaces the workaround of constantly rewriting interval settings.

Key capabilities

• Customizable rules that modify the default Pomodoro configuration to fit personal preferences.
• Built-in task list for creating simple todos and marking items done.
• Full-screen breaks that occupy the whole desktop to force a stop during break time, with the documented limitation that multiple monitors are not supported.
• Desktop notifications in three selectable types: None, Normal (every break), and Extra (60 seconds before the break starts, 30 seconds before it ends, and at the actual break).
• Special breaks for scheduled events like lunch, snack, and dinner without changing the Pomodoro configuration.
• Strict mode that prevents pausing, skipping, and resetting the timer once it has started.
• Tray features including minimize to tray, close to tray, and a progress indicator on the system tray, plus auto updates downloaded in the background.

Who uses it and how

• Individual desktop workers on Windows, macOS, and Linux who want a local timer with no account or server component.
• Linux users installing through the Snap store, and macOS users installing through the Homebrew Cask, alongside direct downloads from the Releases Page or the project download page.
• People who need enforced breaks: full-screen breaks combined with Strict mode remove the option to keep working through a rest period.
• Users who step away from the computer during breaks, served by the Extra notification type and the optional male-voice assistance in desktop notifications.
• Small-screen and low-vision users, served by Compact Mode and the dark theme.

Getting started

Install from the Snap store on Linux or the Homebrew Cask on macOS, or download the latest build for Windows, macOS, or Linux from the Releases Page or the project download page.

How it compares

No comparable products are named in the facts provided for this entry, and no list of paid products it replaces is supplied. On the available evidence Pomatez stands alone in this registry.

When to use it — and when not to

Pomatez is a self-contained desktop application, so there is no database, storage layer, or SMTP service to operate; the trade-off is that every user installs and updates their own copy. It is the wrong choice for multi-monitor setups, because full-screen breaks are documented as unsupported across multiple monitors, and for users who need remappable keyboard shortcuts, since the shortcuts are explicitly not yet customizable. The repository also carries 167 open issues and a README whose contributing and development setup section is truncated in the available excerpt, so prospective contributors should check the repository directly before assuming full developer documentation.