Nudge vs Focus Keeper: A Detailed Comparison

The biggest difference: background timing

Focus Keeper's most-reported issue is that the timer stops counting when you lock your phone or switch to another app. Over 15 recent App Store reviews mention this problem. As one user wrote: “The focus timer appears to stop counting down if you switch apps or lock your phone. I had a few sessions today that felt suspiciously long.”

This is a fundamental problem for a focus timer. The whole point is to start a timer, put your phone down, and focus on your work. If the timer stops when you lock the screen, you end up checking your phone repeatedly to make sure it's still running — the opposite of focusing.

Nudge solves this by using real timestamps. When you start a timer, Nudge records the start time. When you check the app later, it calculates how much time has actually elapsed using Date.timeIntervalSince(). The timer is always accurate, regardless of what you do with your phone. A local notification with .timeSensitive fires when the timer completes.

Pricing comparison

Focus Keeper moved to a subscription model in its 2025 update. The free version limits you to basic timing with 3-day charts. Full analytics, sync, and customization require Focus Keeper Pro at $3.99/month — that's nearly $48/year for a timer app.

Nudge's free tier includes Pomodoro and countdown timers, 3 presets, full session history (not just 3 days), background timing, and silent vibration alerts. Nudge Pro is $6.99 one-time for unlimited presets, count-up mode, time-awareness nudges, per-timer stats, and data export.

After just two months, Focus Keeper Pro costs more than Nudge Pro's lifetime price.

Feature comparison

Per-timer statistics

One of the most-requested features in Focus Keeper reviews is per-timer breakdown. Users want to see how much time they spent on “Work” vs “Study” vs “Writing” — but Focus Keeper combines all timers into a single aggregate view.

As one reviewer put it: “The statistics tab does not break down focus time by timer as I had hoped it would. The visualizations combine all timers into one.”

Nudge Pro tracks per-preset session history and analytics, so you can see exactly how much focus time went to each activity.

Who should stick with Focus Keeper?

If you keep the app open on your desk while working (no locking, no app switching), Focus Keeper's circular timer UI is clean and familiar. It's been around for years and has a large community. If background timing isn't an issue for your workflow, Focus Keeper is a solid, simple Pomodoro app.

Who should switch to Nudge?

If you've been frustrated by Focus Keeper's timer stopping in the background, if you want per-timer statistics, if you prefer a one-time purchase over a monthly subscription, or if you need ADHD-friendly features like time-awareness mode — Nudge addresses all of these gaps directly.

FAQ