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Pulse vs Flowtime
Summary
Two apps that both let you focus until you're done.
Flowtime° Focus & Time Tracker (by Ava Thalheim) is a focus and time tracker for iPhone and Android. It runs a classic count-up timer, Pomodoro, Flowmodoro, and a Flow Session mode, and wraps them in projects, session history, statistics and reports, achievements, and — on Pro — app blocking. Pro is a subscription with a lifetime option.
Pulse is a color-first interval timer for iPhone and Apple Watch that added flow sessions in version 1.3. Intervals and open-ended focus live in the same app, with 136 searchable palettes, 200pt numerals, Live Activity, Shortcuts, labels and history. Everything unlocks for $3.99, once.
Neither app needs an account, and both keep your data on your device. The real question is whether you want a tracker or a timer.
Side by side
Quick comparison
| Pulse 1.3 | Flowtime° | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | One timer for workouts and focus, in a color you chose, paid for once. | Tracking focus work across projects, with reports and app blocking. |
| Session styles | Interval (work / rest / rounds, prep countdown) and Flow (count-up focus, earned break = focus ÷ 3, 4 or 5, optional target, optional reminders). | Classic count-up timer, Pomodoro, Flowmodoro (“focus until you stop, then take a break based on session length”), and Flow Session (“set a target, get gentle reminders, and decide when to stop”). |
| Color & theming | 136 searchable palettes that repaint the whole app. Eight free, all 136 with Pro. | Light and dark themes; custom accent colors on Pro. |
| Timers on a watch | Apple Watch app for interval timers, with a haptic at every transition. Flow timers are phone-only in 1.3. | No watch app is listed on its App Store page. |
| History & reports | Session history with per-session detail, labels, time-by-label, streak, weekly heatmap. CSV export with Pro. Free keeps the last 7 days. | Session history, statistics, and reports/exports on Pro. Free keeps 1 day of history. |
| Reminders | Optional gentle reminder every 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes during a flow focus block. Off by default. | Time-awareness reminders; gentle reminders during a Flow Session. |
| Projects / tagging | Labels on timers and sessions (Work, Study, Gym, Boxing, or anything you type), with a time-by-label breakdown. | Projects. The free tier includes 1 project. |
| App blocking | No. Pulse doesn't take over your phone. | Yes, on Pro. |
| Price model | $3.99 once for Pro. Optional $9.99 supporter price, same app. No subscription, no ads. | Free tier, then Pro at $3.99/month, $24.99/year, or $49.99 lifetime. |
| Platforms | iPhone + Apple Watch. | iPhone (iOS 15+) and Android. |
| Languages | English. | App Store lists English, French and German; the website claims 10. |
| Privacy | On-device only. No account, no analytics, no ad SDKs. | No account required; local storage. |
| Community | Email support. That's it. | Discord community. |
Flowtime rows describe what its own App Store listing and website said on 12 September 2026. Prices vary by storefront — the Singapore store, for example, shows S$5.98 / S$39.98 / S$89.98. Every Flowtime fact on this page comes from its own App Store listing or flowtime-app.com, checked on 12 September 2026 — nothing here is inferred.
What Flowtime does well
- Four session styles in one app — count-up, Pomodoro, Flowmodoro, and a Flow Session with a target and gentle reminders.
- Projects, so focus time is attributed to something rather than just logged.
- Statistics, reports and exports for people who want to analyze their weeks.
- App blocking on Pro, if the thing between you and the work is your own phone.
- Achievements, if that kind of thing motivates you.
- It's on Android too, and it has a Discord community.
- A free tier you can use indefinitely: standard timer, standard notifications, and Pomodoro with fixed intervals.
What Pulse does differently
- Intervals are first-class. Tabata, HIIT, EMOM and boxing rounds with prep countdowns live in the same app as your focus sessions.
- Color is the product. 136 searchable palettes repaint the entire app, including the running screen, Live Activity, and Watch.
- Glanceable. 200pt numerals on a full-screen color block — readable from a mat, a bag, or the other side of a desk.
- Apple Watch. A real Watch app for interval timers with a haptic at every transition.
- Live Activity. Lock Screen and Dynamic Island carry the countdown and the flow count-up.
- One payment. $3.99 unlocks everything, forever. Flow mode, labels, Shortcuts and the Control Center button are free for everyone.
- Nothing leaves the phone. No account, no analytics, no ad SDKs — and a CSV export so your history is yours.
Choose Flowtime if…
- You need your focus time attributed to projects and reported on.
- You want the app to block other apps while you work.
- You're on Android, or you switch between Android and iPhone.
- You want achievements and a community to check in with.
- A subscription is fine, or you're happy to pay $49.99 once for the lifetime tier.
- You don't need workout intervals or a watch app.
Choose Pulse if…
- You want one timer for Tabata rounds and writing sessions.
- You want to see the timer from across the room, in a color you picked.
- You use an Apple Watch, or you want the timer on your Lock Screen.
- You want the timer to shut up: two beeps, haptics, and your music untouched.
- You're done paying monthly for a timer. $3.99, once, and that's the end of it.
- You'd rather nothing about your sessions ever left your phone.
Not sure yet? The flow timer is free in your browser, no download and no sign-up: run a flow session now, or read how the Flowtime technique works.
Questions
Pulse vs Flowtime FAQ
Is Pulse a Flowtime clone?
No. Pulse started as an interval timer for HIIT, Tabata and boxing rounds and added flow sessions in 1.3 because open-ended focus is a genuinely better fit for some work. Flowtime is a focus tracker with projects, reports and app blocking. The overlap is one mode; the rest of each app is different.
Which one is cheaper?
Pulse Pro is $3.99 as a one-time purchase. Flowtime Pro is $3.99 per month, $24.99 per year, or $49.99 for lifetime access, and it has a free tier that includes a standard timer, standard notifications, Pomodoro with fixed intervals, one project, and one day of history. Prices differ by storefront.
Does Pulse have projects?
Pulse has labels rather than projects. You tag a timer — Work, Study, Gym, Boxing, or anything you type — the label is stored with each session, and Stats shows a time-by-label breakdown. There's no project hierarchy, no billing, no client reports.
Does Pulse block apps?
No, and it isn't planned. Blocking requires deep system permissions, and it's the opposite of a timer that gets out of your way. If app blocking is the feature you're shopping for, Flowtime Pro has it.
Can I run flow sessions on my Apple Watch with Pulse?
Not in 1.3. Interval timers run on Apple Watch; flow timers are phone-only and simply don't appear in the Watch list. The Live Activity does carry the flow count-up on your iPhone's Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.
Is Flowtime on Apple Watch?
No watch app is listed on its App Store page. We only state what its own listing and website said when we checked on 12 September 2026.
Try it
Intervals or flow. In any color. $3.99 once.
136 palettes, Live Activity, Apple Watch, Shortcuts, on-device history. No subscription, no ads, no account.