Short answer: if you just want a study timer that opens in your browser with no account, Pinkoa and Pomofocus are the quickest. If your phone is the real problem, Forest or Flora are stronger, because they can keep you away from distracting apps. If you want tasks and statistics on several devices, Focus To-Do or Toggl Track fit better. Study Bunny is the pick if you like a cute, game-like app on your phone.
Full disclosure: we make Pinkoa. We tried to be fair, we say where the others are better, and every fact about the other apps links to its source (checked on 21 October 2026). Prices and features change, so check the store page before you pay for anything.
The comparison at a glance
| Timer | Runs on | Price | Account needed? | Better than Pinkoa at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinkoa | Any browser (phone, tablet, laptop); can be saved to the home screen | Free, no ads | No | (our own app) |
| Pomofocus | Browser; desktop apps for Mac, Windows, Linux | Free with ads; paid premium | No for the timer; login for extras | Task estimates, finish-time forecast, reports |
| Forest | iPhone, iPad, Android | Free download, in-app purchases, Forest Plus subscription | Optional (for sync) | Keeping you off distracting apps; real trees |
| Flora | iPhone, Android, Mac (Apple silicon) | Free, in-app purchases | Not stated in the store listing | Phone focus with friends, habit tracker |
| Focus To-Do | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Chrome | Free; Premium about $1.99/month, $9.99/year or $11.99 lifetime | Optional; sync needs Premium | Full task manager with projects and recurring tasks |
| Toggl Track | Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, browser extensions | Free plan for up to 3 users | Yes | Time tracking, calendar links, reports |
| Study Bunny | iPhone, Android, Mac | Free, in-app purchases (no-ads bundles from $14.99) | Not stated in the store listing | Flashcards, game-like rewards |
Which free study timer works without an account?
Pinkoa opens straight away at pinkoa.com: press Start and study in focus rounds from 25 to 90 minutes with short and long breaks. There is a daily streak, a small to-do list, background sounds (lo-fi, café, rain, fireplace, brown noise) and Koa the pink koala, who reads while you focus and naps on your breaks. Everything is saved only in your browser, so there is nothing to sign up for. It works in English, German and Finnish. One-click presets: 25 minutes, 50/10, 52/17, 1 hour and 90 minutes.
Pomofocus also starts in the browser without logging in. Its strength is planning: you add tasks, estimate how many rounds each needs and it shows when you'll finish. The free version shows ads; premium removes them and adds projects, yearly reports, CSV export and a Todoist link (pomofocus.io).
Which app is best if your phone distracts you?
Forest grows a virtual tree while you focus; leave the app and the tree withers. On iPhone it can use allow lists to keep you away from distracting apps, and the developer says its community has planted over 2 million real trees with Trees for the Future. Forest is free to download with in-app purchases and a Forest Plus subscription (App Store listing).
Flora works in a similar way, with a focus mode you can do together with friends, a to-do list and a habit tracker. It's free with in-app purchases, and it offers an optional paid way to plant real trees with partner organisations (App Store listing).
Honest note: Pinkoa can't lock other apps. If your phone pulls you away every two minutes, Forest or Flora will help more than any browser timer.
Which is best for tasks and statistics?
Focus To-Do is a timer and a full task manager in one: projects, subtasks, due dates and recurring tasks. Premium (about $1.99 a month, $9.99 a year or $11.99 lifetime, as of February 2026) adds sync across devices, detailed charts and ambient sounds (review with pricing).
Toggl Track is really a time tracker for work and projects. The free plan covers up to 3 users and includes timers, a focus mode, calendar integrations and reports, but you need an account (Toggl pricing). Great if you want to know where your hours go; more than most students need for a single study session.
Which study timer is the cutest?
Study Bunny gives you a bunny companion, coins to spend in a shop, flashcards and a study tracker. The app is free; in-app purchases include coin packs and no-ads bundles from $14.99 (App Store listing).
We are biased here, of course: we think a pink koala with big glasses is hard to beat. With Pinkoa you can dress Koa up, unlock outfits as you study and pick a scene like the library, a café or a rainy window.
Where is Pinkoa weaker?
- No app blocking. It runs in a browser tab and can't stop you opening other apps.
- No sync. Because there's no account, your streak lives on one device and one browser.
- Simple stats. You see today's rounds, minutes and the last 7 days, not yearly reports.
- It's new. Pinkoa launched on 25 September 2026. The others have years of updates behind them.
So which one should you pick?
- "I just want to start now, no sign-up": Pinkoa or Pomofocus.
- "My phone is the problem": Forest or Flora.
- "I need a to-do app too": Focus To-Do.
- "I want to know where my hours go": Toggl Track.
- "Make it a game": Study Bunny, or Koa's outfits in Pinkoa.
You can also mix them: many students use a phone app to keep the phone quiet and a big browser timer on the laptop. More answers in our FAQ, all timer presets on the free study timers page, and the story behind the name on What is Pinkoa? (it's Finnish for "to run fast" and, in student slang, "to study hard").
🎃 Until 31 October, Koa's pink Halloween study printables are free.
How we compared
We read each app's official store listing or website on 21 October 2026 and only used what they say about themselves (plus one 2026 review for Focus To-Do prices). We did not test paid tiers. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@pinkoa.com and we'll fix it.