Be Focused Alternative: Free, Cross-Platform + OBS Overlay

Be Focused Pro is a well-made Pomodoro app for Mac. Clean interface, menu bar integration, Apple Watch sync, one-time price. If you work solo on a single Mac and never stream, it covers the basics without friction.

Three situations break that fit: you stream your work and want the timer on OBS, you work across Mac and a Windows or Linux machine, or you want streak tracking that compounds over days. Be Focused Pro handles none of those.

Focusdoro is the direct alternative. Free to start. Desktop widget on Mac, Windows, and Linux. OBS overlay that mirrors your session live. Streaks and session history built in.

Where Be Focused Falls Short

Be Focused Pro was designed for a specific user: someone on a Mac who wants a native Pomodoro timer with good OS integration and no subscription. It executes that well.

The gaps are equally specific:

• Mac-only. Be Focused Pro is available on macOS and iOS only. There is no Windows build, no Linux build, no web app. If you split your time between a Mac and a Linux dev machine, your focus sessions break the moment you switch devices.
• No OBS integration. Be Focused Pro is a personal tool. It has no browser-source URL you can drop into OBS. Stream viewers see whatever happens to be on your screen. There is no way to surface your current phase, remaining time, or active task to an audience.
• No streak tracking. Be Focused Pro shows a session count for the current day. That count resets. There is no running streak, no best-streak record, and no history view that shows whether your focus habits are building or slipping over weeks.
• Paid, with no free tier. $4.99 one-time is not a steep price, but there is no free tier to evaluate the app before paying. You buy it or you do not.

None of these are oversights in Be Focused Pro. They reflect a deliberate product scope: personal, Mac-native, offline-first. If your requirements exceed that scope, you need a different tool.

Be Focused Pro vs Focusdoro: Side-by-Side

What Focusdoro Adds That Be Focused Cannot

The Pomodoro mechanic itself is comparable between the two: work blocks, automatic break transitions, task list. The differences are in surface area.

• Live OBS overlay. Focusdoro generates a personal overlay URL. Add it as a browser source in OBS and your timer, current phase, and active task appear on stream in real time. No screen capture. No manual updates. See the OBS Pomodoro setup guide for the full walkthrough.
• Cross-platform widget. The Focusdoro desktop widget (v1.0.6, signed and notarized) runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Start a session on your Mac in the morning and continue it on a Linux workstation in the afternoon. The session history and streak carry over because both pull from the same account.
• Streak tracking that builds over time. Focusdoro keeps a running count of consecutive days with completed sessions and a session log you can review at any point. Be Focused Pro shows today's count and nothing more.
• Task display for stream viewers. Set your active task before starting and the OBS overlay shows it live. Viewers on a coding stream or study stream know what you are working on without you saying it on mic.
• Free to start. No $4.99 gate before you can evaluate the tool. Sign in, copy your overlay URL, add it to OBS, run a session. Decide then.

How to Switch from Be Focused

Switching is straightforward because there is nothing to migrate. Be Focused Pro stores your task list locally. Focusdoro has its own task input. You start fresh with a clean session history.

1. Sign in to focusdoro.app. Use your Google account. Your overlay URL is created automatically on first sign-in.
2. Copy your overlay URL. Click the Overlay URL button in the header. The URL is copied to your clipboard.
3. In OBS, add a new Browser source. Click + in the Sources panel, choose Browser, paste your Focusdoro overlay URL. Set width to 220, height to 140. Add body { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; } in the Custom CSS field for a transparent background.
4. Download the desktop widget if you want the native Mac experience. The widget covers what Be Focused Pro handles for personal sessions: an always-on floating timer that stays visible above your editor, with task display and streak tracking. Download from the Focusdoro releases page.
5. Start a session. Click Start on focusdoro.app or in the widget. The OBS overlay updates in real time. Your streak counter starts accumulating from day one.

For full OBS positioning, multi-scene setup, and transparent background details, see the complete OBS Pomodoro setup guide.

Who Should Stay on Be Focused Pro

Be Focused Pro is the right tool if your requirements line up exactly with its scope:

• You are Mac and iOS only. If you work exclusively on Apple hardware and want Apple Watch sync, Be Focused Pro is the more deeply integrated native experience. Focusdoro does not have an Apple Watch companion app.
• You want zero account or internet dependency. Be Focused Pro works entirely offline with no account required. Focusdoro's overlay and session sync require a sign-in and an internet connection during the session. The desktop widget can run a local Pomodoro without a sign-in, but streaks and history require the account.
• You prefer one-time payment over free-with-Pro-tier. $4.99 once is a simple transaction. If a clear one-time price is important to you, Be Focused Pro delivers that model.

If you stream, work across platforms, or want streak tracking that actually builds over weeks, Be Focused Pro will not cover those cases. That is not a criticism. It was built for a narrower scope.

For more options across Pomodoro tools and stream timers, see the best Pomodoro timers for streamers roundup or the Pomodoro timer for OBS overview. If you are evaluating Pomofocus as well, the Pomofocus vs Focusdoro comparison covers the browser-only gap specifically. For off-stream Mac developer use cases with a full app comparison, see the best Pomodoro app for developers on Mac.