Session is a Pomodoro-style focus timer, available on macOS and iOS with a Chrome extension, that blocks selected apps, websites and Slack for the length of a work session, then restores access automatically at break time. It's built by an independent developer and is also available through Setapp, the Mac subscription-app bundle, which gives it a distribution channel and a level of discoverability many small independent apps in this comparison set don't have on their own. The developer has also continued shipping regular updates to Session's Apple Watch integration specifically, which suggests real, ongoing investment in making the cross-device experience feel genuinely seamless rather than a one-time feature checkbox.
What Session actually does
You pick a Pomodoro-style work interval, and Session blocks chosen apps, websites and Slack for that duration, restoring them automatically once the break begins or the session ends, so there's no manual step required to get back to normal once the work block is over. It syncs genuinely well across devices — start a session on your Mac and get notified, or end it, from an iPhone or Apple Watch — and logs session history and streaks for anyone who wants that data, giving a longer-term view of your work rhythm rather than just today's single session. Session's break periods also automatically re-enable blocked apps and sites for a set window before the next work interval begins, so a return to normal access happens on schedule without you needing to remember to manually restore anything yourself.
Where Session is honestly the better pick
The structured Pomodoro rhythm — a real work interval followed by an actual break, not just an open-ended block — is a genuinely useful default for anyone whose problem is sustained focus during work sessions rather than a single moment of temptation, since it builds rest into the plan rather than treating a block as an endurance test. Cross-device sync between Mac and iPhone, done well, is also a real point in its favor for anyone working across both, letting a session started at a desk follow you naturally onto your phone. It's also worth noting that Session's presence on Setapp, alongside many other well-regarded Mac utilities, puts it in front of an audience already primed to try new focus tools, which has likely helped it build a loyal base of long-term Mac users over time.
| Feature | Session | Mr. Grummel |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS, iOS, Chrome extension, also via Setapp | iOS & Android (in development) |
| Core mechanism | Pomodoro-style timed work sessions, with apps/sites/Slack blocked for the session's duration | Answer a quiz question from the app's curriculum to unlock |
| Self-bypassable? | Yes — a session can be paused or stopped at any time via the app's own controls; no confirmed strict/locked mode found | Not yet released — can't be assessed |
| Physical hardware required? | No | No |
| Price | Freemium; Pro at roughly $4.99/mo or $39.99/yr, with a 7-day free trial | Not yet announced — join the waiting list |
The one mechanical difference that actually matters
Session's model is structured and scheduled — a defined work interval followed by a defined break, with blocking tied directly to that rhythm, which works well for anyone whose day already has a predictable shape to plan around. Mr. Grummel's model has no schedule at all: every attempt to open a flagged app meets the same quiz-question gate, whether it's the first attempt of the day or the fifteenth, and regardless of whether you're supposedly "on a break" according to any plan. One is built around a work rhythm; the other is built around a repeated, un-scheduled interruption, and which fits better probably depends on how predictable your actual day tends to be. It's also worth adding that a Pomodoro structure works best for people whose distraction problem shows up during sustained work blocks specifically, rather than the more scattered, all-day-long kind of phone checking that doesn't map neatly onto any single defined work interval.
Who should pick which
If your actual need is a Pomodoro-style work rhythm with blocking tied to real intervals and breaks, and you're on Mac and iPhone, Session is a well-built, well-synced tool for exactly that, with a distribution history through Setapp that speaks to real staying power. If you want something that doesn't care what time it is or whether you're "on a break," and just asks a question every time regardless of the clock, that's Mr. Grummel's simpler, always-on approach. It's also worth trying Session's free tier first to see whether the Pomodoro rhythm itself, independent of the blocking feature, actually changes how your work sessions feel before committing to the paid Pro tier for full cross-device sync. It's also worth noting that Session's absence from Android means anyone outside Apple's ecosystem has no path to it at all, which narrows its realistic audience considerably compared with a genuinely cross-platform tool.