A free, open-source focus timer for Mac and Windows

Focusbox is a free focus timer for Mac (and Windows) — a countdown, a task list, and a notepad in one small window. No account, nothing tracked, and the code is public under the Focusbox Community License — free for personal and internal use.

Download for macOS Download for Windows

The macOS build runs on Apple Silicon, and there's a Windows build from the same code. Both are free, and they're the desktop app — the strongest tier, running fully on your own machine. Grab the latest release, open it, and you're focusing in about a minute.

One honest heads-up: the app isn't code-signed with a paid Apple certificate yet, so the first time you open it macOS may say it can't check it for malicious software. That's expected for an indie app. Right-click the app and choose Open, and confirm once — after that it opens normally like anything else. The source is on GitHub if you'd like to see exactly what you're running.

If you'd rather not install anything at all, you don't have to. Focusbox also runs in the browser — here's the web app. And if you want the longer story behind it, that's on the home page.

Installing it on macOS, including the scary dialog

Download the .dmg from the releases page, open it, and drag Focusbox to your Applications folder. Then the part worth explaining in advance:

The first time you open it, macOS may say it can't verify the developer or check the app for malicious software. That's Gatekeeper, and it's not a warning about this app specifically — it's what macOS says about any app that hasn't been through Apple's paid notarization process. Focusbox hasn't, because it's a free app from one person and that certificate is an annual fee.

To get past it: right-click (or Control-click) the app in Applications and choose Open, then confirm once. macOS remembers your decision, and it opens normally from then on — Dock, Spotlight, however you like. If the dialog gives you no Open option at all, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway next to the message about Focusbox.

You shouldn't take my word for what you're running, which is exactly why the source is public. You can read it, and you can build it yourself instead of using my binary.

What you actually get

One small window with two halves. On the left: a countdown ring with presets, add-time when it finishes, and a check-off task list with a count of what's left. On the right: a markdown notepad with a light formatting toolbar. That's it — the timer and the notes are in the same window, which is the entire idea.

Mac-specific niceties: the remaining time can sit live in the menu bar, so you can see the countdown with the window buried behind your actual work; there's a right-click tray menu; the window remembers where you put it; and there's an optional Spotify mini-player. Light and dark themes follow the system, with a few accent colours.

What it doesn't have, on purpose: no accounts, no time-tracking, no focus score, no streaks, no notifications, no ads, no analytics.

Windows, from the same code

There's a Windows installer on the same releases page, built from one codebase, so the app is the same app. The menu-bar timer and the Spotify player are macOS-only; everything else matches. Windows will likely show its own SmartScreen prompt for the same unsigned-installer reason — choose More info then Run anyway.

Requirements

• macOS — Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). There's no Intel build.
• Windows — Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
• Neither needs an account, an internet connection, or a licence key.

The download is small and the app is light, because it's a native shell around a web frontend rather than a bundled browser.

What “free” means here

The app is free — not a trial, not free-for-30-days, not free-with-an-upsell-modal. No feature inside it is locked. It's licensed under the Focusbox Community License: free for personal and internal use, free to build from source, free to pass on. Commercial resale or rebranding is the part that needs a separate licence, which won't affect you unless you're planning to sell it.

The one paid thing is optional cloud sync — $2/month or $20/year — for keeping tasks and notes in step across machines. It's end-to-end encrypted, and the app works exactly the same if you never touch it. There's also a donate link if you want to support it, which changes nothing about the app.

Download the latest release Or try a timer right here

Questions

Is Focusbox really free for Mac?

Yes. The desktop app is free with no locked features and no trial period. Only optional cloud sync costs anything, at $2/month or $20/year.

Why does macOS say it can't check the app for malicious software?

Because it isn't notarized with a paid Apple Developer certificate. Right-click the app and choose Open, confirm once, and macOS will trust it from then on. The source is public if you'd rather verify or build it yourself.

Does it run on Intel Macs?

No — the macOS build is Apple Silicon only. On an Intel Mac, use the web app instead.

Is there a menu-bar timer?

Yes, on macOS: the remaining time shows live in the menu bar, with a right-click menu, and it can be switched off in Settings.

Does it need an internet connection?

No. There's no account and no activation, and every feature works offline. Only optional sync uses the network.