Break reminder apps for Mac and Windows, compared
Last checked: 25 October 2026
A break reminder tells you when you've been at the computer too long. They differ in what the break is: a dimmed screen, a short pause for your eyes, or a few minutes of movement. They also differ in how hard they push and whether they wait for your calls to end. Here are six that run on a Mac, on Windows, or on both.
We make mybackhurts, so take its row with that in mind. The facts about the other apps come from their own websites and store listings on the date above. Prices are in US dollars unless noted, and apps change, so check a listing before you buy.
At a glance
| App | Runs on | Price | What a break is | Waits for calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mybackhurts | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows 11 | Free; optional one-time Supporter unlock (€0.99) | A few guided exercises, with optional webcam rep counting on your device | On Mac and Windows, while the camera or microphone is in use |
| Stretchly | Mac, Windows, Linux | Free, open source | A window with a break idea: 20-second mini breaks and 5-minute long breaks | Pauses in Do Not Disturb |
| Time Out | Mac (macOS 26 for the current version) | Free; optional Supporter or Lifetime ($59.99) | The screen dims to a break theme: micro and normal breaks | Yes, with scripts for FaceTime, Teams, Zoom and others |
| LookAway | Mac, with an iPhone and iPad companion | From $19, one-time | A screen break with a countdown, plus blink and posture nudges | Yes, and during screen recording and video |
| Workrave | Windows, Linux | Free, open source | Micro-breaks, rest breaks and a daily limit | Not mentioned |
| BreakTimer | Mac, Windows, Linux | Free, open source | A break with your own colors and message | Not mentioned |
mybackhurts
A menu bar app on the Mac, a tray app on Windows, and an app for iPhone and iPad. Every 45 minutes by default, within the hours and days you choose, it suggests a break of two short exercises, such as chair squats, shoulder shrugs or a neck stretch. Each one has step-by-step instructions, an inked stick figure that acts it out and a timer. You can tap +1 for each rep, or turn on Webcam mode and let the app count reps and holds. Frames are analyzed on your device and never stored or sent anywhere.
On the Mac and Windows, a reminder waits while another app is using the camera or microphone, or while an app is full screen, and five minutes away from the keyboard counts as a break. Stats show a streak, the last 7 days and stickers, and you can export your history as CSV. There's no account and the app makes no network requests of its own. It comes in 17 languages.
Good fit if you want your breaks to be movement and you'd like them guided. Not the one if you want breaks that lock the screen, eye-strain micro-breaks every few minutes, or Linux.
Stretchly
A long-running open source app (BSD-2-Clause) for Mac, Windows and Linux, installed from GitHub, Homebrew, winget, the Microsoft Store, Flathub and others. By default it shows a 20-second mini break every 10 minutes and a 5-minute long break every 30 minutes, each with an idea of what to do, and you can write your own ideas. Time away counts as a natural break, it pauses in Do Not Disturb, and a strict mode stops breaks from being finished early. Extra preferences unlock for people who sponsor or contribute.
Good fit if you want something free, open and configurable on any desktop.
Time Out
A Mac-only app from Dejal with one of the deepest feature sets here. Normal and micro breaks dim the screen to a theme, which can be an image, a video or a web page, and you can add breaks at fixed times or around calendar events. Rules postpone or skip breaks for particular apps, Focus, full-screen apps and calls in FaceTime, Teams, Zoom and others. Break actions can run AppleScript, shell or Automator scripts, and optional activity tracking shows breaks taken and app use. The core is free. Supporter costs $4.99 for 3 months, $9.99 for 6 or $19.99 for 12, without renewing, and Lifetime is $59.99. The App Store edition also offers Premium subscriptions, and it's in Setapp. The current version needs macOS 26.
Good fit if you're on a recent Mac and want to shape every detail of your breaks.
LookAway
A paid Mac app (macOS 13 or later) focused on screen breaks and eye strain. It pauses breaks during meetings and calls, screen recording, video, focus apps and full-screen games. It also nudges you to blink and sit up, plans fixed breaks such as lunch, and runs AppleScripts or Shortcuts when a break starts or ends. The free LookAway Mirror app shows breaks on an iPhone or iPad. A license is $19 for one Mac with a year of updates, $29 for two, or $99 for five with lifetime updates. It's also on the App Store, at different prices, and in Setapp. Windows is listed as coming soon.
Good fit if your breaks are mostly about your eyes and you'd like them polished and automatic.
Workrave
Free software (GPL) that has been around since 2001 and is still maintained: version 1.11.4 came out in September 2026. It offers micro-breaks (about 30 seconds every 3 minutes by default), rest breaks (about 10 minutes every 45) and a daily limit that asks you to stop for the day. Stats count breaks taken, postponed and ignored, and your computer time. It runs on Windows and Linux. A Mac port is in development, but there's no Mac download yet.
Good fit if you're on Windows or Linux and want firm limits.
BreakTimer
A small, free, open source app (GPL-3.0) for Mac, Windows and Linux. You set how often and how long breaks are, the working hours they keep to, and the colors and message shown during a break. A notification comes shortly before each break, so you can skip or snooze it. The Windows installer isn't signed, so Windows warns you before running it.
Good fit if you want a plain timer and nothing more.
How to choose
- Movement, guided: mybackhurts, with step-by-step exercises and a figure that acts them out.
- Your eyes: LookAway, or Stretchly's mini breaks.
- Every detail your way, on a Mac: Time Out.
- Free and open source: Stretchly, Workrave or BreakTimer.
- Linux: Stretchly, Workrave or BreakTimer.
- A phone too: mybackhurts, or LookAway's companion app.
Spotted something out of date? Write to hello@mybackhurts.app and we'll fix it.