Work Timer App for Windows: Clock and Floating Timers

The best work timer app for most people is already on Windows: the built-in Clock app. To set a timer, open Clock, select Timer, then start an existing timer or add your own with the + button. To keep the countdown visible while you work in another program, select Keep on top on the timer card. The timer shrinks into a small window that stays above your other apps.

Most people don't need anything else. A separate app is worth installing in two cases: you want break reminders that interrupt you, or you want the timer in the same window as your notes and to-do list.

Quick picks (as of November 2026):

• Windows Clock (built in, free): best for most people. Several named timers, a stopwatch, a floating mini view and Focus sessions.
• Stretchly (free, open source): best if what you actually need is a regular reminder to take breaks, not a countdown.
• Gubb (paid): best if you want a countdown, stopwatch and break reminders in the same window as your notes and checklists.

We make Gubb, so weigh our view accordingly. We've tried to be fair to every app here, and for a plain countdown the built-in Clock app is the one we'd point you to first.

How we chose

A work timer earns its place on your PC if it does these things well:

• Runs on Windows. Several popular Pomodoro apps are Apple-only (see the list further down).
• Stays visible while you work, or tells you clearly when time is up.
• Matches how you work: one quick countdown, several timers at once, focus sessions with breaks, or break reminders that interrupt you.
• Costs what it's worth. Built-in and free options come first, and we say when they're enough.

We didn't run benchmarks or score apps. The notes below come from each app's documented features.

Summary table

Windows Clock: the built-in timer

The Clock app comes with Windows and covers alarms, timers, a stopwatch, world clocks and Focus sessions. For setting a countdown, it's the fastest option on the machine.

How to set a timer on Windows

1. Press the Windows key, type Clock, and open the app. On older Windows 10 builds it may be called Alarms & Clock.
2. Select Timer in the sidebar.
3. To use an existing timer, select its play button.
4. To make a new one, select the + button.
5. Set the hours, minutes and seconds, give the timer a name (for example "Write report"), and select Save.
6. Select the play button on the new timer card to start it.

When a timer finishes, Windows plays a sound and shows a notification. You can keep several named timers on the Timer page and run more than one at once, for example a 50-minute work block alongside a 10-minute reminder to check the oven.

Keep the timer floating on top

Select the Keep on top button on a timer card. The timer turns into a compact window that stays above your other apps, so you can watch it while you type elsewhere. The stopwatch has the same button.

Focus sessions for work blocks

Clock also has Focus sessions. You choose how long to focus and whether to include breaks, and the session is linked with Do Not Disturb (formerly Focus Assist) to cut down notifications. Open Focus sessions in Clock, pick a length, choose whether you want breaks, and start. Microsoft's Focus support page has the details for your version of Windows. If you uninstalled Clock at some point, reinstall it from the Microsoft Store to get Focus back.

Good at: quick countdowns, several timers at once, a floating mini view, a stopwatch and focus blocks, all free.

Lacks: it's a clock app only. There are no notes, checklists or clipboard tools, so your task list lives somewhere else.

Who should use it: almost everyone who just needs a work timer. Try it before you install anything.

Floating timers: keeping a countdown in view

"Floating" usually means a small timer that stays visible while you work in another app. Your options on Windows:

• Windows Clock: Keep on top on any timer or the stopwatch, as above. This is the simplest floating timer on Windows.
• Gubb: the Timer dialog has a Minimize button (the − in its header) that turns it into a small pill at the bottom centre, showing the mode name, the time and buttons to maximize or close the timer. The pill is part of Gubb's window, so it helps while you're writing in a Gubb note. It isn't a separate window that floats over other apps.
• Any timer app without an on-top option: our guide to keeping a window on top in Windows covers ways to pin it.

Gubb: a work timer inside your notes window

Gubb is a small desktop app that puts a notes scratchpad, checklists, Kanban boards, clipboard history, voice-to-text into notes, and timers in one window. The Windows version is on the Microsoft Store. The timer is one part of that window, not a standalone timer app.

What the timer does

Open it by moving the pointer to the right edge of a note and selecting Timer. The dialog has three modes:

The buttons are Start / Pause, Reset and Close. A progress bar shows how much time has passed. The timer keeps running when you close or minimize the dialog, so you can go back to writing. Closing the minimized pill with its close button stops and resets the timer.

Break reminders

Gubb also has a separate break timer, which is closer to what many people mean by a work timer. Turn it on in Settings ▸ Break Time ▸ Enable Break Timer, then select Save Break Settings. It's off by default.

• After 60 minutes of work (adjustable from 5 to 120), Gubb starts a micro break of 20 seconds (adjustable from 10 to 60), headed "Rest Your Eyes". One of the tips it shows is the 20-20-20 rule.
• After every 3 micro breaks (adjustable from 1 to 10), a long break of 5 minutes (adjustable from 1 to 30) takes the micro break's place.
• During a break, Gubb's window goes full screen and stays on top, with a countdown, an eye-rest tip, and +1 Minute and Skip Break buttons.
• If you change the work duration and nothing seems different, turn Enable Break Timer off and on again, or restart Gubb.

Limits to know before you pick it

• One timer at a time. Use Windows Clock if you need several.
• No sound when the timer ends. Keep the dialog or pill where you can see it.
• Pomodoro doesn't cycle. You start each work and break block yourself.
• Timers don't survive quitting. Quitting Gubb stops the countdown, and break reminders run only while Gubb is open.
• Breaks can always be skipped, and they cover Gubb's window, not every display.
• Long timers can drift slightly, because the count runs on one-second intervals.

Price: on gubb.net, Gubb is a $59 one-time lifetime license with no subscription (as of November 2026). Check the Microsoft Store listing for the current Windows price. There's no free tier.

Who should pick it: people who already want a quick-capture notes window with checklists and would like the timer and break reminders in the same place. If you only want a timer, Windows Clock does that better and for free. The timer section of our help center covers the details.

Stretchly: free break reminders

Stretchly is a free, open-source break reminder for Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD. On Windows you can install it from the Microsoft Store or with winget. It sits in the system tray and shows a reminder window from time to time with an idea for your break, and it has both short and longer breaks.

Good at: reminding you to step away regularly without you starting a timer. An advanced preference lets breaks behave like normal windows (with a title bar, not always on top, and able to be minimized) if full interruptions feel like too much.

Lacks: it isn't a countdown or stopwatch, and it has no notes or task tools. Some options, such as showing the time during breaks, hiding the tray icon and syncing preferences, are for contributors (people who support the project with code, translations or money). It's built on Electron.

Price: free (as of November 2026).

Who should pick it: anyone whose real problem is sitting for hours without a break. Pair it with Windows Clock for countdowns. Our list of break reminder apps for Windows covers more options.

Apple-only timers you'll see on other lists

Some popular Pomodoro apps appear in timer roundups, but we found no Windows version of them (as of November 2026):

• Session: Mac and iOS.
• Flow (by Yugen): iOS, macOS, visionOS and watchOS.
• Be Focused: Mac, iPhone and iPad.

If you split your day between a Windows PC and a Mac, check this before you build a routine around one of them.

How to choose a work timer app for Windows

• You need a countdown now: Windows Clock. Select Timer, then +, set the time, and start.
• You want it visible over other apps: Keep on top in Windows Clock.
• You run several timers at once: Windows Clock.
• You want focus blocks with breaks built in: start with Clock's Focus sessions. For dedicated apps, see the best Pomodoro timers for Windows.
• You forget to take breaks: Stretchly (free), or Gubb's break reminders if you also want its notes window.
• You want your timer, to-do list and scratch notes in one window: Gubb.

If you're new to timed work blocks, our explainer on the Pomodoro technique and the post on how many Pomodoros a day help you pick sensible lengths.

FAQ

Does Windows have a built-in Pomodoro timer?
Not a dedicated one, but Clock's Focus sessions let you choose a session length and whether to include breaks. For a classic 25-minute block, you can also create a 25-minute timer in Clock and restart it after each break.

Can I run more than one timer at once on Windows?
Yes, in the Clock app: add several named timers and start each one. Gubb runs one timer at a time.

What's the difference between a timer and a break reminder?
A timer counts down a block you start yourself. A break reminder runs in the background and interrupts you after a set work period. Stretchly and Gubb's Break Time do the second. Our page on what a micro break is explains the short-break idea.