Stretchly alternatives: 6 break reminder apps compared
7 October 2026
Stretchly is the default recommendation for a free break reminder, and for good reason: it is open source, runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, pauses itself when you go idle or switch on Do Not Disturb, and ships in 54 languages. Most people looking for an alternative are not unhappy with the timer. They want something different to happen once the break starts. source source source
Quick verdict
If you want to stay free and open source, BreakTimer is the closest like-for-like swap and Workrave the stricter one, Time Out is the friendliest free option on a Mac, Restier adds meeting detection for a small yearly fee, and Keybreak is the pick if you want each stretch demonstrated rather than described.
| App | Best for | Platforms | Price | Free tier (what you actually get) | Guided stretches | Injury-aware | Main watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stretchly | A free, open-source break timer on any desktop OS, including Linux. | macOS (13 or later), Windows, Linux source | Free. Optional donations. source | Everything. Free and open source (BSD-2-Clause). source | 87 one-line text break ideas, many naming a movement and a hold time. No video or illustrations by default. source | No | Each break idea is a single line of text, and nothing screens a suggestion against an injury. |
| BreakTimer | A simple, free, configurable break timer that stays out of the way. | Windows, macOS, Linux source | Free. source | Everything. Free and open source (GPL-3.0). source | None built in. A notification or a fullscreen break window, with a message you can customise. source | No | There is no exercise guidance: the break is whatever message you set. |
| Workrave | Strict, RSI-focused break enforcement on Windows and Linux, with micro-breaks, rest breaks and a daily limit. | Windows, Linux. macOS only as an untested development build. source | Free. source | Everything. Free software (GPL). source | 16 exercises, shown with drawn illustrations. source | No | No stable macOS build: the Mac port is a development version the project says has not been thoroughly tested. |
| Time Out | The easiest Mac-native break timer to try first. | macOS only. Also on the Mac App Store and Setapp. source | Core features always free. Optional non-renewing Supporter purchases from $4.99. source | The core break features, always free. source | None. The screen dims and a break theme appears (text, images, a web page or a video). source | No | Mac only, and the break shows a theme rather than demonstrating a stretch. |
| Restier | The cheapest paid option, with a lifetime licence, meeting detection and a Linux build. | macOS 11+, Windows 10+, Linux (x86_64) source | €7.99/year or €19.99 lifetime for one device; 2- and 5-device tiers. 14-day money-back guarantee. source | None. A 14-day trial with every feature, no card required. source | Visual resets, breathing prompts and posture cues. No filmed demonstrations. source | No | No free tier: after the 14-day trial you have to buy a licence to keep using it. |
| Keybreak | Being shown exactly which stretch to do, leaving out movements you have chosen to avoid. | macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows source | Keybreak Plus: £1.99/month (one month free) or £19.99/year. No lifetime licence. source | Free for personal use: break reminders and 8 of the 37 stretches, no account. source | 37 stretches, each filmed with a real person, with the hold timed on screen. source | Yes (Keybreak Plus): movements you flag are never suggested. source | Mac and Windows only, and breaks are timed from your activity and chosen hours rather than from your calendar. |
Verified against each app’s own documentation on 7 October 2026.
What a Stretchly break actually gives you
Stretchly ships 51 mini-break ideas and 36 long-break ideas, each a single line of text. Many are specific (“Slowly tilt head to side and hold for 5-10 seconds.”), so it is not fair to say it leaves you guessing. What it does not do is show you the movement, time the hold for you, or know which movements you should skip. source
That is the real dividing line between the alternatives below. BreakTimer and Time Out sit on the same side as Stretchly: they interrupt you and leave the break to you. Workrave adds 16 illustrated exercises. Keybreak films every one of its stretches with a real person and counts the hold down on screen. source source source source
If what you like about Stretchly is that it is free
Three of the alternatives cost nothing at all: BreakTimer and Workrave are free software, and Time Out’s core features are always free. Keybreak’s free plan keeps break reminders and 8 of its 37 stretches; the rest are in Keybreak Plus. Restier is the only one here with no free tier. It has a 14-day trial. source source source source source
If open source matters to you in itself, the honest answer is that Keybreak, Time Out and Restier are not, and Stretchly, Workrave and BreakTimer are. source source source
The apps, one by one
Stretchly
Best for: A free, open-source break timer on any desktop OS, including Linux.
Watch out: Each break idea is a single line of text, and nothing screens a suggestion against an injury. source
Choose Stretchly if you want one free, open-source app that behaves the same on Mac, Windows and Linux, in your own language.
BreakTimer
Best for: A simple, free, configurable break timer that stays out of the way.
Watch out: There is no exercise guidance: the break is whatever message you set. source
Choose BreakTimer if you like Stretchly’s approach and just want a simpler, more configurable timer.
Workrave
Best for: Strict, RSI-focused break enforcement on Windows and Linux, with micro-breaks, rest breaks and a daily limit.
Watch out: No stable macOS build: the Mac port is a development version the project says has not been thoroughly tested. source
Choose Workrave if you are on Windows or Linux and want stricter enforcement, with illustrated exercises.
Time Out
Best for: The easiest Mac-native break timer to try first.
Watch out: Mac only, and the break shows a theme rather than demonstrating a stretch. source
Choose Time Out if you only use a Mac and want something that feels native and costs nothing.
Restier
Best for: The cheapest paid option, with a lifetime licence, meeting detection and a Linux build.
Watch out: No free tier: after the 14-day trial you have to buy a licence to keep using it. source
Choose Restier if you want meeting detection and a Linux build, and are happy to pay a small yearly or one-off fee.
Keybreak
Best for: Being shown exactly which stretch to do, leaving out movements you have chosen to avoid.
Watch out: Mac and Windows only, and breaks are timed from your activity and chosen hours rather than from your calendar. source
Choose Keybreak if you want to be shown exactly which stretch to do and for how long, with movements you need to avoid left out.
Who should choose something else
- Keybreak runs on macOS and Windows; for a native Linux build, Stretchly, Workrave and BreakTimer all have one. source
- Keybreak schedules breaks from real keyboard and mouse activity within the hours you choose, rather than from your calendar; Restier reads your microphone and camera to detect meetings. source
- Keybreak Plus is a monthly or yearly subscription and the free plan stays free; Restier sells a one-off lifetime licence. source
- It is available in 7 languages; Stretchly ships 54. source source
- It is not open source.
More comparisons
- Workrave alternatives for Mac and Windows
- Time Out alternatives for Mac
- The best break reminder apps for Mac and Windows in 2026
- Best free break reminder apps, and what each one's 'free' actually means
- Keybreak vs Restier
For what Keybreak does on its own terms, see the Keybreak break reminder app page and pricing.
Keybreak · 2026