Time Out alternatives for Mac
7 October 2026
Time Out by Dejal is a Mac break timer whose core features are always free. It is on the Mac App Store and Setapp as well as Dejal’s own site, and its optional Supporter purchases do not renew automatically. There are three common reasons to look at something else. source
Quick verdict
Time Out remains the most Mac-native free choice, Stretchly is the best free pick if you also use Windows or Linux, Restier adds meeting detection and a lifetime licence, and Keybreak is the one that turns each break into a demonstrated stretch on both Mac and Windows.
| App | Best for | Platforms | Price | Free tier (what you actually get) | Guided stretches | Injury-aware | Main watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.
You also use Windows or Linux
Time Out is Mac-only. Stretchly, BreakTimer and Restier run on macOS, Windows and Linux; Keybreak runs on macOS and Windows; Workrave’s stable builds are Windows and Linux, with only a development build for Mac. source source source source source source
Your Mac is older than macOS 26
Time Out 3.1 requires macOS 26. Dejal still offers version 2.9.7 for macOS 10.15 and later, so this is a reason to check which version you get rather than a reason to switch. Restier supports macOS 11 and later, and Stretchly macOS 13 and later. source source source
You want the break to tell you what to do
When a Time Out break starts, the screen slowly dims and a break theme appears: text, images, a web page or a video of your choosing. That is ideal for a pause. It does not pick a stretch for you. Keybreak does: each break is one of 37 stretches filmed with a real person, with the hold timed on screen, chosen around the focus areas you set and the movements you exclude. source source
The apps, one by one
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, want something free that feels native, and like choosing your own break theme.
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 a free app that works the same on your Mac and on Windows or Linux machines.
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 or a one-off lifetime licence, on any desktop OS.
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 want a simple free timer with a choice of notification or fullscreen break.
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 mainly on Windows or Linux; on a Mac it is a development build only.
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 every break to be a demonstrated stretch, on Mac and Windows, with a free plan.
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 not on the Mac App Store or Setapp; Time Out is on both. source
More comparisons
- Stretchly alternatives: 6 break reminder apps compared
- Workrave alternatives for Mac and Windows
- 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