Pausr vs Stretchly

Stretchly is the best free break app that runs everywhere, and nothing on this page changes that. Pausr runs on one platform, costs money, and is built around the moment the break should not fire. This is a comparison between reach and depth.

Feature by feature

Pausr / Stretchly: Feature by feature
Feature	Pausr	Stretchly
Native macOS app	Yes	Partly
Windows	No	Yes
Linux	No	Yes
Eye breaks (20-20-20)	Yes	Yes
Stand-up and movement breaks	Yes	Partly
Long recovery breaks	Yes	Yes
Holds breaks during meetings, calls, screen sharing and games	Yes	Partly
Screen-time statistics	Yes	No
Guided RSI exercises	No	No
Open source	No	Yes
Free to use	No	Yes
Works without an account	Yes	Yes

YesPartlyNo

The nuance behind the table6 rows need a caveat

Native macOS app: Stretchly: Runs on macOS 12 and later, but it is an Electron app rather than a native one.
Windows: Pausr: A Windows version is in the works. The waitlist is open on the download page.
Stand-up and movement breaks: Stretchly: Long breaks suggest stretches, without a separate stand-up break type.
Holds breaks during meetings, calls, screen sharing and games: Stretchly: It pauses on idle time and respects Do Not Disturb, and you can list apps that pause it, but it does not detect meetings or fullscreen games on its own.
Guided RSI exercises: Pausr: Pausr prompts stand-up and movement breaks, but it does not ship guided RSI exercise routines.
Free to use: Pausr: No permanent free tier: a 7-day free trial, then a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase.

Facts checked on August 3, 2026, on the official sites.

A glowing sphere held back at the edge of a lit doorway, waiting to enter — A break app is judged on the moments it stays quiet, not on the length of its feature list.

Where the two really differ

Native versus everywhere
Stretchly runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, which is the right answer if your day spans more than one machine. It is an Electron app, so on a Mac it behaves like a guest rather than a native citizen. Pausr is macOS only and native, with a Windows version still in the works.
Detection versus manual pausing
Stretchly pauses on idle time, respects Do Not Disturb, and lets you list apps that should pause it. What it does not do is notice a meeting or a fullscreen game by itself, so before every call you remember to pause it, and the day you forget it interrupts your screen share. Pausr does that detection for you.
What you can see afterwards
Stretchly has no statistics: breaks happen and leave no trace. Pausr keeps local screen-time stats so you can see whether the day actually went the way you think it did. Whether that matters depends on whether you would ever look.

Microsoft Teams — The difference in one view: the break waits through your meeting or your match, then comes back on its own.

Price

Pausr

Native macOS break app, context aware

Price

Subscription with a 7-day free trial, or a one-time lifetime purchase

Stretchly

Free cross-platform break app, open source

Price

Free and open source, BSD-2-Clause

Official site

Choose Pausr if

You work on a Mac and want it to feel like a Mac app.
You are tired of pausing and resuming a break app around every meeting.
You want to see your screen time, not just be interrupted by it.

Choose Stretchly if

You work across macOS, Windows or Linux and want one app everywhere.
You want free and open source, on principle or on budget.
You like having a lot of knobs to turn.

Frequently asked questions

Is Stretchly better than Pausr?

For a cross-platform workflow on a budget, yes, and it is genuinely good software. For a Mac-only setup where breaks keep landing in the middle of calls, Pausr solves the problem Stretchly leaves to you, and costs money for exactly that reason.

Does Stretchly detect meetings?

Not on its own. It pauses when you are idle and respects Do Not Disturb, and you can configure specific apps that pause it. There is no automatic detection of meetings, screen sharing or fullscreen games.

Is Stretchly free?

Yes, free and open source under a BSD-2-Clause licence, on macOS, Windows and Linux. No account is needed for normal use.