The short version
Focusmate is body doubling: a 50-minute video session with a stranger who's also working. NGUMU: Screen Time Control is a browser extension that combines work-break timers, intelligent website blocking, enforced full-screen breaks and local productivity analytics in a single popup.
They overlap less than the category labels suggest. Focusmate is a virtual coworking / accountability; NGUMU is an enforcement layer for the browser where most knowledge work — and most procrastination — actually happens.
NGUMU vs Focusmate at a glance
| NGUMU: Screen Time Control | Focusmate | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Browser focus & screen-time extension | Virtual coworking / accountability |
| Platforms | Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave | Web (video) |
| Work-break cycles | Pomodoro, 52-17, 90-20, 20-20-20, custom | Fixed 25, 50 or 75-minute sessions |
| Website blocking | Blacklist, whitelist, curated presets, active only during focus | None |
| Break enforcement | Full-screen overlay + pre-break blink warning | Between booked sessions |
| Tab management | Limits distracting tabs during a session | Not a focus |
| Analytics | Focus minutes, sessions, daily/weekly goals, streaks | Session count and streaks |
| Data handling | Local storage, no personal data collected, no account | Account and webcam required |
| Price | Free to install, optional Pro | Free sessions per week; paid unlimited |
Where Focusmate is genuinely good
- Social accountability is extraordinarily effective, especially with ADHD
- Booking a slot forces you to plan the day in advance
- Stating your goal out loud sharpens it
We're not interested in strawmen. If the list above describes your bottleneck, Focusmate is a good purchase and you should make it.
Where Focusmate leaves a gap
- Requires scheduling, a webcam and another human being
- Nothing prevents you opening a distracting tab off-camera
- Doesn't fit short, spontaneous work blocks
The pattern behind all of these: a tool that lives outside the browser can advise, measure or motivate, but it cannot close the tab. The moment attention wobbles, the distracting site is one keystroke away.
Where NGUMU is stronger
1. Blocking that only runs when you're working
NGUMU enforces blocklists while a focus session is active and steps out of the way the rest of the day. Curated presets cover social media, video streaming and news, so setup is seconds rather than an afternoon of regex.
2. A rhythm, not just a restriction
Blocking removes the bad option; it doesn't create the good one. Pomodoro (25/5), 52-17, 90-20, 20-20-20 or a custom cycle give the session a shape and a finish line. See the full feature list for every cycle.
3. Breaks you actually take
A full-screen overlay makes returning early deliberately awkward, and a pre-break "blink warning" prompts you to rest your eyes before the screen changes — the part almost every competitor skips.
4. Honest numbers, kept local
Focus minutes, session counts, goal progress and streaks live in the NGUMU dashboard and stay in your browser's local storage. No account, no upload, no personal data collected. You can export everything to JSON or CSV whenever you like.
5. Free where it counts
Core timers, blocking, break overlays and analytics are free. Pro adds extended analytics and advanced blocking for people who want them — it isn't a paywall around the basics.
Choose Focusmate if…
- Accountability is the missing ingredient and isolation is your enemy
Choose NGUMU if…
- You want to start focusing in one click at any hour, no booking
- You need the browser itself to enforce the boundary
Can you use both?
Yes, and plenty of people should. Book a Focusmate slot and start an NGUMU session at the same moment — accountability plus enforcement.
Switching from Focusmate to NGUMU in five minutes
- Install NGUMU from the Chrome Web Store, Edge Add-ons or in Brave.
- Open the popup and pick a cycle — start with 25/5 if you're unsure.
- Apply a curated blocklist preset, then add any site that personally derails you.
- Run one session end to end, including the break. Don't skip the break.
- Check the dashboard after three days and adjust the cycle to what the data shows.
Frequently asked questions
Is NGUMU free?
Yes. Installing NGUMU and using its timers, blocking, break overlays and analytics costs nothing. An optional Pro upgrade adds deeper analytics, extended timer options and more granular blocking.
Does NGUMU work on Web (video)?
NGUMU runs on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Brave. Any Chromium browser that can install from the Chrome Web Store will work.
Does NGUMU collect my data?
No personal data is collected. Session history, streaks and settings are stored locally in your browser, and you can export or delete them at any time.
Is Focusmate better than NGUMU?
For its own job — body doubling: a 50-minute video session with a stranger who's also working — Focusmate is strong. For running disciplined work-break cycles with enforced blocking and rest inside the browser, NGUMU does more, on more browsers, for free.
Can I keep my Focusmate subscription and still use NGUMU?
Yes. NGUMU doesn't conflict with other timers, trackers or blockers. Many people pair them exactly as described above.