Cat On Chair review: price, free version and privacy

Our verdict

Cat On Chair is the pick if you want a free, ad-free blocker that feels calm rather than strict. If you need a long-proven app or watch support without paying, it may not be enough.

What Cat On Chair is

Cat On Chair adds a hand-drawn cat to your focus sessions: start a timer and a cat sits on the chair to keep you company. Finish and it brings a gift; give up and you may get trash. Gifts trade for fish, which buy furniture and decorations. The free version includes Pomodoro and count-up modes, app and website blocking with a whitelist, a to-do list and stats.

Who it suits

• Free app blocking while studying
• Students who like a cozy, low-pressure timer

Strengths

• A clearly described free version with no ads, app and website blocking and a whitelist.
• To-do list with due dates, focus timeline, stats, Lock Screen widget and Shortcuts automation in the free version.
• iCloud sync between iPhone and iPad.
• No tracking and no data linked to you, according to the privacy label.

Limits

• Launched in August 2025 with about 500 ratings, so there is little long-term feedback.
• It requires iOS 17 or later.
• Ambient sounds, the Apple Watch app, detailed statistics and Apple Health sync need Pro.
• Extra items are sold separately at $2.99 each.

What the free version does

The description lists a free version with no ads, Pomodoro and count-up modes, app and website blocking, a whitelist, a to-do list, a focus timeline, stats, a Lock Screen widget and iCloud sync. Pro adds ambient sounds, custom alerts, an Apple Watch app and more.

Price

On the US App Store in November 2026, Pro is listed at $2.99 monthly, $9.99 quarterly, $19.99 annually and $29.99 lifetime, plus $39.99 for a lifetime family plan. Five other items with names such as Puff and Loafy cost $2.99 each.

Privacy

The privacy label declares no tracking. Usage data and diagnostics may be collected but are not linked to your identity.

What the screenshots show

The screenshots show a hand-drawn room with a 20-minute timer above an empty armchair, then a white cat on a pink sofa during a session, with a "Hold to stop" control.