Mac guide

7 LookAway alternatives for Mac, free and paid

By the Mochi Genie team · Updated 19 October 2026

LookAway is one of the best break reminder apps on the Mac. People still look for alternatives, usually for one of four reasons: they want something free, they also need it on Windows, they want reminders beyond eyes (like water), or they'd simply like something friendlier. Here's what fits each case.

Who wrote this: we make Mochi Genie, one of the alternatives below. We're not affiliated with LookAway or any other app here. Details come from each app's own website or App Store listing, checked on 19 October 2026.

The short version

Free and open source: Stretchly or BreakTimer (both also run on Windows and Linux).
Free and Mac-native: Time Out, or DeskRest from the Mac App Store.
Guided exercises and many break types: Viraam.
Cheap, cute and on Windows too: Mushroom.
A desktop companion that covers water, stretching, eyes and posture: Mochi Genie.
Keep LookAway if eye strain is your main problem and you like its automatic pausing. It's very good at that.

First: what LookAway does well, and what it costs

LookAway gives you screen breaks, blink and posture reminders, and "Smart Pause", which waits while you're in a meeting, watching video or gaming. It shows screen-time stats and can sync with an iPhone companion. It's sold directly, on the Mac App Store and through Setapp.

Direct pricing: $19 for one Mac or $29 for two. Both are perpetual licences that include one year of updates; after that you can renew at a discount or keep the version you have. Windows is listed as coming soon. If you already pay for Setapp, you may already have LookAway at no extra cost.

The alternatives

1. Stretchly: best free, open-source alternative

Free, open sourcemacOS 13+, Windows, Linux

Short "Mini breaks" (20 seconds every 10 minutes by default) and longer "Long breaks" (5 minutes every 30), all adjustable, with a few seconds' warning before each one. Breaks pause when you've been idle for 5 minutes.

Better than LookAway at: Price (free), and it runs on every desktop platform.
Worse at: It's an Electron app, not Mac-native, and it's only ad-hoc signed, so you approve it once in System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security. It has no automatic meeting detection.

2. Time Out: best free Mac-native alternative

Free core app, optional supporter unlocks from $4.99 to $59.99 lifetimemacOS

A long-running Mac app with "Normal" and "Micro" breaks, custom breaks, and rules that postpone or skip a break when a chosen app is open, a calendar event is on, Focus is active or an app is fullscreen.

Better than LookAway at: Fine-grained control, and the core is free.
Worse at: You set up the meeting rules yourself. The newest version needs macOS 26 (an older one supports macOS 10.15 and later).

3. BreakTimer: simplest free option

Free, open source (GPL-3.0)macOS, Windows, Linux

Set how often breaks come and how long they last, restrict them to working hours, and pick your own colours and message. You get a heads-up before each break with skip and snooze.

Better than LookAway at: Simplicity and price.
Worse at: It's a timer: no meeting detection, posture or blink reminders.

4. DeskRest: free on the Mac App Store

Free download with in-app purchasesmacOS 14.2 or later

Context-aware break reminders with video detection, posture alerts, guided exercises, statistics, custom break screens and an end-of-day reminder.

Better than LookAway at: Built-in exercise guidance and a quitting-time nudge.
Worse at: The full feature set is behind in-app purchases; check the price in the App Store.

5. Viraam: most kinds of break

About $14.99 one-time, two-week free trialmacOS 14 or later

Eye, movement, hydration, mindfulness, walking and sleep-prep breaks, with sound-guided eye exercises, meeting and video detection, and Shortcuts, Siri and Focus support.

Better than LookAway at: Variety of breaks, including water.
Worse at: We couldn't find an official website; the price comes from directory listings.

6. Mushroom: cheap, cute, and on Windows

$9.99 once direct (up to 5 devices), seven-day trialmacOS 15+ on Apple silicon, Windows 11

A pixel-art mushroom on your screen that reminds you about water, breaks, snacks and eye strain, timed by your keyboard activity. You can chat with it using an on-device language model.

Better than LookAway at: Price, Windows support, water and snack reminders, and charm.
Worse at: Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later only.

7. Mochi Genie: a desktop companion that does every break with you

$12.99 once (founder's price, $19.99 later)7-day free trial, no cardmacOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon and Intel

Mochi holding a water bottle — Mochi is a tiny genie that floats on your desktop. At break time it sips water, stretches or closes its eyes with you, then gets out of the way.

Defaults are water every 45 minutes, eyes every 20, posture every 30, a stretch every hour, a walk every 90 minutes and a proper break every 2 hours, all adjustable. Mochi waits while your microphone or camera is on or you're in a fullscreen app, and counts 5 idle minutes as a break you already took. It can also check in when you've spent longer than planned in an app you chose. One licence covers 2 Macs and includes all 1.x updates.

Better than LookAway at: Water reminders, a character that's hard to ignore, and two Macs plus all 1.x updates in one $12.99 payment.
Worse at: Mochi nudges rather than enforces: there's no full-screen break overlay, blink reminder, iPhone companion or screen-time report. It's Mac only and a new app.

Try Mochi free for 7 days

Side by side

App	Price	Waits in meetings	Water	Windows
LookAway	From $19 once	Yes, automatic	Not listed	Coming soon
Stretchly	Free	No (pauses when idle)	No	Yes
Time Out	Free, optional unlocks	With rules you set	Custom break	No
BreakTimer	Free	No	No	Yes
DeskRest	Free, in-app purchases	Video detection	Not listed	No
Viraam	About $14.99 once	Yes	Yes	No
Mushroom	$9.99 once	Follows keyboard activity	Yes	Yes
Mochi Genie	$12.99 once	Yes, mic, camera and fullscreen	Yes	No

Questions

What's the best free LookAway alternative?

On the Mac, Time Out has the most Mac-like feel and a free core. If you want open source or need Windows and Linux too, pick Stretchly, or BreakTimer if you want it simpler.

Is there a LookAway for Windows?

LookAway lists Windows as coming soon. Today, Stretchly, BreakTimer and Mushroom run on both Mac and Windows.

Is LookAway worth $19?

If eye strain is your main problem and you want automatic pausing that just works, yes, it's a fair price for a polished app. If you want water and movement reminders too, or something more playful, one of the alternatives above may suit you better.

Which alternatives remind you to drink water?

Mochi Genie, Mushroom and Viraam have water reminders built in, and Time Out can do it as a custom break. See our guide to water reminders on the Mac.