An Endel alternative for focus on your laptop

Endel generates soundscapes that change with the time of day, the weather and, on a watch, your heart rate. It is clever and pleasant, and it is everywhere: phone, watch, TV, speakers, desktop. People look for an alternative when they do not want another subscription, or when they notice that a focus app on the phone keeps the phone in their hand.

How Endel is sold

Endel is a subscription, with student and team plans. It does not list prices on its homepage and they vary by store and country, so check in the app before deciding.

Recorded sound and a timer, on the laptop

Kiri plays recorded sound rather than generated music: rain, brown, pink and white noise, a forest, a café, a fireplace, the sea, wind and a waterfall, the nature and café sounds blended from long real field recordings that do not loop. It sits next to a focus timer that runs 25, 50 or 90-minute blocks, puts the countdown in the tab title and logs what you worked on.

It runs only on a laptop or desktop, on purpose: the phone can stay in another room. The timer, rain, brown noise and alpha beats are free; the rest is €39 once, with a 30-day refund.

When Endel is the better pick

• You want sound everywhere. In the car, on a walk, on a smart speaker. Kiri is only on the computer.
• You want sleep and relaxation modes. Endel has them; Kiri is for work.
• You like sound that changes by itself. Kiri's recordings are steady by design.

Try a block

The player above needs no account. For why the phone matters, read a focus timer that isn't on your phone.