Focusmate alternatives in Vienna
Focusmate runs one-to-one focus sessions over video. If what you actually want is to work in the same room as other people, the alternatives split two ways: online group sessions like Flow Club, Caveday, FLOWN and Groove, and formats that happen in person. NoCrastination is in person and for work — a small table of builders in a Vienna café, timed deep-work blocks, and a short show-and-tell at the end.
How the options compare
The table scrolls sideways — swipe to see all six columns.
| Product | Online or in person | One-to-one or group | Built for | Where it operates | Cost model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caveday | Online, video call | Facilitated group session | Deep work | Online, worldwide | Paid plans |
| Flow Club | Online, video call | Group session with a host | Focused work | Online, worldwide | Paid plans |
| FLOWN | Online, video call | Group session with a host | Deep work and focus habits | Online, worldwide | Paid plans |
| Focusmate | Online, video call | One-to-one, scheduled | Focused work | Online, worldwide | Free tier and paid plans |
| Groove | Online, video call | Small group with a host | Focused work | Online, worldwide | Paid plans |
| Meetup | Set by each event | Set by each group | Anything — it is an event platform, not a session format | Worldwide | Set by each organiser; many events are free |
| NoCrastination | In person, in a café | Small group at one table | Working on your own project | Vienna | Free tier and paid membership; you pay for your own coffee |
| Timeleft | In person, at a restaurant | Group of strangers over dinner | Meeting new people | Cities worldwide | Paid per dinner |
Listed alphabetically, us included. Each row describes the session format the product is best known for, not the full range of what it offers. Products change their formats and pricing, so this table describes the broad model only — check each product’s own site for current details.
Where we sit
In person, and for work. You show up at a café in Vienna, sit down at a table with five or six other people building their own things, work through timed focus blocks, and finish with a two-minute show-and-tell. It’s free to join, your first session is on us, and you pay for your own coffee.
FAQ
What is the closest in-person alternative to Focusmate?
Focusmate is online and one-to-one, so the closest in-person equivalent is a small group running the same structure: timed focus blocks with a shared start and end. In Vienna that’s NoCrastination — five or six builders at one café table, each working on their own project.
How is this different from Timeleft?
Both put you at a table with people you haven’t met. Timeleft is a dinner and the point is the conversation. NoCrastination is a work session and the point is what you get done — the talking happens in the breaks and in the show-and-tell.
Is there a free option?
NoCrastination is free to join and your first session is on us; after that, sessions run on a token system and a paid membership unlocks monthly tokens. Either way you only pay for whatever you eat and drink at the café. Focusmate has a free tier, and many Meetup groups are free because organisers set their own pricing.