# Focus Task vs Primalist

The clearest difference is update cadence: Primalist at fortnightly against Focus Task's every 6 months. Primalist also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.4). Focus Task's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Focus Task sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Primalist sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Primalist holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 51 and 58 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Focus Task's written reviews are positive against 80% of Primalist's.

Focus Task ships an update every 6 months, Primalist fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Focus Task | Primalist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-task-focus-on-one-thing/id1244537643/reviews) | **[4.6 (58 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primalist-a-short-list/id1483906370/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 51 | **58** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applorium Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1688522804) | [Tushar Chhabra](https://appshunter.io/developer/1393502563) |

## What reviewers say

### Focus Task

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-task-focus-on-one-thing/id1244537643)

This app helps you concentrate by presenting one random task at a time on a full screen. You can mark tasks as done or skip to the next to maintain focus on a single objective.

**Highlights:** Full-screen task display, Mark tasks as done, Skip to next random task, Single-task focus, Random task selection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock full version | $2.99 | one-time |


### Primalist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primalist-a-short-list/id1483906370)

This app helps you focus on your most important daily tasks by limiting your to-do list to a maximum of seven items. It encourages prioritization and offers quick, simple task management with timers and reminders.

**Highlights:** Limited task list (up to 7 tasks), Prioritization prompts, Quick task entry and completion, Task timers and reminders, iCloud sync, Widgets, Customizable themes

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Themes and App Icons | $0.99 | one-time |
| Widgets | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Focus Task free?

Focus Task is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Primalist free?

Primalist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Focus Task or Primalist?

Primalist is rated higher. Focus Task averages 4.4 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while Primalist averages 4.6 from 58 ratings.

### Do Focus Task or Primalist have ads?

Neither Focus Task nor Primalist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Focus Task or Primalist?

Focus Task ships an update every 6 months, and Primalist fortnightly. Most recently, Focus Task was updated on November 6, 2026 and Primalist on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*