Comparison

Flow vs Focus Lock

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Flow

Enhance your concentration and productivity with a scientifically proven method. This app divides your workflow into focused work intervals and scheduled breaks, helping you reduce stress and stay motivated. Ideal for work, study, or any task requiring deep focus.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro timer with work intervals and breaks
  • App and web blocking
  • Statistics tracking
  • Commitment mode
  • Inspirational quotes
  • Home & Lock Screen Widgets
Features
Read full description

Join hundreds of thousands of happy users who enjoy this simple way to stay focused and productive. Use Flow to get things done. Flow is a tiny but mighty app that helps you work on a task, study for school or simply stay focused without being distracted for a certain amount of time. Flow divides your workflow into sections with defined breaks, making it easy to stay focused. This method has been scientifically proven to be an effective way to increase your concentration and motivation while reducing your stress levels. The use of a Pomodoro timer can be a huge boost to your productivity. Use Flow to ... ... concentrate ... work on a task ... study for school ... code all night ... work from home Benefits of this technique • Improved focus and motivation • Increased productivity • Less stress and better health • Better management of interruptions Features • Pomodoro timer with work intervals and breaks • Statistics to keep track of your completed sessions • Notifications to remind you of short breaks • App and web blocking to combat distractions • Commitment mode for self-control • Inspirational quotes for motivation • Metronome for deep focus • Multiple duration options • Custom session title • Apple Calendar sync • Apple Health sync • iCloud sync of stats • Home & Lock Screen Widgets • Support for Live Activities & Dynamic Island YOU MATTER TO US We want to make Flow even better! Please give us your honest feedback in order to help us fix bugs and improve the app. We will regularly update Flow based on your feedback. Thank you! ABOUT US Yugen is a small independent developer studio based in Frankfurt, Germany. Our team is devoted to making great apps that we want to use ourselves. We strive to create products that help people in their everyday life with intuitive user experiences and minimalistic design. QUESTIONS? If you have any questions or problems, feel free to email us. We provide awesome support and love to help! www.flow.app support@flow.app Twitter: flow__app Facebook: flowapp.info Instagram: flowapp.info FLOW PRO Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period through your Apple account. For more information, see our Terms of Use at https://www.flow.app/legal and Apple's Terms of Use (EULA) at https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/.

About

Focus Lock

This app helps you limit screen time and block distracting applications to improve focus and productivity. It allows you to set schedules, block specific apps, and track your progress towards reducing digital distractions.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps
  • Limit screen time
  • Set automatic schedules
  • Digital detox without deleting apps
  • Track weekly progress
  • Save session shortcuts
Features
Read full description

For over 7 years, Focus Lock is the original #1 app for limiting screen time and the easiest way to block distracting apps on your phone. With Focus Lock, you can block all or selected apps for a period of time, allowing you to focus, get more done, and simply be present without distractions. Whether you’re working from home, studying, focusing, reading, sleeping, hanging with family, or taking a detox from social media, Focus Lock will make your life a whole lot easier. HEAR IT FROM OUR COMMUNITY: // “I am a better person, friend, mother, and employee because of this app. I flip it on at outings with friends and family and it has truly restored my ability to break away from the chains of cell phone addiction. I could never recommend this app enough.” // “It’s honestly the best app ever. I appreciate how much it helps me focus. That I’m able to block my apps for an hour a day helps me be more productive and feel better.” // “Total insulation from distractions.” // “It prevents any and all distractions without deleting apps.” // "It saved my life, I got so much work done, and it changed my relationship with my phone." THE BENEFITS OF FOCUS LOCK - reduce your screentime select distracting apps to block - set up an automatic schedule to make Focus Lock part of your daily routine - take a digital detox without needing to delete any apps from your phone - heighten your productivity, focus, and ability to be more present HOW IT WORKS - Block Your Apps: start a session by selecting the apps you want to block and the duration of your session - Save Shortcuts: easily save a session to quickly access the same setup again for future blocks - Whitelist Apps: select all or specific apps you want to block, organized by app category - Tagged Goal: add a tag to your session to remember what you did - Activities: view your recent sessions organized by date, tag, and duration - Weekly Progress: view your progress by completed days of the week - Day Streak: stay on track and compete against yourself with a day streak - Daily Goal: set up a goal for how much screentime you’d like to improve GO PREMIUM Focus Lock is created by the team behind Flipd (App of the Day 2021). It takes a team to build and maintain our apps, which is why we ask for a subscription to support our work. Your initial trial will give you up to five free sessions, after which you’ll need to upgrade to continue using Focus Lock. We never sell data and we don’t serve ads, so your premium subscription will go toward supporting the services we provide you. Without your premium subscription, Focus and Flipd wouldn’t be able to exist! If you were previously a Flipd subscriber and are wondering about a subscription migration, contact us at info@flipdapp.co. SUBSCRIPTION PRICING $9.99 per month or $49.99 per year These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew at the subscription price unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will not be able to cancel the current subscription once activated during the subscription period. Manage your subscriptions in your iOS Account Settings after purchase. Terms and Conditions: http://www.flipdapp.co/terms-privacy Support Contact: info@flipdapp.co

Screenshots

Flow4 screens
Focus Lock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Flow at 86% against Focus Lock's 23%. Flow also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 290). Focus Lock's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Flow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Focus Lock sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Flow holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flow has 1.8K ratings behind it against 290, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Flow's written reviews are positive against 23% of Focus Lock's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flow ships an update every 4 weeks, Focus Lock every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Flow versus Focus Lock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlowFocus Lock
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.8K ratings) — better4.3 (290 ratings)
Positive reviews86.1% of reviews — better22.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1.8K — better290
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYugen GmbHFlipd Apps

Customer experience

Flow

All ratings1,755 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews589 reviews
Positive86.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative9.0%

Focus Lock

All ratings290 ratings
Positive82.1%
Neutral1.4%
Negative16.6%
Written reviews329 reviews
Positive22.8%
Neutral10.9%
Negative66.3%

User reviews

Flow

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🚀 Minimalist and uncluttered design
  • 💡 Customizable work and break durations
  • 🔒 No ads or unnecessary features
  • 🤖 Responsive and helpful developers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔇 Notification sound could be louder
  • 📊 Lack of detailed statistics and analytics
  • 🔀 Inability to pause or resume a flow session
  • 🖥️ Inability to minimize the timer window

Focus Lock

From 290 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Helps with focus and productivity
  • 🔒 Effective at blocking distracting apps
  • 👍 Useful for studying and work
  • 💡 Customizable lock durations

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Apps don't return to original order
  • 🐛 Inconsistent app locking functionality
  • 🐛 Resets notification settings
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model

Bugs and requests

Flow

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Live activity feature not working consistently
  • Timer not recording sessions accurately
  • App blocking functionality not working as expected
  • Crashes and freezes on certain macOS versions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Allow custom work and break durations
  • Add option to pause and resume flow sessions
  • Implement real-time sync across devices
  • Provide more detailed productivity tracking and reporting
  • Include an Apple Watch app with complication support
Show 1 more
  • Add ability to block notifications from certain apps during flows

Focus Lock

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Apps not returning after lock duration
  • Inability to unlock or reactivate apps
  • Frequent crashes or glitches

Requested features

3 requests
  • Allow selective app locking
  • Provide scheduling options for automatic locks
  • Improve app organization after lock ends

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Flow

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plan7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan14 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro Access$39.99
10 purchases

Focus Lock

Subscriptions9
  • Weekly subscription$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • The Success Bundle$12.491 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$24.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription - 7 days free7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription$49.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription - 3 days free3 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • The Success Bundle$87.991 Year
One-time1
  • Focus Lock Premium Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Flow free?
Flow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Focus Lock free?
Focus Lock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Flow or Focus Lock?
Flow is rated higher. Flow averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Focus Lock averages 4.3 from 290 ratings.
Do Flow or Focus Lock have ads?
Neither Flow nor Focus Lock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flow or Focus Lock?
Flow ships an update every 4 weeks, and Focus Lock every 2 weeks. Most recently, Flow was updated on October 19, 2026 and Focus Lock on October 18, 2026.

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