Comparison

Scrap Paper vs Focus Dial

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

Head to head
About

Scrap Paper

This app provides a single, persistent note for quick text storage and retrieval, ideal for copying snippets from online forms or jotting down fleeting thoughts. It also offers basic math calculation capabilities.

Highlights
  • Single persistent note
  • Quick text storage
  • Jot down random thoughts
  • Copy text from online forms
  • Local math problem solver
  • Cross-device iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Sometimes you need a little bit of Scrap Paper while you are working on something. Maybe you are filling out online forms, and you want an app to copy bits of text from. Or you just want to jot down a random thought without creating a new note in your other notes app. Scrap Paper is a simple notes app with only one note. Scrap Paper is also available for macOS and features cross-device iCloud sync. P.S.: Scrap Paper can solve simple math problems. How it works: Type in a problem (e.g. "2+3*4"), highlight it, and click on the "Solve Math Problem" button in the context menu. Scrap Paper will append an equal symbol and the result (e.g. "=14"). Computation happens locally on your device.

About

Focus Dial

This app helps you improve focus with a simple, innovative timer. Track progress over time with customizable categories and interactive widgets. Sync data across devices with iCloud support.

Highlights
  • Innovative focus dial for time adjustment
  • Timer counts up towards goal
  • Track focus across weeks, months, years
  • Interactive Home Screen widgets
  • 10 customizable categories with colors/icons
  • iCloud backup and sync
Features
Read full description

Focus Dial is here to improve your ability to focus on the tasks and hobbies you care about! SIMPLE: 
Quickly adjust your goal time before each session using the innovative focus dial! POSITIVE: Timer counts up towards your goal. Focus on what you are doing and feel good about what you have done. Progress over perfection! POWERFUL: Track your focus across weeks, months, and years. Challenge yourself to become more intentional with your time and how you spend it. See your progress at a glance on your Home Screen with powerful and interactive widgets and live activities. CUSTOMIZABLE: Use up to 10 customizable categories with your favorite colors and icons for the tasks and hobbies you focus on. Automatically follow your devices dark or light theme, or specify which one you want to use in Focus Dial. SUPPORTS ICLOUD: Back up your data and sync across multiple iPhones and iPads. Start dialing in your focus today!

Screenshots

Scrap Paper1 screens
Focus Dial4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Focus Dial at 5.0 against Scrap Paper's 4.8. Focus Dial also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Scrap Paper's advantage is ratings volume (35 vs 6) and price ($1.99 vs $3.99). On review sentiment, 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

Scrap Paper costs $1.99 and Focus Dial $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Focus Dial holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scrap Paper has 35 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Scrap Paper's written reviews are positive against 100% of Focus Dial's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scrap Paper ships an update every 6 weeks, Focus Dial every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Scrap Paper versus Focus Dial: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScrap PaperFocus Dial
Price$1.99 — better$3.99
Rating4.8 (35 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews95.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings35 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperErik WegenerDigital Wave Creative

Customer experience

Scrap Paper

All ratings35 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews130 reviews
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.5%
Negative3.1%

Focus Dial

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Scrap Paper

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Menu bar icon disappears after macOS updates
  • iCloud sync stops working after macOS updates
  • App fails to open (icon does nothing)
  • Font configuration profiles not recognized on iOS/iPadOS
  • Window size resets after reboot
Show 1 more
  • Compatibility issues with older iPads running iPadOS 16.7.11

Requested features

11 requests
  • Multiple notes/pages or tabs functionality
  • Rich text formatting (bold, italic, bullet lists)
  • Custom color picker beyond presets
  • Remember window size on reboot
  • Solid cursor option instead of blinking
Show 6 more
  • Markdown support
  • Image and audio file storage
  • Clickable links functionality
  • Menu bar icon click to close window
  • Transparent text box option
  • Evernote sharing capability

Focus Dial

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Scrap Paper

No in-app purchases

None

Focus Dial

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Scrap Paper free?
Scrap Paper costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Focus Dial free?
Focus Dial costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Scrap Paper or Focus Dial?
Focus Dial is rated higher. Scrap Paper averages 4.8 out of 5 from 35 ratings, while Focus Dial averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Scrap Paper or Focus Dial have ads?
Neither Scrap Paper nor Focus Dial shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scrap Paper or Focus Dial?
Scrap Paper ships an update every 6 weeks, and Focus Dial every 3 weeks. Most recently, Scrap Paper was updated on October 13, 2026 and Focus Dial on October 12, 2026.

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