# FocusBox vs Shine

The clearest difference is monetization model: Shine at freemium against FocusBox's subscription. Shine also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16). FocusBox's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (13 vs 4). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FocusBox sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Shine sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

FocusBox holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 95% of FocusBox's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

FocusBox ships an update every 3 days, Shine every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FocusBox | Shine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focusbox-timebox-focus-timer/id1467573992/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shine-timeline-diary/id1673213224/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 95.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 14 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [志强 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/654642765) | [晓松 高](https://appshunter.io/developer/1507839334) |

## What reviewers say

### FocusBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focusbox-timebox-focus-timer/id1467573992)

This app provides a peaceful sanctuary to help you rest your mind and grow your focus amidst the noise of the digital world. Unlock all paid features and enjoy future updates with a membership subscription.

**Highlights:** Focus timer, Peaceful sanctuary, Mind rest, Focus growth, Unlock paid features, Future updates

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $7.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $13.99 | one-time |


### Shine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shine-timeline-diary/id1673213224)

This app allows you to create a personalized journal with customizable themes, colors, and tags. Record your daily thoughts, track your mood, and even add location and weather data to your entries. Export your diary in PDF or HTML format for easy sharing.

**Highlights:** Customizable themes and colors, Location and weather tracking, PDF and HTML export, Calendar and gallery views, Voice diary recording, Rich emotional expressions with emojis, WebDAV and iCloud sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 连续包月 | $0.99 | per month |
| 连续包年 | $6.99 | per year |
| 买断 | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FocusBox free?

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

### Is Shine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, FocusBox or Shine?

FocusBox is rated higher. FocusBox averages 4.2 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Shine averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do FocusBox or Shine have ads?

Neither FocusBox nor Shine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FocusBox or Shine?

FocusBox ships an update every 3 days, and Shine every 5 days. Most recently, FocusBox was updated on September 28, 2026 and Shine on September 25, 2026.

---

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