# Pause vs Refocus Now

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pause at none against Refocus Now's 2. Pause also leads on ratings volume (5.9K vs 6). Refocus Now's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Refocus Now sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per year. Pause asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Pause against 4.8 for Refocus Now. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pause has 5.9K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 98% of Pause's written reviews are positive against 100% of Refocus Now's.

Pause ships an update every 2 months, Refocus Now every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pause | Refocus Now |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pause-prayer-and-meditation/id1471913620/reviews)** | [4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refocus-now/id6448847485/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.9K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 98.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 61 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Ransomed Heart Ministries](https://appshunter.io/developer/661477182) | [REFOCUS APP LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686573893) |

## What reviewers say

### Pause

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pause-prayer-and-meditation/id1471913620)

This app provides short, guided sessions to help you slow down, breathe, and reconnect with your faith amidst a busy life. It offers various session lengths and guided programs to foster inner peace and spiritual connection.

**Highlights:** Short guided prayer sessions, Customizable session lengths (1-10 mins), Daily rhythm reminders, Guided soul check-ins, Multi-day guided programs, Focus on spiritual connection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Helpful for spiritual growth
- 🕰️ Useful for creating daily rhythms
- 🌳 Beautiful visuals and music
- 🧘‍♀️ Facilitates intimate time with God
- 📚 Integrates well with author's books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 Desire for more audio customization options
- 🐛 Occasional technical issues with app functionality
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating without internet connection

**Reported bugs**

- App freezing or not opening on certain devices
- Inability to progress through 30-day program when encountering technical issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to control volume of background music
- Option to continue background music after meditation ends
- Offline access to download individual pauses


### Refocus Now

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refocus-now/id6448847485)

This app offers biblically and clinically based mental health and mindfulness exercises. It provides guided meditations, affirmations, and journaling prompts to help users process emotions and improve their well-being. It's designed as a supplement to therapy for personal emotional health.

**Highlights:** Biblically based meditations, Therapeutic exercises for grief, identity, relationships, trauma, Guided prayer and affirmations, Daily meditations under 10 minutes, Journaling for emotional processing, Self-guided education and visualizations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Premium Subscription | $0.99 | per year |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $1.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pause free?

Pause is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Refocus Now free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pause or Refocus Now?

Pause is rated higher. Pause averages 4.9 out of 5 from 5.9K ratings, while Refocus Now averages 4.8 from 6 ratings.

### Do Pause or Refocus Now have ads?

Pause shows ads; Refocus Now does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pause or Refocus Now?

Pause ships an update every 2 months, and Refocus Now every 6 weeks. Most recently, Pause was updated on October 21, 2026 and Refocus Now on October 1, 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.*