PaperWords vs Focus Faraway
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PaperWords
Capture thoughts and memories with a simulated paper writing experience. Decorate notes with patterns, stickers, and photos to make recordings more personal and ceremonial. Generate unique images for social media sharing.
- Simulated paper writing experience
- Decorate notes with patterns and stickers
- Attach photos to notes
- Generate personalized images for social media
- Multiple writing modes
- iCloud multi-device synchronization
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The feeling brought by simulated paper. Write a few lines of text on a small note. Decorate with favorite patterns. Let the text become warmer. Make recording more ceremonial. What you can do too: Attach the photo to a small note. Decorate with stickers again. The photos have also become better looking! #Function [+] Written records: you can use it to write journals, diaries, poems, etc. [+] It can generate personalized pictures, which you can use to post on social platforms. [+] Three modes can be selected: Single-line Mode, Paper-piece Mode, Paper-photo Mode. [+] Various decorations, background colors, character colors and fonts for you to choose. [+] iCloud realizes multi device synchronization, and diary data will never be lost (iOS13 and above system support). #Suggestions [+] Email: ghymail@foxmail.com
Focus Faraway
Transform focus time into a virtual road trip. Earn miles by staying offline and explore detailed virtual landscapes inspired by real journeys. Discover local stories and plan future adventures.
- Focus time converted to virtual travel distance
- Six distinct travel modes (walking, driving, etc.)
- Detailed virtual travel journal entries
- Real-world locations and local details
- Plan future real-world trips based on virtual discoveries
- No pressure focus, rewards presence
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Want to put your phone down, yet keep getting pulled back by endless feeds? Dream of distant mountains, coast roads, and open skies, but find yourself at a desk? Focus Faraway is a different kind of focus app: a quiet self-discipline road movie. It does not only record focus time. It turns every offline act of restraint into online miles across a virtual world. The app is inspired by the real 39,580 km road-trip documentary "1Mao1Young Around China". It avoids shallow check-ins and tourist filters. Instead, it uses grounded human observation, local food details, and real geography to help you find calm while your virtual self moves through wide, generous landscapes. Start a focus session, put the phone aside, and return to life. In the virtual world, "you" pack a bag and begin the next leg. Core features: 1. Focus becomes distance Choose a destination, such as the epic counterclockwise route around the edge of China. Every minute you stay focused offline becomes more kilometers on your virtual journey. 2. Six ways to travel Match the route to your state of mind: Walking or cycling for slow, deep work and creative writing. Hitchhiking or motorcycling for uncertain, intense bursts. Driving or RV travel for long, immersive work sessions and electric-camping road energy. 3. Real places, not empty check-ins When you stop focusing, you receive a travel journal from the road. It may lead you under the stars near Arxan, into a snowy Burqin snack shop, through a difficult moment in the Turpan desert, or to a family-run restaurant hidden in an old Wenshan street. 4. Virtual miles can seed real trips If a view, dish, market, or local story catches you, open its real coordinate in your map app and save it for a future journey. Why Focus Faraway? No-pressure focus: you do not need to stare at a number. The more present you are in real life, the farther your virtual footsteps go. Deep travel content: each story is shaped by practical observation, food memory, local texture, and care for nature. Discipline feels less lonely: every stop is like opening a time capsule from somewhere far away. Choose a travel mode and start focusing. Leave the screen to discipline. Let the soul return to the road. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Focus Faraway at 100% against PaperWords's 50%. Focus Faraway also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months). PaperWords's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. PaperWords sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Focus Faraway sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PaperWords ships an update every 4 months, Focus Faraway every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PaperWords | Focus Faraway |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 61 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 洪跃 管 | Li Wei |
Customer experience
PaperWords
Focus Faraway
In-app purchases
PaperWords
- Unlimited Storage$0.99
- Single-line Mode$1.99
- Paper-photo Mode$2.99
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- PaperWords PRO$3.99
Focus Faraway
- Monthly Membership$0.991 Month
- Yearly Membership$4.991 Year









