Comparison

Refocus vs FocusWell

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

Head to head
About

Refocus

This app helps you regain control of your digital life by blocking distracting apps and websites. It offers various methods to limit screen time, set schedules, and track your usage, promoting better focus and productivity.

Highlights
  • Block any app or website
  • Strict Mode with multiple unblocking challenges
  • Set app timers and time limits
  • Schedule blocking for specific times
  • Location-based blocking
  • Screen time analytics
  • macOS app available
Features
Read full description

Refocus is an app blocker & website blocker that helps you limit screen time on apps! Refocus is easy to use, yet has powerful screen time control features: ▶ Various ways to restrict or lock apps and block websites. Choose what helps you focus! Block any app or site — from social media and games to messaging and news. ▶ "Strict Mode" feature prevents you from unblocking. Set a passcode, or use an NFC tag, or wait a duration (ex. 30 seconds), or do a copy text challenge, or utilize Pomodoro (limit unblocking to 5 times per day, for 25 minutes each, with a 5-minute cooldown between each unblock). ▶ Block for a specific duration (ex. app timer for 30 minutes). ▶ Block at specific times (ex. every weekday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM). ▶ Set app limits (ex. after 10 minutes of using Instagram, block it). Set an app time limit! ▶ Hide Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts in Safari. ▶ Block at the location you pick — whether it be home, work or school. ▶ View your daily, weekly and monthly Screen Time analytics. Use Refocus as a screen time tracker! ▶ Mac app that also lets you block apps and websites on macOS. ▶ And more! --- Visit www.refocusapp.co for more information. Terms of Use: - https://refocusapp.co/terms-of-use

About

FocusWell

This app helps you regain control of your daily screen time and combat excessive scrolling. It introduces a mindful pause before opening distracting applications and allows you to set custom limits and focus sessions to build lasting concentration.

Highlights
  • Mindful pause before distracting apps
  • Custom app limits
  • Focus sessions
  • Daily screen time insights
  • Distraction-free design
  • Private data handling
Read full description

Most people don't decide to scroll for forty five minutes. It just happens, somewhere between checking one notification and looking up an hour later. FocusWell is an app blocker and focus tool built for exactly that moment, the split second before autopilot takes over. Your phone is built to keep you tapping. FocusWell is built to give you a way out, not through willpower alone, but through a calm pause, honest app limits, and focus sessions that actually hold. WHY FOCUSWELL A calm pause, not a lecture. Before a distracting app opens, FocusWell gives you one honest moment to decide. No shame, no lockouts you didn't ask for, just a real choice where autopilot used to win. Block one app or everything at once. Choose exactly what to limit, one app, a category, or all of it, for a focus session or on a schedule that runs automatically in the background. See where your time actually goes. Daily and weekly screen time insights show your real habits, not a guess, so you can see the hours you win back add up week over week. Build focus that lasts. Turn one good day into a streak. FocusWell helps you trade the scroll reflex for deep work, study time, or simply being where you already are. WHAT YOU GET - A calm pause before distracting apps open - App limits and focus sessions, for one app or all of them - Schedules that run automatically, not just when you remember - Daily and weekly screen time insights - Private by design: your usage data stays on your device WHO IT'S FOR Students protecting a study block. Anyone building a career who needs one uninterrupted hour before the inbox opens. People who pick up their phone for one notification and put it down forty minutes later, more tired than when they started. FocusWell meets you at the moment you already recognize, right before the scroll starts. Every skipped scroll adds up to a real hour somewhere else, a workout, a book, a conversation, or just quiet. FocusWell doesn't ask you to try harder. It just removes the moment where autopilot used to win. FocusWell runs on Apple's own Screen Time framework, so your usage data stays on your device, not a server. No streak shaming, no guilt trips, just a clear tool for people who want their attention back. Download FocusWell and start your first focus session today. Terms, Privacy and Conditions https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ https://https://www.getfocuswell.com/terms-of-service

Screenshots

Refocus4 screens
FocusWell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FocusWell at none against Refocus's 17. FocusWell also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Refocus's advantage is ratings volume (12K vs 3). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Refocus sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. FocusWell asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FocusWell holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Refocus has 12K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Refocus's written reviews are positive against 100% of FocusWell's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Refocus ships an update weekly, FocusWell every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Refocus versus FocusWell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefocusFocusWell
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (12K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews93.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12K — better3
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 8 days
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLabi, LLCStanislav Varetskyi

Customer experience

Refocus

All ratings11,541 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews2,219 reviews
Positive93.0%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.0%

FocusWell

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Refocus

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Blocking issues after phone restart
  • Inconsistent behavior when pausing/unpausing sessions
  • Crashing when trying to block apps in certain categories

Requested features

5 requests
  • Passcode or biometric lock to prevent bypassing
  • More advanced blocking options (e.g., math problems to unblock)
  • Ability to purchase a one-time license instead of subscription
  • Notification warnings before blocking sessions end
  • Search function to find apps to block more easily

FocusWell

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Refocus

Subscriptions9
  • Refocus Pro3 Days trial2 variants$7.991 Month
  • Refocus Pro3 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Refocus Pro3 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Refocus Pro (Family)7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Refocus Pro$49.991 Year
  • Refocus Pro1 Month trial2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Refocus Pro7 Days trial2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Refocus Pro1 Year trial$49.991 Year
  • Refocus Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time4
  • Reset Strict Mode$1.00
  • Reset Strict Mode$5.00
  • Reset Strict Mode$10.00
Show 1 more
  • Reset Strict Mode$50.00
None

FocusWell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Refocus free?
Refocus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FocusWell free?
FocusWell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Refocus or FocusWell?
FocusWell is rated higher. Refocus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while FocusWell averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Refocus or FocusWell have ads?
Both Refocus and FocusWell show ads.
Which is updated more often, Refocus or FocusWell?
Refocus ships an update weekly, and FocusWell every 8 days. Most recently, Refocus was updated on October 24, 2026 and FocusWell on October 14, 2026.

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