Refocus vs Squares
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
Squares
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You know the GitHub contribution graph. Those little green squares that show every day you wrote code. Squares is that, but for your entire working life. Most people have no idea where their hours actually go. Squares shows them. HOW IT WORKS Every 30 minutes, Squares asks one question: what did you just do? You answer in a few words. One tap. One slot fills in. That is it. No timers to start. No sessions to forget. No friction. Just a quiet prompt and a green square that grows on your grid. Tag your entries as Deep Work, Coding, Meetings, Design, or anything you create yourself. Link them to projects when it matters. Skip the ones that do not. THE GRID Your annual heatmap shows every day of the year at a glance. The darker the green, the more you worked. Intense weeks, slow weeks, streaks, gaps, every shape of your year, visible in one screen. Open any past day to fill in entries you missed. Filter the entire grid by tag or by project to see exactly where your hours went. WIDGETS Home screen and lock screen widgets in three sizes keep your heatmap visible all day without opening the app. They refresh automatically as you log entries. WHY IT WORKS Your total blocks, current streak, and best streak are always visible. As the grid fills, the streak becomes something worth protecting. The visual record of your work becomes its own motivation. After a year, you have a complete map of every hour worked. The intense days. The slow ones. The patterns you never noticed. DESIGNED FOR iPhone Native SwiftUI app. iCloud sync across your devices. Export your data as CSV anytime. No account required to start. Your data stays yours. Terms of Use: https://squares.day/terms Privacy Policy: https://squares.day/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Refocus at Free against Squares's $2.99. Refocus also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). Squares's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17).
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Refocus is free to download; Squares costs $2.99 up front. Refocus sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Squares asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Refocus | Squares |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (12K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 93.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 12K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly | — |
| Ads | Yes | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone — better | — |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Labi, LLC | Amaury Gau |
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
Squares
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Refocus
- Refocus Pro3 Days trial2 variants$7.991 Month
- Refocus Pro3 Days trial$8.991 Month
- Refocus Pro3 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- 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
- Reset Strict Mode$1.00
- Reset Strict Mode$5.00
- Reset Strict Mode$10.00
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Reset Strict Mode$50.00
Squares
No in-app purchases









