# NovaNote vs Focus Dial

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Focus Dial at 100% against NovaNote's 33%. Focus Dial also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). NovaNote's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

NovaNote is free to download; Focus Dial costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Focus Dial holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of NovaNote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Focus Dial's.

NovaNote ships an update every 9 days, Focus Dial every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 8, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NovaNote | Focus Dial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novanote/id1665634756/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-dial/id6739151372/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 11 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Francesco Salvati](https://appshunter.io/developer/1640705142) | [Digital Wave Creative](https://appshunter.io/developer/418846454) |

## What reviewers say

### NovaNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novanote/id1665634756)

This app merges your digital life and ideas with advanced rich text formatting, image and PDF attachments, and voice recording. Seamlessly integrate maps and calendars into your notes for effortless organization and task management.

**Highlights:** Rich text formatting, Map integration, Calendar integration, Image and PDF attachments, Voice recording, Color-coded categories, iCloud sync

**In-app purchases:** none


### Focus Dial

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-dial/id6739151372)

This app helps you improve focus with a simple, innovative timer. Track progress over time with customizable categories and interactive widgets. Sync data across devices with iCloud support.

**Highlights:** Innovative focus dial for time adjustment, Timer counts up towards goal, Track focus across weeks, months, years, Interactive Home Screen widgets, 10 customizable categories with colors/icons, iCloud backup and sync

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NovaNote free?

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

### Is Focus Dial free?

Focus Dial costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NovaNote or Focus Dial?

Focus Dial is rated higher. NovaNote averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Focus Dial averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do NovaNote or Focus Dial have ads?

Neither NovaNote nor Focus Dial shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NovaNote or Focus Dial?

NovaNote ships an update every 9 days, and Focus Dial every 3 weeks. Most recently, NovaNote was updated on July 8, 2026 and Focus Dial on September 25, 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.*