Comparison

NeatNotes vs Focus Timer

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

Head to head
About

NeatNotes

Organize and take notes quickly with a clean interface. See full note previews, customize note styles, and set reminders. Features smart grouping and automatic link title generation.

Highlights
  • Full note previews
  • Customizable note styles (plain, sticky, lined)
  • Home screen widgets
  • Paragraph-based reminders
  • Smart Stacks for automatic note grouping
  • Readable link titles
  • Photo integration
Features
Read full description

Less is more, when it’s done right. NeatNotes gives you only what you need to organize and take notes quickly. While other apps show you a really tiny preview, with NeatNotes you can see the real note before you open it. This makes the app more fun and easier to find your notes. Make your notes personal with three different note styles. * A plain note, with extensive formatting options. * A sticky note, with large fonts, colors and checklists. * A lined note for that nostalgic yellow pad. Mini Spreadsheets. No Tables. NeatNotes lets you perform spreadsheet-like calculations directly in your notes. Type a simple math expression and the answer is suggested underneath it. Reuse a number by dragging and dropping it elsewhere in your note. This creates a reference, so when you change the original number, every reference and related calculation updates automatically. Make a list of numbers and the total is suggested above the keyboard. You can then calculate splits and averages or count the lines in a list. You can also use units of measurement for length, volume, weight and temperature in your calculations. Convert between more than 150 fiat currencies, popular cryptocurrencies, gold and silver using the latest available exchange rates. Widgets that make sense. You can see your notes on your Home Screen with widgets. You can navigate your note by paragraph, check off checklist items, open links and even see photos in your notes. Create Multiple Reminders. Make any paragraph a reminder. Just tap the bell icon on the keyboard and you can set the date and time of the reminder. It will ring and notify you on the lock screen. When you tap the reminder, it will open the note and take you to the paragraph where you set it. Smart Stacks. All notes apps let you search your notes, but Smart Stacks takes it to the next level. 
 Smart Stacks automatically groups notes that share a trait, into one stack — like notes with contact info, or notes with checklists. You can also enter any word, and it’ll create a stack, with all the notes that contains the word. Photos and Readable links. You can add photos to your notes from your phone camera or photo library. You can even copy and paste them from another app like Safari. When you copy and paste a link, it automatically gets a readable title. So instead of seeing a complicated URL you see the title. This makes it easier for you to understand what the link is about rather than having to visit the link every time. No account needed. Use iCloud to Store and Sync. You don’t need to create another account. Just download the app and start using it. All your notes are automatically stored in iCloud and synced to other devices in your account. Privacy Your notes are extremely personal and we can't see them. In fact we don't even store them. Apple does in iCloud. We recommend that you turn on "Advanced Data Protection" in your iCloud settings, if you wish to prevent even Apple from having access to your notes.

About

Focus Timer

This app offers a distraction-free Pomodoro timer to enhance productivity and build habits for work or study. It features progress tracking, customizable focus sessions, and a minimal interface. Enjoy a lifetime premium experience with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free Pomodoro timer
  • Progress tracking with iCloud sync
  • Customizable focus and break durations
  • Minimalist and elegant interface
  • Offline functionality
  • Personalizable color themes
Features
Read full description

No ads. Just focus. Tomo is a clean, distraction-free Pomodoro timer built around the proven Pomodoro Technique. Stay productive, avoid procrastination, and build better habits—whether you're working, studying, reading, writing, coding, exercising, or reducing screen time. — FOCUS WITHOUT DISTRACTIONS Use structured focus sessions and breaks, or create your own routine with custom durations and cycles. — ORGANIZE YOUR TIME Create categories for Work, Study, Reading, Exercise, Language Learning, and more. See exactly where your focus goes. — BUILD LASTING HABITS Every session is automatically recorded. Track streaks, stay consistent, and build momentum over time. — MEANINGFUL INSIGHTS Understand your productivity with detailed statistics and focus history. See how much time you've spent focused and which categories matter most. — CALENDAR & HABIT VIEW Visualize your focus journey day by day. Review past sessions and celebrate your progress. — SYNCED WITH ICLOUD Your sessions, categories, and progress are securely backed up in iCloud and automatically synced across your Apple devices. — CUSTOMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE Choose your preferred: • Focus duration • Break length • Cycle count • Color theme Make Tomo work the way you do. — MINIMAL BY DESIGN No ads. No clutter. No unnecessary distractions. Just a beautifully designed focus timer. — WORKS OFFLINE Stay focused anywhere. Sound and haptic notifications keep you on track when sessions end. — Whether you're preparing for exams, working on important projects, managing ADHD, building healthier habits, or simply trying to spend less time on your phone, Tomo helps you make every session count. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

NeatNotes4 screens
Focus Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: NeatNotes at free against Focus Timer's paid. NeatNotes also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (37 vs 3). Focus Timer's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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. NeatNotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Focus Timer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for NeatNotes against 5.0 for Focus Timer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NeatNotes has 37 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NeatNotes ships an update every 4 days, Focus Timer every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and August 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
NeatNotes versus Focus Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeatNotesFocus Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (37 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings37 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.2 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFusion EngineeringJia Ge

Customer experience

NeatNotes

All ratings37 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Focus Timer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

NeatNotes

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$7.99
4 purchases

Focus Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$7.991 Month
One-time2
  • Pro Lifetime$9.99
  • Pro Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is NeatNotes free?
NeatNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Focus Timer free?
Focus Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NeatNotes or Focus Timer?
NeatNotes and Focus Timer are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 37 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do NeatNotes or Focus Timer have ads?
NeatNotes shows ads; Focus Timer does not.
Which is updated more often, NeatNotes or Focus Timer?
NeatNotes ships an update every 4 days, and Focus Timer every 6 months. Most recently, NeatNotes was updated on September 17, 2026 and Focus Timer on August 20, 2026.

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