Comparison

uFocus vs Zavala

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

Head to head
About

uFocus

A distraction-free writing app designed for creative expression. It supports plain text files, offers advanced Markdown and Fountain syntax for various writing needs, and provides tools to enhance focus and productivity.

Highlights
  • Unobtrusive interface
  • Text statistics
  • MultiMarkdown support
  • Fountain screenplay support
  • Highlighting options
  • Typewriter scrolling
  • Customizable themes
Read full description

uFocus is a distraction-free writing environment that supports plain text files and allows you to keep them organized inside libraries. It allows everyone to express their creativity in the most simple way. • Unobtrusive interface: the navigation bar disappears while writing. • Swipe to show the sidebar. Here you can link your favorite libraries and quickly access your documents. • Show text statistics including character and word count and reading time. • MultiMarkdown: easily add headings, quotes, ordered and unordered lists, links, images, italics, bold, footnotes, citations, glossaries and acronyms. You can then export your documents to HTML or PDF. With CriticMarkup and Live Edit Mode you can easily mark removals, additions and substitutions, add highlghts and comments, and accept or reject them. • Fountain: create screenplays with the Markdown-inspired markup syntax and print or export them as PDF with industry-standard formatting. • Highlighting: you can stay even more focused by fading out all the text but the current sentence or paragraph. • Typewriter scrolling: automatically scrolls the text when you get on a new line. • Sound mode: experience the ultimate feeling of a typewriter. • No deletions mode: disable deletions and replacements if your greatest temptation is always to edit your text instead of writing. • Fullscreen: focus on your words and hide everything else. • Choose between three different editor widths, four font sizes and a light, dark, sepia or amber theme, or create your own theme. • Print single files or entire directory hierarchies. If you have any requests, suggestions or bug reports, you're welcome to visit the website through the Support link.

About

Zavala

This app offers a modern approach to outlining, providing a full suite of features. It supports gestures, keyboard shortcuts, and multiple windows for efficient organization and content creation. Easily import and export in various formats, sync across devices, and customize your outlining experience.

Highlights
  • OPML Import & Export
  • Markdown Export
  • iCloud Syncing & Sharing
  • Nested Tags
  • Image Embedding
  • Keyboard Shortcuts
  • Drag and Drop
Features
Read full description

Zavala is a modern take on a traditional outliner. It is a full featured app. It takes full advantage of your device by leveraging gestures, keyboard shortcuts, and multiple windows. Other features: * OPML import & export * Markdown import & export * HTML import & export * iCloud syncing * iCloud sharing with other iCloud users * Encrypted outlines and encrypted iCloud sync * Nested Tags for organizing Outlines * Support for embedding images * Print support * Drag and drop * Text formatting * Links * Completed items * Notes * Customizable fonts and sizes * Backlinks * Shortcuts support * Web clipper share extension * Typewriter scrolling * Automatic row numbering including Decimal and Legal numbering

Screenshots

uFocus4 screens
Zavala2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Zavala at free against uFocus's paid. uFocus's advantage is device support (5 vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for uFocus against 4.8 for Zavala. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 35 and 67 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of uFocus's written reviews are positive against 88% of Zavala's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

uFocus ships an update monthly, Zavala every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
uFocus versus Zavala: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteruFocusZavala
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (35 ratings)4.8 (67 ratings) — better
Positive reviews91.5% of reviews — better87.7% of reviews
Number of ratings3567 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNicolas KickVincode, Inc

Customer experience

uFocus

All ratings35 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews142 reviews
Positive91.5%
Neutral1.4%
Negative7.0%

Zavala

All ratings67 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews65 reviews
Positive87.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative9.2%

In-app purchases

None

uFocus

No in-app purchases

None

Zavala

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is uFocus free?
uFocus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zavala free?
Zavala is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, uFocus or Zavala?
Zavala is rated higher. uFocus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 35 ratings, while Zavala averages 4.8 from 67 ratings.
Do uFocus or Zavala have ads?
Neither uFocus nor Zavala shows ads.
Which is updated more often, uFocus or Zavala?
uFocus ships an update monthly, and Zavala every 2 weeks. Most recently, uFocus was updated on September 21, 2026 and Zavala on September 19, 2026.

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