Comparison

The Chain 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

The Chain

This app helps you build habits and achieve goals by encouraging consistent daily action. Mark off each day you complete a task to create a visual chain, motivating you not to break your progress. It offers daily reminders and task timers to support your journey.

Highlights
  • Create up to 4 distinct chains
  • Set daily reminders for each chain
  • Utilize task timers
  • Satisfying task completion feedback
  • Visual progress tracking
Features
Read full description

According to legend Jerry Seinfeld believed that the best way to become a better comic was to write better jokes and the only way to write better jokes was to write every day. To help him with this, he had a system he used to pressure himself to write. He bought a large calendar and a marker. For each day where he completed his task he would mark the day off on the calendar. After a few days he had a chain. A chain he did not want to break. The Don't Break the Chain method works because consistent daily action builds extraordinary outcomes, bit by bit, day after day. It’s a simple but really effective way of building habits and achieving goals. The Chain is a simple App that gives you everything you need to begin working the method and removes the need to buy a calendar and a marker. - Up to 4 chains - Daily reminders for each chain - Task timers - A satisfying click when a task is done!

About

Focus Timer

This app gamifies productivity by combining the Pomodoro Technique with RPG elements. Complete tasks to level up your character, unlock gear, and conquer quests, making work and study more engaging and rewarding.

Highlights
  • RPG character system
  • Quest-based tasks
  • Reward system
  • Customizable Pomodoro timers
  • Daily and custom quests
  • Offline mode
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Transform Your Productivity Into an Epic Adventure! PomodoroQuest combines the proven Pomodoro Technique with engaging RPG elements to make productivity fun and rewarding. Complete real-world tasks to level up your character, unlock gear, and conquer challenging quests. GAMIFIED PRODUCTIVITY • RPG Character System - Create and customize your hero • Quest-Based Tasks - Turn your to-dos into exciting adventures • Reward System - Earn experience, gold, and loot for completing tasks • Character Progression - Level up and become more powerful • Equipment & Gear - Unlock armor and items as you progress POMODORO TECHNIQUE MASTERED • 25-Minute Focus Sessions - Scientifically proven work intervals • 5-Minute Breaks - Rest and recharge between sessions • Long Breaks - Extended rest after completing sets • Customizable Timers - Adjust to your perfect workflow • Session Tracking - Monitor your daily progress QUEST SYSTEM • Daily Quests - Fresh challenges every day • Custom Quests - Create your own adventures • Difficulty Levels - Easy, Medium, and Hard quests • Quest Rewards - Earn bonus XP and gold • Achievement System - Unlock special rewards CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT • Multiple Classes - Choose your hero type • Skill Trees - Develop unique abilities • Equipment Sets - Collect matching gear for bonuses • Visual Progression - Watch your character grow stronger • Personality System - Good, Neutral, or Evil alignment STAY MOTIVATED • Streak Tracking - Build momentum day by day • Statistics & Analytics - Track your productivity trends • Achievement Badges - Celebrate milestones • Progress Visualization - See your growth over time • Motivational Messages - Encouragement when you need it POWERFUL FEATURES • Offline Mode - Work without internet connection • iCloud Sync - Access your progress on all devices • Dark Mode - Easy on the eyes during late sessions • Notification Reminders - Stay on track • Widget Support - Quick access from home screen PERFECT FOR • Students preparing for exams • Professionals managing projects • Writers hitting word counts • Developers coding features • Anyone building better habits FREE FEATURES INCLUDE: • Basic character creation • Standard Pomodoro timer • Daily quest system • Progress tracking • Achievement system PREMIUM FEATURES (Subscription Required): • Unlimited custom quests • Advanced character customization • Premium equipment and gear • Extended statistics • Priority support • Ad-free experience • Exclusive character classes • Special quest lines Start your productivity adventure today! Turn procrastination into progress and make every work session count. Your quest for peak productivity begins now! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

The Chain3 screens
Focus Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Focus Timer at 4.9 against The Chain's 4.0. Focus Timer also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). The Chain's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support 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. Focus Timer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. The Chain asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Focus Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Focus Timer has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of The Chain's written reviews are positive against 100% of Focus Timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Chain ships an update every 4 months, Focus Timer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
The Chain versus Focus Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe ChainFocus Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1 ratings)4.9 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings110 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.3 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB94 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRGB Consulting LimitedJeff Cedilla

Customer experience

The Chain

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Focus Timer

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

The Chain

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Focus Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium$2.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time5
  • extra quotes$2.99
  • remove ads$3.99
  • Lifetime Discount$4.99
Show 2 more
  • donate$4.99
  • Lifetime Premium$9.99

Questions

Is The Chain free?
The Chain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Focus Timer free?
Focus Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Chain or Focus Timer?
Focus Timer is rated higher. The Chain averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Focus Timer averages 4.9 from 10 ratings.
Do The Chain or Focus Timer have ads?
Neither The Chain nor Focus Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Chain or Focus Timer?
The Chain ships an update every 4 months, and Focus Timer every 3 weeks. Most recently, The Chain was updated on October 23, 2026 and Focus Timer on October 11, 2026.

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