Comparison

Focus Tower vs OffNote

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

Head to head
About

Focus Tower

This app helps you build productive habits and overcome distractions using the Pomodoro technique. Plan tasks, set focus timers, and build virtual towers to visualize your progress. Earn rewards and unlock new themes to stay motivated and get more done.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro technique timer
  • Task planning
  • Gamified tower building
  • Unlockable themes and rewards
  • Distraction blocking
  • Progress statistics
Features
Read full description

Most focus timers hand you a number at the end of the week. This one hands you a city. Set the timer and put the phone down. Every finished session lays another floor on your tower. Put a roof on it and the whole tower moves into a city you build — where it stands for good and pays you rent every day. BUILT ON THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE Work in one focused block, rest, repeat. Twenty-five minutes on, a short break, a longer one after four — the rhythm people have used since the 1980s, except here each block leaves a floor behind. BUILT FOR ATTENTION THAT WANDERS Starting is the hard part, so the app makes starting small: one block, 25 minutes, a reward you can see at the end of it. The shield takes the temptation off the table instead of asking you to out-argue it, and a session survives a locked screen — so a wobble costs you nothing. If you have ADHD, that is usually the combination that finally sticks. Focus comes from the rhythm, not from willpower. BLOCK WHAT PULLS YOU AWAY — FREE, ALWAYS • Shut selected apps for the length of a session, using Apple's own Screen Time • Keeps working with the screen locked and outside the app • No limit on how many, no paywall on blocking — ever THE TIMER • Pomodoro presets (10 / 25 / 45 min) or any length you like • Automatic cycles: focus → break → focus, a long break after four • Name the session — every floor remembers what you built it for • Lock your screen and the session keeps running. Nothing is lost. • Your floor rises on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island WHAT YOU KEEP • 6 towers to unlock, each with its own world and music • 6 lands to settle, 12 plots to a city • Finished towers pay daily rent in coins • 32 achievements, from your first floor to a city on every land • Daily streaks with streak protection • Towers, cities and history sync through your own iCloud PROOF YOU DID THE WORK • Export every session as a CSV spreadsheet — date, task, minutes, coins • Or as a printable PDF table, with your totals across the top • Export your city as a picture and show someone what a month of focus looks like • Your tower and streak on a home screen widget, your session on the Lock Screen Useful for a thesis log, for billable hours, or simply for proving to yourself that the week happened. FAIR AND PRIVATE • Free. One-time purchases only — no subscription • No ads. No accounts. No trackers. • We collect nothing. Your sessions stay on your device and in your iCloud. Put the phone down. Build something.

About

OffNote

Record voicenotes and transcribe speech to text entirely offline on your device. This app prioritizes privacy by keeping all audio and transcripts local, never uploading or analyzing your data. It supports multiple languages and importing existing audio/video files for transcription.

Highlights
  • 100% offline and private
  • Voice to text transcription on device
  • Import audio and video files
  • Multilingual speech-to-text (25+ languages)
  • Long recordings supported
  • No sign-ups or subscriptions
Features
Read full description

OffNote is the most secure, offline voice-to-text app for iPhone. Record voicenotes, transcribe speech to text, and keep everything stored only on your device — never uploaded, never analyzed, never shared. If you’re looking for an alternative to cloud-based tools like speech-to-text AI notes, lecture recorders, or online transcription apps, OffNote is built for privacy first. Perfect for ideas, journaling, ai meeting notes, interviews, lecture recorder, and sensitive notes. Works anywhere — even on flights or with no signal. Why OffNote Is Different 100% Offline & Private Your audio and transcripts never leave your iPhone No servers, no analytics, no tracking Works completely offline — remote areas, airplane mode, anywhere Voice Notes → Text (On Device) Record clear voice memos optimized for transcription Convert voice to text free, without uploading audio Long recordings supported — record for minutes or hours Import Audio & Video Files Transcribe existing files offline: MP3, M4A, WAV MP4, MOV Multilingual Speech-to-Text Accurate transcription in 25+ languages Ideal for international record meetings, study notes, and travel Free to Download and Use No sign-ups. No subscriptions. Common Questions Can I use OffNote without an internet connection? Yes. OffNote works completely offline. Your audio never leaves your device, so it works on flights, in remote areas, and without a data connection. Is there a maximum length for recordings? No. You can record for as long as you want. Longer recordings simply take more time to transcribe on your device. When does transcription happen—during recording or after? Transcription begins after you finish recording. You’ll see the text appear as it’s being generated. Where are my recordings and transcripts kept? Everything is stored locally on your device. We don’t have access to your data. What happens to my data if I delete the app? All recordings and transcripts are deleted. Since OffNote doesn’t use cloud storage, there are no backups—be sure to export anything important. Why doesn’t OffNote generate AI summaries? To protect your privacy. OffNote doesn’t send data to external AI services. You’re free to copy your transcripts and use any AI tool you trust. Can I transcribe audio or video files I already have? Yes. You can import existing audio or video files and transcribe them completely offline. What file formats are supported for import? MP3, M4A, WAV, MP4, and MOV files are supported. Does OffNote work while traveling or in airplane mode? Yes. OffNote is fully functional in airplane mode and while traveling.

Screenshots

Focus Tower4 screens
OffNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Focus Tower at Free against OffNote's $2.99. Focus Tower also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1). OffNote's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.7). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Focus Tower is free to download; OffNote costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OffNote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Focus Tower versus OffNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocus TowerOffNote
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating3.7 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size156 MB9 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperMichal CilindzShraddha Sojitra

Customer experience

Focus Tower

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

OffNote

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Focus Tower

No in-app purchases

None

OffNote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Focus Tower free?
Focus Tower is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OffNote free?
OffNote costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Focus Tower or OffNote?
OffNote is rated higher. Focus Tower averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while OffNote averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Focus Tower or OffNote have ads?
Neither Focus Tower nor OffNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Focus Tower or OffNote?
Focus Tower ships an update weekly, and OffNote weekly. Most recently, Focus Tower was updated on October 11, 2026 and OffNote on October 16, 2026.

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