Comparison

Exocus vs Nook

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

Head to head
About

Exocus

This app transforms focus sessions into a gamified experience, visualizing your concentration as a planet's evolution. Earn rewards, unlock new designs, and overcome procrastination with engaging, pixel-art visuals and a unique reward system.

Highlights
  • Gamified focus timer
  • Planet evolution visualization
  • Pixel art design
  • Stage-based incentives
  • Unlockable planet designs
  • Hardcore Mode for increased stakes
Features
Read full description

Exocus is a pixel-art, gamified focus timer app. Here, your focus is no longer boring, repetitive, or meaningless because every moment of your focus will transform your very own planet. Do you struggle with staying motivated when you commit to doing something valuable in the long run, like learning new words, practicing an instrument, working out, or mastering a new language? Initially, you're full of enthusiasm, but soon, your passion wanes. Memorizing words becomes a chore, the instrument is neglected, workouts turn into a burden, and progress in the new language stalls... You start doubting yourself: “Maybe I just don’t have what it takes to stick with long-term commitments.” That’s not true! Let us explain the real reasons. ● Lack of Immediate Rewards: You understand the long-term value of these tasks, but how much does this half-hour of focus matter right now? ● Repetition Leads to Boredom: When the initial novelty wears off, the repetitive nature of the task can make you feel bored and tired. ● Overly Negative Focus: Focusing on what you haven't accomplished rather than acknowledging what you have done can lead to negative self-evaluation and loss of motivation. Let Exocus Help You! ====== Exocus Solutions ====== Exocus is a gamified focus timer that visualizes your concentration as a planet's evolution, helping you achieve long-term, pain-free focus. ● Emotional Design and Sense of Meaning After each focus session, you’ll see the story of what happened to your planet during that time. Even five minutes of focus equals 38.53 million years of evolution for your planet, so your focus is crucial. Want to raise the stakes? You can enable “Hardcore Mode,” where failing to focus might cause your planet to be destroyed! ● Stage-Based Incentives Short-term Incentives: After each focus session, the planet’s landscape changes and tells you its story. Medium-term Incentives: After several hours of focus, the planet undergoes more significant transformations, like forming magma, oceans, and land. Long-term Incentives: After around ten hours of focus, the planet completes its evolution. You can then add it to your star system, with each project corresponding to a star system, showcasing your long-term accumulation in that project. ● Continuous Freshness We offer hundreds of unique planet designs, satisfying your curiosity and desire to collect with constant surprises. See a planet's full appearance only after evolving it through focused efforts. Earn Stardust coins by focusing to unlock new planet seeds, motivating continuous concentration. ====== What Makes Exocus Special? ====== ● Meticulously Crafted Design Exocus uses a unique pixel art style, maintaining simplicity while incorporating delightful little Easter eggs for you to discover. We believe the beauty of Exocus can bring joy, which will ultimately translate into more focused time. ● Fun Game Elements Exocus embraces gamified design in a bold yet restrained and professional manner. We hope the game elements help you enjoy focusing, and we also care deeply about your ability to truly focus. We’ve eliminated anything that could distract you because we genuinely want to focus on achieving long-term goals with you. ● Flexible Focus Modes Exocus supports countdown timers, stopwatch mode, and the Pomodoro technique. In the Pomodoro technique, you can flexibly set focus and break durations and specify longer breaks after several focus cycles. ● Convenient Project Management Each project corresponds to a planet. You can track different categories of focus time with projects and quickly switch between projects on the home screen by swiping left or right. ● Personalized Statistics Based on your focus data, we provide personalized charts to help you understand your focus patterns and stay motivated to maintain consistent focus. Terms of Use: https://byland.work/exocus/terms-en.html Support: exocus@byland.work

About

Nook

Features
Read full description

From a simple "Background Music" to your new "Focus App." Nook is a virtual coworking space where you can immerse yourself in your work while feeling the gentle presence of others, wrapped in soothing ambient sounds like a crackling campfire or ocean waves. Say goodbye to the loneliness of remote work or late-night studying. Nook creates a cozy, highly focused environment right on your phone—just like sitting in your favorite cafe or a quiet library. 【 What is Nook? 】 It’s a virtual focus room designed for silent shared experiences. ・ Choose your favorite environment (like a Campfire or Beach). ・ Find an empty seat and claim your spot. ・ Dive deep into your tasks. You'll share the space with others who are also working hard. There is no direct chat, no voice calls, and zero pressure to socialize. Just the comforting feeling of "someone is here with me," giving you that gentle push to stay focused. 【 The Perfect Distance: Body Doubling 】 Every few minutes, someone might walk in to start their session, or quietly pack up and leave. Occasionally, a tiny bubble with a brief status update floats by. This subtle sense of connection serves as a perfect "body doubling" experience, melting away the isolation of working alone without the distraction of social media. 【 Aesthetic & Immersive Design 】 Designed with warm, neutral tones and a minimalist aesthetic. The gentle, unobtrusive animations enhance your immersion without breaking your concentration. 【 Key Features 】 ◆ Cozy Spaces ・ Curated ambient sounds tailored to your mood. ・ A distraction-free UI that keeps you grounded. ・ A loose, stress-free connection with others sharing the same room. ◆ Identity & Seat Selection ・ Pick your seat in beautifully crafted isometric rooms. ・ Set up your "Identity Card" to share a quick status with the room. 【 Perfect For: 】 ・ Those feeling isolated during remote work or studying. ・ People who get distracted easily and need the "presence of others" to focus (Body Doubling). ・ Lovers of cafe or library atmospheres. ・ Anyone tired of exhausting social media notifications or forced communication. ・ Users who want to put their phone down and stop doomscrolling. 【 Premium Plan 】 Nook offers a Premium Plan for users who want to elevate their focus environment (Basic features are completely free!). ・ Unlimited access to all Room Types. ・ Completely ad-free experience. ・ Early access to upcoming features. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use: https://note.com/kojiro79/n/n7c8899db1c9b 【 A Note from the Developer 】 Nook is an indie app built with a lot of love. Your reviews and feedback are what keep this project going and growing! If you have ideas like "I wish there was this kind of room" or "This feature would help me focus better," I’d love to hear them. Let's make our solitary hours richer and more focused. I hope Nook becomes a quiet, supportive companion in your daily routine!

Screenshots

Exocus4 screens
Nook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Exocus at none against Nook's shown. Exocus also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. Exocus sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Nook sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Exocus ships an update every 3 weeks, Nook fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Exocus versus Nook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExocusNook
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (147 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews96.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings147 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB123 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperByland Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.yasuhiro kojima

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Exocus

One-time7
  • Newcomer Pack$0.29
  • Cosmoney x 5$0.99
  • Cosmoney x 30$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Cosmoney x 100$13.99
  • Exopass$15.99
  • Exopass + Cosmoney x 200$34.99
  • Exopass$34.99
6 purchases

Nook

Subscriptions2
  • Nook Pass (1 Month)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Nook Pass (1 Year)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time4
  • Coffee Tip$0.99
  • Cookie Tip$2.99
  • Slice of Cake Tip$6.99
Show 1 more
  • Nook Pass (Lifetime)$59.99

Questions

Is Exocus free?
Exocus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nook free?
Nook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Exocus or Nook have ads?
Nook shows ads; Exocus does not.
Which is updated more often, Exocus or Nook?
Exocus ships an update every 3 weeks, and Nook fortnightly. Most recently, Exocus was updated on October 27, 2026 and Nook on October 25, 2026.

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