Mind the Focus vs Timely
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mind the Focus
This app helps you stay focused by automatically activating desired focus modes based on your calendar events. You can customize activation times, mute irrelevant events, and ignore specific calendars to ensure you're always in the right mindset for your commitments.
- Calendar synchronization
- Automatic focus activation
- Customizable focus timing
- Mute irrelevant events
- Ignore specific calendars
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Feel awkward after missing important parts during a work meeting? Regret prioritizing your phone over your friends while out? Stay focused effortlessly based on your calendar with Mind the Focus! Mind the Focus synchronizes with your calendar, prompting you just at the right time to activate the desired focus for your next event. To stay focused, the app allows you to: • Decide the focus you want to have for your next event • Customize the time at which a focus is (de)activated before and after your events • Mute events that you do not require a focus for • Ignore calendars that are not relevant to you With Mind the Focus, you will never find yourself at an event without the right focus! Start focusing on what matters to you now!
Timely
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Timely puts countdowns on your Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, Apple Watch, and Mac, so the remaining time is always in sight even while your phone is locked. When you add a location to a countdown, Timely accounts for traffic, prep time and how early you want to arrive. When it’s time to go, start turn-by-turn navigation with a tap, even for multi-stop trips. Adding new countdowns is fast and easy. You can even pick an event right from your calendar. Timely can be automated through the Shortcuts app. Add countdowns automatically without opening the app, or even unlocking your phone. Every countdown gets an emoji. Private, on-device AI picks one based on your title, while still making it easy to choose your own. Built by one independent developer. There are no ads and no accounts. Timely Plus adds extended Shortcuts actions and server-assisted Live Activity starts and dismissals. Timely can be particularly useful for people with ADHD or time blindness, as well as anyone who finds abstract clock times difficult to hold in mind. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.rowanstrang.com/timely/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Timely at Free against Mind the Focus's $4.99. Mind the Focus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and device support (4 vs 2). On update cadence and ads 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
Timely is free to download; Mind the Focus costs $4.99 up front. Timely sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Mind the Focus asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mind the Focus ships an update fortnightly, Timely every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mind the Focus | Timely |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.3 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daniel Fuerst | ROWAN STRANG |
In-app purchases
Mind the Focus
No in-app purchases
Timely
- Timely Plus (Monthly)$0.991 Month
- Timely Plus (Yearly)$8.991 Year
- Add Countdown Extended$12.99
- Refresh Timely$12.99
