Comparison

Focus Stacks vs The No List

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

Head to head
About

Focus Stacks

Organize your tasks and ideas with a visually appealing, card-based system. Capture everything, customize with colors, add detailed notes, and sync across devices. Never let a task or idea slip away again.

Highlights
  • Capture every task easily
  • Customize lists with colors
  • Attach detailed notes to tasks
  • Automatic iCloud syncing
  • Card-based design
Features
Read full description

Unleash the power of your productivity and never let another brilliant idea or must-do task slip through the cracks again! Imagine a world where every movie you've been dying to watch, every spark of inspiration for your next groundbreaking project, and every little to-do is neatly organized, not just in your mind, but right at your fingertips. Our app is crafted for the list-makers, the planners, the doers — those who thrive on keeping life seamlessly organized both at work and at home. Dive into a digital oasis of calm with our card-based design, where clutter is banished and your tasks come to life in a visually stunning, easy-to-navigate space. Say goodbye to mental overload and hello to clear, focused stacks that are as satisfying to use as they are effective. Here's what makes Focus Stacks a must-have: • Capture every task with ease, ensuring nothing important gets forgotten. • Customize your lists with a rainbow of colors to make your productivity system not only efficient but also uniquely yours. • Attach detailed notes to your tasks, from vital phone numbers to extended thoughts, making sure every piece of information is just a tap away. • With automatic, secure syncing with iCloud, your Stacks are always up-to-date across all your devices, safeguarding your progress and ideas wherever you go.

About

The No List

This app helps you focus on what truly matters by logging the opportunities, projects, and distractions you've declined. By recording your "No's," you gain clarity, protect priorities, and create space for your most important "Yeses."

Highlights
  • Log declined opportunities
  • Protect priorities
  • Celebrate boundaries
  • Organize by categories and tags
  • Track decisions with stats
  • Simple, clutter-free design
  • Private on-device operation
Features
Read full description

Focus on what matters most. The No List is a simple tool to help you live with intention. Instead of tracking endless to-dos, The No List gives you a place to capture the opportunities, projects, and distractions you've turned down. Every "No" is a reminder of the clarity and focus you're building. By logging what you don't do, you create more space for the things that truly matter. --- Why The No List? - Protect your priorities - Stop second-guessing yourself by recording the decisions you've already made. - Celebrate your boundaries - Saying "No" is powerful. The No List helps you see that progress. - Stay balanced - Filter your No's by Work, Personal, Social, or custom categories. - Gain perspective - Quick stats show how often you're making space for what matters. --- Features - Quick entry for every "No" - Organize by categories and tags - Stats to track your decisions over time - Simple, beautiful design with no clutter - Works privately on your device --- Your time is limited. The No List helps you use it wisely. Because every strong "No" creates room for your best "Yes."

Screenshots

Focus Stacks3 screens
The No List2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: The No List at Free against Focus Stacks's $4.99. The No List also leads on ratings volume (7 vs 1). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

The No List is free to download; Focus Stacks costs $4.99 up front. 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 — 5.0 for Focus Stacks against 5.0 for The No List. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The No List has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Focus Stacks ships an update weekly, The No List every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Focus Stacks versus The No List: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocus StacksThe No List
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews—75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB0 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew DespresDavid Sparks

Customer experience

Focus Stacks

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

The No List

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

Focus Stacks

No in-app purchases

None

The No List

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Focus Stacks free?
Focus Stacks costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is The No List free?
The No List is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Focus Stacks or The No List?
Focus Stacks and The No List are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 7 ratings respectively.
Do Focus Stacks or The No List have ads?
Neither Focus Stacks nor The No List shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Focus Stacks or The No List?
Focus Stacks ships an update weekly, and The No List every 2 weeks. Most recently, Focus Stacks was updated on October 7, 2026 and The No List on October 24, 2026.

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