# Focus Stacks vs Upstream

The clearest difference is price: Upstream at Free against Focus Stacks's $4.99. Upstream also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Focus Stacks's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.7). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Upstream is free to download; Focus Stacks costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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

Focus Stacks ships an update weekly, Upstream every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Focus Stacks | Upstream |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-stacks/id6478795096/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstream-email/id6751403722/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 1 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Despres](https://appshunter.io/developer/1525630876) | [Upstream Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1834893204) |

## What reviewers say

### Focus Stacks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-stacks/id6478795096)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Upstream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstream-email/id6751403722)

This AI-powered inbox automatically organizes emails, drafts replies in your unique writing style, and sends follow-ups. It learns your workflow to minimize distractions and ensure no important messages are missed.

**Highlights:** AI email triaging, Personalized draft writing, Automated follow-ups, Self-organizing inbox, Learns user workflow

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Focus Stacks free?

Focus Stacks costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Upstream free?

Upstream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Focus Stacks or Upstream?

Focus Stacks is rated higher. Focus Stacks averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Upstream averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Focus Stacks or Upstream have ads?

Neither Focus Stacks nor Upstream shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Focus Stacks or Upstream?

Focus Stacks ships an update weekly, and Upstream every 2 weeks. Most recently, Focus Stacks was updated on September 20, 2026 and Upstream on October 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*