Chronicle vs Focus Timer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chronicle
This personal diary app offers a simple interface and cloud syncing for real-time updates across all your devices. It focuses on providing a powerful yet user-friendly experience for capturing your thoughts and memories.
- Cloud-based syncing
- Real-time updates
- Simple interface
- Cross-device compatibility
- Personal journaling
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Chronicle helps you keep a clear record of your life in one calm place. Write daily entries fast and keep each moment easy to revisit. Capture thoughts, photos, and dates without a complicated setup. Chronicle is a Markdown-first journal built for people who want flexible writing with structure. Open a journal, add an entry, and keep writing while the app stores your content locally on your device. **Write Without Friction** Start a new entry in seconds and stay in your flow while ideas are fresh. The editor keeps the experience simple so you can focus on what you want to say. **Markdown That Feels Natural** Use quick formatting actions for headings, emphasis, and lists while you type. You get clean structure for long reflections without breaking your momentum. **Photos Inside Your Story** Attach photos directly in entries to preserve context that words alone can miss. Build richer memories with visual detail that stays connected to your writing. **Journals For Every Part Of Life** Create multiple journals with custom titles and icons for work, family, travel, or goals. Keep topics separated so finding the right entry always feels straightforward. **Timeline Control That Matches Reality** Adjust entry dates when you need your timeline to reflect when things actually happened. Keep your history accurate and easy to scan when reviewing progress. Download Chronicle and start building a journal you can trust every day.
Focus Timer
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Plan your day in time boxes, focus on one block at a time and see where the time went, on iPhone and now on Mac. PLAN THE DAY • Pick up to three priorities for today: your Big 3. • Put tasks into time boxes on a timeline, each with a real start and end. • Unfinished tasks come back to the list with a miss recorded, so the ones you keep dodging rise instead of sinking. FOCUS • Start a box and the session counts down to its end, on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island too. • Add at most three new tasks mid-session, so the running block doesn't turn back into an inbox. • Widgets for your Big 3, today's focus progress and a quick way into your tasks. LOOK BACK • A short review after each session: what got done, what went back and how it went. • A monthly calendar shows focus time and finished tasks day by day. • Insights chart your focus by week, month and year. ON IPHONE AND MAC • With Premium, iCloud keeps tasks, time boxes and sessions in sync between your iPhone and your Mac. • FocusMind for Mac adds a floating focus bar and a timer in the menu bar. • Import a TickTick backup or a CSV file, and export your data any time. • A Premium subscription or lifetime unlock covers both iPhone and Mac. FocusMind Premium Includes unlimited daily focus time, history older than 3 days and iCloud sync between iPhone and Mac. • Length: 1 month or 1 year, renewed automatically each period • Price: see in-app pricing for your region • Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Subscriptions may be managed and auto-renewal turned off in your Account Settings on the App Store Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.pentarab.com/focusmind/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.pentarab.com/focusmind/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Focus Timer at every 5 days against Chronicle's every 2 months. Chronicle's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. Chronicle sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Focus Timer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Chronicle ships an update every 2 months, Focus Timer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chronicle | Focus Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (12 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 8.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fishington Studios | Pentarab |
In-app purchases
Chronicle
- No Ads$0.99
- Upgrade to Pro$4.99
Focus Timer
- Weekly Premium$2.997 Days
- FocusMind Premium (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- FocusMind Premium (Yearly)$29.991 Year
- FocusMind Premium (Lifetime)$39.99







