Focus Break vs Hardcore Focus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Focus Break
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Focus. Fly. Land. Recover. Focus Break helps you stay in deep focus without running yourself into the ground. Start a session, follow the timer, and when it ends, choose a short guided break - eye reset, breathing, or a mini meditation. The space “flight of thought” theme makes the experience calm, satisfying, and easy to repeat daily. Built for real life Focus presets: choose the session length that matches your day. Optional wind‑down reminder: a gentle mid‑session nudge to start wrapping up (you control it). Guided break choices: practical, short routines you can do anywhere. Thought Fuel: a daily battery that helps you visualize how much focus capacity you have left today. Home Screen widget: see your remaining time at a glance and start/stop quickly. Space visuals: pleasant, lightweight motion designed to keep you calm - not distracted. Who it’s for Students, developers, designers, writers, founders - anyone who wants more focus with fewer crashes. Premium (one‑time unlock) Upgrade once to unlock extra control and a more immersive session: More focus presets Expanded break library Session soundscapes (white noise + deep space ambience) Different flight modes (including Hyperdrive) No subscriptions. No recurring fees. Privacy Focus Break doesn’t require an account. Your settings stay on your device.
Hardcore Focus
This app encourages focused work by having users commit to a single, meaningful task for a two-hour period. It blocks distractions and tracks your focus sessions, helping you accomplish real work instead of just managing tasks.
- Single daily task focus
- 2-hour deep work timer
- Distracting app blocking
- Distraction tracking
- Progress logging
- Streaks and achievements
- Widgets and Live Activities
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Hardcore Focus blocks distracting apps with Screen Time, then runs a focus session toward a daily goal. Habits next to it. No account. No VPN. Three things: Focus, Habits, and Shield. No to-do list. No calendar. SHIELD — BLOCK THE NOISE Block the apps that steal your day with Apple’s native Screen Time API. On a schedule, during a focus session, or always on. You choose how hard it is to get back in: • No Bypass — locked is locked • 15-Minute Bypass — one short, deliberate exception FOCUS — DO DEEP WORK One button. Tap it and work until you’re done — no countdown, no 25-minute cycle. Keep the screen awake. Optional Apple Music focus playlist. Watch your daily focus goal fill up on the ring. Pause when life happens. Live Activity and Dynamic Island keep the timer visible. HABITS — FILL THE TIME YOU GET BACK Stack habits into routines by time of day. Check them off, count reps, or run a timed habit. Workouts, walks, and mindful minutes can auto-complete from Apple Health. Keep the streak on the habits that matter. ALSO • Apple Watch — start sessions and complete habits from your wrist • Siri & Shortcuts • Widgets, Live Activities & Dynamic Island • On-device insights into your focus patterns (on your phone) • Apple Music focus playlists inside the session • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad & Apple Watch — no Hardcore Focus account PRIVATE BY DESIGN Zero data collection. Anything you sync stays in your own iCloud. WHO IT’S FOR People who already know which apps steal the day and keep opening them anyway. Block, focus, show up for the habits. WHO IT’S NOT FOR SUBSCRIPTION Hardcore Focus requires a subscription. Annual includes a 7-day free trial. Then Weekly ($3.99), Monthly ($8.99), or Annual ($49.99). Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings → Subscriptions. Terms: https://www.hardcorefocus.com/terms Privacy: https://www.hardcorefocus.com/privacy Support: https://www.hardcorefocus.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Hardcore Focus at monthly against Focus Break's every 7 months. Focus Break's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 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. Focus Break sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hardcore Focus sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Focus Break ships an update every 7 months, Hardcore Focus monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Focus Break | Hardcore Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 12 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aleksei Gavrilov | Eric Kuhn |
In-app purchases
Focus Break
- Lifetime$2.99
Hardcore Focus
- Hardcore Focus Weekly$3.997 Days
- Hardcore Focus Pro Monthly$8.991 Month
- Hardcore Focus Pro Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year









