# Focus Timer vs Hourglow

The clearest difference is update cadence: Focus Timer at fortnightly against Hourglow's every 3 months. Hourglow's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Focus Timer sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Hourglow sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Focus Timer ships an update fortnightly, Hourglow every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Focus Timer | Hourglow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-timer-studious/id6642672538/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **18** | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 39 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Florent Perillat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1861519651) | [Suna Ordulu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1754727111) |

## What reviewers say

### Focus Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-timer-studious/id6642672538)

Enhance focus and build productive habits with a tool that integrates a calendar, timer, and app blocker. Plan your day, track your time, and block distractions to reduce mental load and improve presence.

**Highlights:** Integrates with Apple Calendar, Creates focus timers from events, Standalone focus timer option, App blocking (scheduled and spontaneous), Supports ADHD and neurodivergent minds, Reduces mental load

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


### Hourglow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglow-screen-time-blocker/id6766261424)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Focus Timer free?

Focus Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hourglow free?

Hourglow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Focus Timer or Hourglow have ads?

Neither Focus Timer nor Hourglow shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Focus Timer or Hourglow?

Focus Timer ships an update fortnightly, and Hourglow every 3 months. Most recently, Focus Timer was updated on October 20, 2026 and Hourglow on August 30, 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.*