Comparison

NowFocus vs Whittle

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

Head to head
About

NowFocus

Features
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Controlling Screen Time is critical for mental health, focus, productivity, and relationships. Social media and other addictive apps can easily distract you from your goals. NowFocus helps you focus so you can make the most out of every day.  Users find that NowFocus helps them: - Reduce social media impulse opens - Focus on deep work and engage in flow state activities - Reduce the level of distraction  85% save at least 1 hour *daily* thanks to the app.  Social Media Doomscrolling is the cause of excessive screen time for many people, with Nowfocus, users report that: - Phone Addiction subsides - Dopamine craving for apps is less powerful  Digital Minimalism is a new health wave that Nowfocus enables for users: - Limit apps in alignment with your intention - Mindfulness practices encourage a more balanced approach to phone usage  Digital Wellbeing is a large and growing consideration in the health and wellness spaces. Nowfocus users have found it helpful in dealing with: - Anxiety - Better managing ADHD - Improving productivity at work - Staying in focus when you need it most - Depression - Socializing  Research indicates that negative habits are hard to change through willpower alone, but that small, recurring nudges are effective at reshaping default patterns of behavior.  CREATE A PERSONALIZED APP LIST  You can add or remove any App and Website that are distracting to you directly from NowFocus' settings in the app.  You can customize your NowFocus experience and block all apps and sites on your phone, including: - Facebook - Instagram - Snapchat - TikTok - YouTube - Netflix - Tinder - Hinge - Bumble - Many more: News, Messaging, Dating, Money apps etc.  PRIVATE & SAFE We use Apple's Screen Time API in order to monitor and block apps you use. Installation is easy and takes a few seconds on your iPhone.  Unlike most apps, Nowfocus works entirely on your phone and personal browsing data never leaves your device.  TERMS, PRIVACY & CONDITIONS Read on: https://imoblife.net/NowFocus/PrivacyPolicy/Terms_&_Conditions.html https://imoblife.net/NowFocus/PrivacyPolicy/Privacy_Policy.html https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Whittle

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Measuring is free. Whittle counts a week of your own screen time on the apps you choose, then gives you one number: your daily average. Whittle Pro lowers that number by 8% a week, over twelve weeks by default. Once today's minutes are used, a pause appears in front of the apps you chose. One tap on Open anyway lifts it. A pause, not a lock. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps that take your time. 2. Whittle measures for a week. Nothing changes while it counts. 3. After a week you get one number, say 82 minutes a day. 4. With Whittle Pro, each week's daily target is 8% lower: 82, then 75, then 69. Eighty-two minutes a day becomes about thirty after twelve weeks. A few minutes at a time, small enough not to feel. FREE Measuring your week, and your number. Today's minutes, and your history. No account, no payment. WHITTLE PRO A daily target that falls 8% a week. The pace and the length of the program are yours to change. Once today's minutes are used, a pause in front of the apps you chose. Open anyway lifts it with one tap. It may ask again later that day. On Sunday, next week's target. A widget that counts down what is left today. If a week felt steep, hold the same target one more week. Don't want to wait a week? Start today from a limit you choose. ABOUT THE PAUSE While a pause is up, iOS may hold back notifications from those apps, so messaging apps like WhatsApp are best left off the list. You can turn the pause off in Whittle's settings; your minutes are still counted. WHAT IT WON'T DO No red. No streaks to lose. No badges, no confetti, no comparison with anyone else. WHAT YOU GET BACK 82 minutes a day is 20 days a year. Twelve weeks later it's about seven. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT No account. No login. No analytics. Your minutes stay on the phone that measured them, unless you send a report yourself with Share diagnostics. The subscription is the one thing that talks to the outside, and it never carries a minute with it. NOTIFICATIONS A note when your number is ready. Then one each Sunday: your week, and with Whittle Pro, next week's target. No sound. SUBSCRIPTION Whittle Pro is an auto-renewable subscription, yearly or monthly. If you are eligible, the first 7 days are free; the price for your country is shown before you confirm. It renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Cancel anytime in Settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: http://mustafaemir.com/whittle/privacy.html

Screenshots

NowFocus4 screens
Whittle4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Whittle at none against NowFocus's 2. NowFocus's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. NowFocus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whittle asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NowFocus ships an update every 5 days, Whittle every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
NowFocus versus Whittle: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNowFocusWhittle
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLepeng LiMUSTAFA EMIR

In-app purchases

2 purchases

NowFocus

Subscriptions2
  • 1-Month Premium$2.491 Month
  • 1-Year Premium3 Days trial$29.991 Year
None

Whittle

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NowFocus free?
NowFocus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Whittle free?
Whittle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do NowFocus or Whittle have ads?
Neither NowFocus nor Whittle shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NowFocus or Whittle?
NowFocus ships an update every 5 days, and Whittle every 2 weeks. Most recently, NowFocus was updated on October 30, 2026 and Whittle on October 25, 2026.

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