Comparison

time[Box] vs Focal

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

Head to head
About

time[Box]

This minimalist timer app helps you focus on tasks with a clean interface and intuitive controls. It offers a satisfying spin control for setting time and smart notifications to keep you on track. Ideal for productivity sprints, meditation, or quick tasks.

Highlights
  • Satisfying spin control for setting timers
  • One-touch start for quick timers
  • Clean and clutter-free interface
  • Smart notifications with haptics and sound
  • Dark mode support
  • Ideal for Pomodoro technique and study sprints
Read full description

timeBox keeps it simple so you can focus on what matters—your work, your next big idea or just your kid's naptime. Why You'll Love This App: • Satisfying Spin Control: Set your timer with a delightfully tactile dial, inspired by classic analog timers. • One-Touch Start: Quickly set a minute or hour timer with intuitive controls. • Clean Design: No clutter—just a sleek interface to help you stay on track. • Smart Notifications: Subtle haptics and a gentle ding let you know when time's up. • Dark Mode: Seamlessly switch between light or dark based on your preference. • Stay Focused: Whether it's a study sprint, workout interval, or a quick break, time[Box] helps you manage your minutes. Sometimes an app only needs to do one thing really well—time[Box] does exactly that. Set your timer, stay focused, and enjoy a beautifully minimal experience. Perfect for: • Pomodoro technique and productivity sprints. • Mindful breaks and meditation. • Quick tasks, workouts, baby or cooking timers. time[Box] your day and see how much more you can get done. Massive feature update coming soon!

About

Focal

Features
Read full description

See the time you have left. Focal is a visual timer: it turns a countdown into something you can look at: a colored disk that shrinks as your time runs out — the same idea as the timer on a classroom wall, in your pocket, on your lock screen, and on your desk while the phone charges. ONE THING AT A TIME A routine in Focal is a chain of short steps, each with its own length. Focal shows you the step you are on and nothing else, then moves to the next one by itself. Morning launch, shutdown, cleaning sprint, a study block — start with ten ready-made routines or build your own. TIME YOU CAN SEE, EVERYWHERE • Full-screen timer in three shapes: disk, bar, or pie • Live Activity and Dynamic Island — the countdown keeps running on your lock screen • Home and Lock Screen widgets for your next routine • Put the phone on its side while charging and StandBy becomes a desk timer • Start from Siri, the Action Button, or Control Center BUILT FOR THE WAY ATTENTION ACTUALLY WORKS • Designed around ADHD time blindness — for when "five more minutes" quietly becomes an hour • Gentle haptics at the halfway mark and in the final minute • When time is up the clock keeps counting, and Focal taps you on the shoulder at five and fifteen minutes — the alarm for when you fall into something too deep • Add a minute without losing your place • Eight themes, including high-contrast and a quiet monochrome one NO INTERNET NEEDED. No account. No cloud. Nothing you make ever leaves your phone — the timer works in airplane mode, because it never needed the internet. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

time[Box]3 screens
Focal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: time[Box] at none against Focal's 3. On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Focal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. time[Box] asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
time[Box] versus Focal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametertime[Box]Focal
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWilliam HobbsHo Van Dai

In-app purchases

None

time[Box]

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Focal

Subscriptions2
  • Focal Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Focal Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Focal Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is time[Box] free?
time[Box] is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Focal free?
Focal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do time[Box] or Focal have ads?
Neither time[Box] nor Focal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, time[Box] or Focal?
time[Box] ships an update weekly, and Focal weekly. Most recently, time[Box] was updated on October 17, 2026 and Focal on October 25, 2026.

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