Comparison

Focus Timer vs Three Things

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

Head to head
About

Focus Timer

Features
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Lock In is a beautifully simple app designed to help you focus with intention and track your time meaningfully. Whether you're studying, working, or building better habits, Lock In keeps you grounded, one session at a time. Features at a Glance:Use our dual-mode Focus Timer or Stopwatch, manage your daily tasks, and visualize your time with powerful progress views that show every minute you’ve earned back. From Live Activities to deep session history, Lock In is built for momentum, not distractions. Features at a Glance: Daily Task Manager β€’ Add, reorder, and group tasks by day β€’ Swipe to create subtasks or remove items β€’ Completion toggles with smart parent/child sync β€’ Keyboard-aware quick add bar Focus Sessions: Timer or Stopwatch β€’ Lock in your time with countdown or count-up modes β€’ Animated progress ring with pause/resume controls β€’ Use while editing tasks β€’ Session time is saved, second-accurate Session History β€’ View detailed logs per day: task completion, start-end times, durations β€’ Swipe to delete any session Life & Time Statistics β€’ See how many days you’ve been alive β€’ Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly heatmaps β€’ Visualize progress across the year Smart Reminders & Notifications β€’ β€œSession Complete” and 8 PM check-in reminders β€’ Never forget to lock in again Home & Lock Screen Widgets β€’ Live Activity tracking via Dynamic Island and StandBy β€’ Control widget to start/stop focus sessions Fully Themed & iPad Ready β€’ Clean dark/light mode toggle β€’ Optimized layout for iPhone and iPad Private by Design β€’ Everything is stored locally using Core Data β€’ No accounts, no ads, no distractions Start small. Stay consistent. Lock in, get out.

About

Three Things

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Too many tasks. Too little focus. Sound familiar? Three Things is a minimalist daily planner that limits you to just 3 tasks per day. No endless to-do lists. No overwhelm. Just the 3 things that actually matter today. Unlike traditional task managers and productivity apps, Three Things uses intentional constraint to create focus. You pick your 3 priorities each morning, check them off, and build momentum through daily streaks. Why people switch from complex to-do apps: Clarity over chaos β€” know exactly what matters today instead of scrolling through 50 tasks. Daily streaks and completion tracking keep you consistent without pressure. A 30-second morning routine replaces complicated planning systems. All data stays on your device β€” no account, no cloud, no tracking. Three Things is the best daily planner for people who are overwhelmed by Todoist, Things 3, or TickTick and want something radically simpler. It works for ADHD focus, daily habit building, goal setting, and anyone who needs fewer choices to get more done. What makes Three Things different from other to-do list apps: Most productivity apps give you unlimited tasks, projects, tags, and filters. That flexibility becomes the problem. Three Things removes the decision fatigue by giving you exactly 3 slots. No categories. No sub-tasks. No priority levels. Just today's 3 most important things. This approach is based on the proven productivity principle that forcing prioritization leads to better output than managing longer lists. When you can only pick 3, you have to choose what actually matters. Built for people who want less, not more: Entrepreneurs and freelancers who need daily clarity without project management overhead. Students managing coursework, study sessions, and deadlines without complex systems. People with ADHD or executive function challenges who benefit from reduced choices. Anyone recovering from productivity app burnout who wants to actually finish things instead of organizing them. Remote workers who need a simple daily focus tool without team features they will never use. Track your progress over time: See your completion rate and daily streaks. Review your timeline of finished tasks. Get insights into your most productive days and patterns. Watch small daily wins compound into real progress over weeks and months. Privacy first β€” your data stays on your device. No sign-up required. No social features. No data collection. Just a clean, distraction-free planner that opens in seconds and helps you move forward every day. Stop managing tasks. Start finishing them. Privacy: https://www.notion.so/ninakolari/3-Things-Privacy-Policy-27de68c5264080099c60e4a2b26d25b2 Terms: https://www.notion.so/ninakolari/Terms-Conditions-3-things-34ce68c52640800f903ee3f68fb52b19

Screenshots

Focus Timer4 screens
Three Things4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Focus Timer at none against Three Things's 1. Three Things's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Three Things sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Focus Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Focus Timer ships an update every 6 months, Three Things every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Focus Timer versus Three Things: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocus TimerThree Things
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.518.5
Further details β€” not scored
Size1 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperElementra LLCKatja Nina Kolari

In-app purchases

None

Focus Timer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Three Things

One-time1
  • Three Things Premium$9.99

Questions

Is Focus Timer free?
Focus Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Three Things free?
Three Things is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Focus Timer or Three Things have ads?
Neither Focus Timer nor Three Things shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Focus Timer or Three Things?
Focus Timer ships an update every 6 months, and Three Things every 3 weeks. Most recently, Focus Timer was updated on October 2, 2026 and Three Things on October 8, 2026.

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