Block It Out vs Focus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Block It Out
This app automates calendar synchronization across multiple accounts, ensuring you're never double-booked. It protects your privacy by blocking busy times without revealing personal event details, all while operating seamlessly in the background.
- Automated event blocking
- Privacy protection for events
- Seamless background synchronization
- Customizable shadow event titles
- Flexible filtering options
- Support for recurring events
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Block It Out is the easiest way to make sure you're never double-booked again across multiple accounts. Automatically convey availability and protect your privacy with no manual effort. Block It Out uses intelligent event blocking and performs seamless synchronization behind the scenes. Best of all, it does this without talking to the cloud or any external services. Privacy-First Design • Block out busy time in work calendars without revealing personal event details • Create "shadow events" that show you're busy without exposing sensitive information • Customize shadow event titles to maintain professional boundaries Smart Sync Rules • Set up automated rules to sync between any calendar accounts • Choose source calendars and target destination calendars • Advanced filtering options to sync only specific events • Supports recurring events with full recurrence pattern preservation Flexible Filtering • Filter events by title, duration, or custom conditions • Advanced users get hierarchical AND/OR logic for complex rules • Create sophisticated event matching patterns Seamless Background Operation • Automatic background synchronization keeps calendars updated • Real-time notifications when sync operations complete • Works across all your calendar accounts (iCloud, Google, Exchange, etc.) Perfect for Work-Life Balance • Sync personal appointments to work calendar as "busy" blocks • Maintain calendar privacy while ensuring scheduling conflicts are avoided • Professional appearance with customizable shadow event templates Perfect for Work-Work Balance • Consultants: sync your availability across competing clients • Founders: maintain clear availability across your multiple ventures, or your day job and your side hustle • Executives: give your EA access to availability across external commitments without divulging sensitive information Subscription Tiers • Free: 1 sync rule to demonstrate basic functionality • Essential: Up to 2 rules, with privacy filtering and custom shadow titles • Advanced: Unlimited rules, multiple destinations, advanced conditions, rollback capabilities, and custom templates Advanced Features (Advanced Tier) • Multiple destination calendars per rule • Custom shadow event templates and reminders • Transaction rollback system for safe operations • Hierarchical rule logic with AND/OR groups • ...and more! Whether you're coordinating between personal and work calendars, managing multiple business accounts, or simply want to maintain privacy while staying organized, Block It Out provides the automation and control you've needed since the whole thing went digital. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://block-it-out.com/privacy.html
Focus
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The problem isn't planning. It's having 50 things scream for your attention at once. Focus is the calm, distraction-free daily planner and timer built for ADHD minds that are drowning in decision fatigue, task paralysis, and endless phone distractions. You don't need another app with 200 features. You need one that makes you do the one thing that actually matters — right now. WHY FOCUS WORKS ◆ ONE THING AT A TIME (THE RULE OF 3) Todoist gave you 200 tasks. Things 3 gave you infinite lists. Focus gives you 3. Pick today's priorities, hide everything else, and work through them one card at a time. When you finish 3, you're done. That's your daily finish line. ◆ DISTRACTION SHIELD (APP BLOCKER) You know the pattern: "I'll just check Instagram for a second." 90 minutes later, you haven't started. Focus uses Apple Screen Time to physically lock distracting apps while your timer is active. They unlock when you're done. No willpower needed. ◆ IMMERSIVE POMODORO & SOUNDSCAPES Your brain needs the right environment to focus. Pair 25 or 50-minute Pomodoro sessions with built-in ambient soundscapes — gentle rain, brown noise, cafe bustle, and 40Hz binaural audio — scientifically designed to quiet ADHD racing thoughts. ◆ AI TASK BREAKDOWN "Write the quarterly report" is terrifying. "Open the document and type one sentence" is not. Focus breaks overwhelming tasks into tiny, 5-minute micro-steps so you actually start instead of staring at your phone for an hour. ◆ LIVE ACTIVITIES & DYNAMIC ISLAND Your current task and remaining time are always visible on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. No unlocking. No new distractions. Just a quiet reminder of what you're doing and how much time is left. ◆ 2-WAY APPLE CALENDAR SYNC See your calendar events right alongside today's priorities. Timebox your day and protect dedicated deep work blocks. No more double-booking your focus time. ◆ INTERACTIVE WIDGETS Your #1 priority lives on your Home Screen and Lock Screen. Check it off with a single tap without ever opening the app. Less friction = less procrastination. ◆ GUILT-FREE STREAKS Broke your streak? Focus has built-in streak protection. Because missing one day shouldn't erase three weeks of momentum. Build daily habits without shame. WHO IS FOCUS FOR? • ADHD & Neurodivergent Minds — Overcome task paralysis, executive dysfunction, and time blindness. • Deep Workers & Developers — Guard your flow state from Slack, email, and social media. • Students — Study with structured Pomodoro intervals and zero distractions. • Minimalists — Clean, native Apple design. No bloat. No gamification gimmicks. YOUR DATA. YOUR DEVICE. • Privacy-First: Tasks stay on your device and private iCloud. Period. • No account required. No analytics. No ad trackers. No data harvesting. • Built natively for iPhone, iPad, Dynamic Island, and StandBy mode. One thing at a time. Silence the noise. Reclaim your focus. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.bytenpixels.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Block It Out at 15.5 against Focus's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Block It Out sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Focus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Block It Out ships an update every 10 days, Focus every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Block It Out | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 11 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 85 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Isaiah Weiner | Jiten Siddhpura |
In-app purchases
Block It Out
- Block It Out - Essential$4.991 Month
- Block It Out - Advanced$19.991 Month
Focus
- Focus Premium$3.99









