Comparison

Borrow vs FocusPilot

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

Head to head
About

Borrow

This app helps you regain control of your screen time by setting daily limits and making each unlock a deliberate choice. It offers features like Focus Mode, customizable time budgets, and an Allowlist for essential apps. Track your usage patterns and take back your time.

Highlights
  • Daily time budget
  • Focus Mode
  • Allowlist for essential apps
  • Protected and Strict modes
  • Live Activity countdown
  • Siri Shortcuts
Read full description

You already know. You pick it up without thinking. Another evening gone. You meant to put it down an hour ago. Borrow doesn't judge you. It gives you a daily budget and makes every unlock a conscious choice. Focus Mode blocks everything on your phone. When you actually need it, you borrow time. You choose how long, you choose why, and when the time's up everything locks again. No streaks. No guilt. Just a limit that means something. Set your daily budget anywhere from 1 minute to 8 hours. Every borrow counts against it. When it's gone, it's gone. Resets at midnight. Each unlock asks you two things: how long, and why. Talk to someone. Something specific. Just need a break. The reason matters, and over time the patterns become obvious. If you need Focus Mode to actually stick, you can set it to Protected mode with a 30-second cooldown before you can turn it off, or go full Strict and lock yourself in until your commitment ends. No exceptions. Your bank app, phone calls, Maps, anything you need always available through the Allowlist. Sessions let you unlock specific apps for a set window. Schedules handle recurring blocks for work hours or evenings. There's a Live Activity countdown on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, home screen widgets, and Siri Shortcuts if you need them. Your Screen Time data never leaves your device. No servers, no account, no analytics, no ads. Take back your time. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Protected mode, Strict mode, and the Allowlist require Borrow Pro, an optional subscription.

About

FocusPilot

Read full description

FocusPilot – Productivity & Focus for Work Transform how you work with beautifully designed focus sessions, Pomodoro-style timers, and calming ambient soundscapes. Designed for iOS users who love deep work, clean visuals, minimal style, and steady productivity. Why Users Love This App Pomodoro Timer: Focus, short break, and long break modes with one-tap start, custom durations, and multi-session sets. Session Builder: Plan your work into named tasks, set breaks between segments, use quick presets, and send your plan straight to the timer. Daily Feed: A clean log of every completed focus block—grouped by day so you can see when you worked and how long each session lasted. Ambient Sounds: Curated soundscapes including Gentle Rain, Ocean Waves, Coffee Shop, Fireplace, Forest Birds, Thunderstorm, White Noise, and more. Perfect For Every Work Style Whether you're studying for exams, writing deep content, coding in sprints, or building a distraction-free routine—this app has everything to match your flow. Made for iPhone Every session is tracked on-device, the timer runs smoothly in the background, and the dark minimal UI is optimized for iOS—giving you a clean, premium focus experience on your iPhone. Unlock Session Builder, Daily Feed, and premium ambient sounds with FocusPilot Pro. Access advanced planning and premium features for your most productive focus sessions. Free Trial Terms: New users or users who haven’t used the free trial yet will see: "3-day free trial, then [price] / Week" Users who have already used the trial or who are returning after a subscription will see: "[price] / Week" The button will show “Try Free” instead of “Subscribe” when the trial is available. SUBSCRIPTION PRICING & TERMS FocusPilot offers an auto-renewing weekly subscription with the title "FocusPilot Pro" to provide unlimited access and other premium features. Payment will be charged to the credit card connected to your iTunes Account when you confirm the initial subscription purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, and the cost of the renewal will be identified. You may manage your subscription and auto-renewal to be turned off by going to your Account Settings after the purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 Get Started Today! Download FocusPilot now and build deep work habits with a premium focus timer on your iPhone. Privacy Policy: https://ammadrazzaq28.github.io/focuspilot-legal/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://ammadrazzaq28.github.io/focuspilot-legal/terms.html

Screenshots

Borrow4 screens
FocusPilot3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Borrow at every 2 days against FocusPilot's weekly. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Borrow sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and FocusPilot sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Borrow ships an update every 2 days, FocusPilot weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Borrow versus FocusPilot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBorrowFocusPilot
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (16 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings16 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterWeekly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.617.6
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPoteo de la unaAmmad Razzaq

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Borrow

Subscriptions2
  • Pro3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Pro3 Days trial$49.991 Year
1 purchases

FocusPilot

Subscriptions1
  • FocusPilot Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$9.997 Days

Questions

Is Borrow free?
Borrow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FocusPilot free?
FocusPilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Borrow or FocusPilot have ads?
Both Borrow and FocusPilot show ads.
Which is updated more often, Borrow or FocusPilot?
Borrow ships an update every 2 days, and FocusPilot weekly. Most recently, Borrow was updated on October 5, 2026 and FocusPilot on October 7, 2026.

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