Time Pencil vs DOS Focus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Time Pencil
Visualize your day with a unique clock interface that displays calendar events as colored arcs. Easily block out focus time or activities by drawing directly on the dial. Access your schedule at a glance with home screen widgets and Apple Watch support.
- Calendar events visualized as arcs on a clock
- Draw custom time blocks and add notes
- Home screen and lock screen widgets
- Live Activity countdown for Dynamic Island
- Apple Watch support
- Customizable clock faces (Sky mode, Zen mode)
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Plan your day on a clock. Time Pencil turns your schedule into colored arcs around a real analog dial, so one glance shows what is next, what is done, and how much of today is left. A VISUAL DAY PLANNER THAT LOOKS LIKE TIME A list hides the shape of a day. A clock shows it. Your morning, your meetings and your evening sit where they happen, and past hours fade so "now" always stands out. TIME BLOCKING IN ONE STROKE Draw an arc around the dial to block out focus time, a workout, a commute or dinner. Drag it to move it, stretch it to change the time, give it a name and a marker color. Add sticky notes and stickers for everything loose. YOUR CALENDAR, AROUND THE DIAL Time Pencil reads the calendars already on your iPhone and lays every event on the clock. Blocks you draw can be saved to your calendar, with an alarm when you want a nudge. ALWAYS A GLANCE AWAY • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets • A Live Activity that counts down to your next block • StandBy turns a charging iPhone into a bedside day clock • Apple Watch app and complication • A Mac menu bar app with the same clock, on the same purchase PLAN THE WEEK AND THE YEAR Switch to Week to plan the days ahead, or to Year to mark trips, deadlines and birthdays across the months. MAKE IT YOURS A 12-hour or 24-hour dial, tinted and ruled paper, a live sky that follows the sun where you are, Zen mode, other time zones on the dial, and numerals you can shape. MADE FOR VISUAL THINKERS If to-do lists slide past you, a day you can see is easier to keep. Many people who time block, and many people with ADHD, plan with visual schedules for exactly this reason. SIMPLE AND PRIVATE No account needed to start. Sign in only if you want your clock on all your devices. Time Pencil speaks 20 languages. FREE AND PRO Free forever: your calendar around the clock, drawing on today, widgets and Apple Watch. Pro adds drawing on any other day, Week and Year views, themes, the 24-hour dial, time zones, templates, sticky notes and more stickers. Pick a yearly plan, or pay once for Lifetime. One purchase covers your iPhone, iPad and Mac. TIME PENCIL PRO Pro is available as an auto-renewing subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://vineetkl.github.io/time-pencil-legal/terms-of-use.html Privacy Policy: https://vineetkl.github.io/time-pencil-legal/privacy-policy.html
DOS Focus
Enhance concentration with nostalgic computer sounds and a distraction-free environment. Customize focus sessions, track progress, and personalize your interface with classic DOS themes for improved productivity.
- Retro soundscapes
- Customizable focus sessions
- Focus progress reports
- Classic DOS themes
- Offline and minimal design
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Defragment your mind and restore clarity — one retro beep at a time. DOS Focus helps you stay in the zone using nostalgic computer sounds that bring a calm, distraction-free atmosphere. Whether you’re working, studying, or just taking a digital detox, this app turns your focus sessions into a retro experience. Features: • Retro Soundscapes — Immerse yourself in the soothing hum of old-school computers. • Custom Focus Sessions — Choose from quick 15-minute sprints to deep 4-hour marathons. • Focus Report — Track your sessions and see how your concentration improves over time. • Retro Themes — Personalize your screen with classic DOS colors — from Cyan to Magenta. • No distractions — Simple, offline, and minimal. Just focus. Why it works: Retro sounds evoke a sense of calm and simplicity. DOS Focus eliminates digital clutter so your brain can reboot, recharge, and refocus — like defragmenting your hard drive. Whether you’re a developer, writer, student, or anyone craving quiet productivity, DOS Focus brings back the feeling of working on a clean, timeless system — where nothing interrupts your flow. - Reboot your focus. Reclaim your clarity. - Welcome to DOS Focus.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Time Pencil at 5.0 against DOS Focus's 4.0. Time Pencil also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Time Pencil sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and DOS Focus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Time Pencil holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.
Time Pencil ships an update every 3 days, DOS Focus every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Time Pencil | DOS Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | 4.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 105 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vineet Kapil | Nguyen Vu Thai |
In-app purchases
Time Pencil
- Monthly$3.991 Month
- Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
- Lifetime$49.99
DOS Focus
- Try DOS FOCUS PRO$17.991 Year
- Try DOS FOCUS PRO$8.99









