# Focus vs podEssence

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: podEssence at none against Focus's 3. Focus's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Focus sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. podEssence asks for nothing beyond the download.

Focus ships an update every 9 days, podEssence every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Focus | podEssence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Size | 88 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mohammed Sunain Ali](https://appshunter.io/developer/1850249167) | [Bahubali Jain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896184825) |

## What reviewers say

### Focus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-screen-time-blocker/id6754814013)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Focus Pro Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Focus Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Focus Pro Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


### podEssence

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/podessence/id6766071552)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Focus free?

Focus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is podEssence free?

podEssence is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Focus or podEssence have ads?

Neither Focus nor podEssence shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Focus or podEssence?

Focus ships an update every 9 days, and podEssence every 3 weeks. Most recently, Focus was updated on October 24, 2026 and podEssence on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*