Board vs Koku
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Board
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Board is a snapshot-of-thought app where you can save ideas just as they are. Write freely, and only add tags when you need to organize things later. There are no folders and no forced rules. Even unfinished thoughts or vague ideas can simply stay here. • Write without worrying about structure • Organize later with simple tags • Let ideas grow naturally instead of forcing them into lists Board is made for people who think in layers, not checklists.
Koku
This app helps you focus on tasks with customizable work and rest intervals. It offers a simple, distraction-free interface and integrates with your home screen and Apple Watch for easy access and control. Enjoy deep work without accounts, streaks, or subscriptions.
- Customizable focus and rest sessions
- Classic Pomodoro rhythm option
- Home Screen widget for quick access
- Live Activities on lock screen
- Apple Watch companion app
- Minimalist, distraction-free design
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Koku is a focus timer for deep work. Focus. Rest. Repeat. Set your own session lengths or use the classic rhythm - twenty-five minutes of focus, five minutes of rest, a longer break every four sessions. Each minute is a dot. Watch them fill. - No accounts. - No streaks. - No subscriptions. Just time, and the work in front of you. Add Koku to your Home Screen for quick access - start, pause, and skip sessions right from the widget. Keep the timer visible on your lock screen with Live Activities. Koku also includes an Apple Watch companion app that works with the iPhone app, so you can check your timer and control sessions from your wrist. Designed for iPhone, with an Apple Watch companion. Light and dark mode. Works in any language. Koku (刻) is the Japanese word for a moment of time.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Koku at none against Board's 1. Koku also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). Board's advantage is iOS requirement (18.2 vs 26.4). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Board sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Koku asks for nothing beyond the download.
Board ships an update every 2 months, Koku every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Board | Koku |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 3.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 — better | 26.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KAZUHIRO SATO | Rodolfo Alberto Lopez Terriquez |
In-app purchases
Board
- Boards$14.99
Koku
No in-app purchases









