Comparison

Focado vs Note to Self

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

Head to head
About

Focado

This app uses a charming knitting avocado character to motivate users to focus. As you concentrate, the avocado knits items that can be traded for decorations to upgrade its room. It offers features like deep focus mode and Pomodoro breaks to enhance productivity.

Highlights
  • Knitting mechanic with focus progress
  • Trade knitted items for room decorations
  • Deep focus mode to block distractions
  • Pomodoro break timer
  • Live Activity for Lock Screen tracking
  • Customizable room themes
Read full description

Meet Focado — a cozy focus timer where your concentration turns into handmade progress. When you focus, Avo — your tiny knitting avocado — starts knitting warm little beanies and gloves. Every stitch represents your focus. But if you interrupt the timer, Avo immediately drops the needles. Finish your session and Avo will trade the beanies and gloves they knitted for beautiful decorations to upgrade their room. The more you focus, the more Avo knits — and the cozier their world becomes. Now, you can also personalize your experience with a variety of Avocado skins. Unlock and choose your favorite Avo, and enjoy focusing with a character that fits your style. Focado is designed for students, workers, creators, and anyone who wants a calm, motivating way to stay consistent. Focus → Knit → Trade → Decorate. Simple, relaxing, and deeply rewarding. Why You’ll Love Focado Knitting Mechanic: Avo knits beanies and gloves as you stay focused Avocado Skins: Unlock and use different Avo styles to match your vibe Decoration Exchange: Completed sessions allow Avo to trade knitted items for new decorations Multiple Rooms: Decorate both Avo’s Study Room and Living Room to create your own cozy space Deep Focus Mode: Block distracting apps to protect your concentration and maximize Avo’s knitting Pomodoro Breaks: Give yourself a calm, refreshing break Live Activity: Track your timer progress right from the Lock Screen Room Themes: Cozy, Nature, Farmhouse, and more Focus Tags: Tag each session (Study, Work, Custom, and more) to understand what you focus on Detailed Stats: Track your focus time daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly Progress System: Strong focus = more knitting = more decorations How It Works Start a focus session Choose or create a Focus Tag for what you're working on Avo begins knitting beanies and gloves Stay focused while Avo keeps creating At the end, Avo trades knitted items for decorations Use decorations to customize both the Study Room and Living Room Review your stats and see how much you focused over time — and on what Personalize Avo with skins and grow their cozy world Privacy First All processing happens locally on your device. No data is uploaded, stored, or shared externally. Terms & Support Terms of Service: https://focadoapp.com/termsandconditions Privacy Policy: https://focadoapp.com/privacypolicy Support: support@focadoapp.com Start Your Cozy Focus Journey Build better focus habits, stay consistent, and grow Avo’s world one stitch at a time. Download Focado today — Avo is already holding the yarn.

About

Note to Self

Capture thoughts, voice notes, and important information locally on your device. Organize with categories and tags, and export your data in various formats. Optional premium features enhance recording and transcription capabilities.

Highlights
  • On-device note storage
  • Typed note creation and editing
  • Voice recording and transcription (optional)
  • Note organization with categories and tags (optional)
  • Export notes as text, PDF, or JSON
  • No ads
Features
Read full description

Capture what matters, then find it when you need it. Note to Self keeps your notes and original recordings on your device, with a clear home for your thoughts and no ads. FREE EVERYDAY NOTES Write as many typed notes as you need. Search, edit, pin, archive and delete them. Save opens the note you just made, so you always know where it went. TAKE YOUR WORDS WITH YOU Export one note or your library as text, PDF or JSON. Long notes continue across PDF pages. You choose where exported copies go. Reading, editing and exporting existing notes stays free. OPTIONAL NOTE TO SELF PLUS Record and transcribe on device where Apple supports your device and language. Keep the original recording to check the transcript. Add categories and tags to organize your library. Existing notes, recordings and organization remain accessible if Plus ends. Plus is an optional auto-renewing monthly Apple subscription. The U.S. price is $1.99/month, with a seven-day free trial for eligible subscribers. Localized pricing and eligibility are shown before purchase. Installing does not start a trial. A trial renews at the displayed monthly price unless cancelled before renewal. Manage or cancel in Apple Account subscriptions. Deleting the app does not cancel billing. Eligible earlier paid Apple purchasers retain Plus after their original purchase is verified; use Restore purchases. YOUR NOTES STAY LOCAL No note account is required. Note content and audio are not sent to NextEleven or RevenueCat. Apple handles billing; RevenueCat validates Plus purchases and processes purchase analytics. Device backups and destinations you choose for exports have their own settings. Recording requires appropriate consent. Automated transcription can be wrong; verify important information against the original audio. On-device transcription is not available for every device or language. Support: https://www.nexteleven.dev/note-to-self/ios-support.html Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Focado4 screens
Note to Self4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Focado at 1.1K against Note to Self's 1. Focado also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Note to Self's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and device support (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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Focado sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Note to Self sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Note to Self holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Focado has 1.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Focado ships an update every 3 weeks, Note to Self every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Focado versus Note to Self: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocadoNote to Self
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.1K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.1K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB10 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperModernist LTDSean McDonnell

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Focado

Subscriptions6
  • Focado Monthly Pro1 Month trial2 variants$4.991 Month
  • Focado Monthly Pro2 variants$4.991 Month
  • Focado Monthly Pro3 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Focado Yearly Pro3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Focado Yearly Pro3 Days trial2 variants$39.991 Year
  • Focado Yearly Pro$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Bookcado$5.99
1 purchases

Note to Self

Subscriptions1
  • Note to Self Plus7 Days trial$1.991 Month

Questions

Is Focado free?
Focado is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Note to Self free?
Note to Self is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Focado or Note to Self?
Note to Self is rated higher. Focado averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Note to Self averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Focado or Note to Self have ads?
Neither Focado nor Note to Self shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Focado or Note to Self?
Focado ships an update every 3 weeks, and Note to Self every 2 months. Most recently, Focado was updated on November 14, 2026 and Note to Self on November 9, 2026.

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