Kaizen vs Ikigai Flow
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kaizen
This app helps you stay focused by blocking distracting apps and websites. It also includes a habit tracker, task manager, and live focus rooms for collaborative study sessions. Customize timers and themes for a personalized productivity experience.
- Customizable Pomodoro timer
- App and website blocking
- Habit tracking with forgiving streaks
- Live focus rooms for co-studying
- Task management with priorities
- Themed backgrounds and focus music
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Kaizen is a focus timer that blocks your distracting apps, tracks your habits, and lets you study alongside others in live focus rooms. Start a session and the apps you picked stay blocked until your break. Free to use, with no ads. Premium features are marked below. POMODORO TIMER & STOPWATCH • Presets: Classic (25/5/15), Quick (15/3/10), Extended (50/10/30), Long Focus (90/15/30), or your own • Focus 5 to 180 minutes, short breaks 1 to 60, long breaks 5 to 120 • Stopwatch: count up with no fixed end and finish when you're ready • Auto-start runs sessions back to back while Kaizen is open, up to your long break • Keeps time in the background and notifies you when a session or break ends • Fullscreen mode that shows only the timer • Tag each session (Work, Study, and more) to see where your focus goes APP BLOCKER Kaizen uses Apple's Screen Time to block the apps and websites you choose, even with Kaizen closed: • During focus sessions, until your break • Block now: until you turn it off • Schedules: block a set of apps at the same times every week • An optional "Open anyway" button: you set how often, how long to wait, and for how long • Free: up to 3 apps or websites and 1 schedule • Premium: up to 50 apps and 8 schedules, Strict mode (stays blocked when you pause) and Locked mode (no ending a session or schedule early, with one emergency end a week) Your choices stay on your device. Kaizen can't see which apps you picked. HABIT TRACKER • Check-off habits, or timed habits your focus sessions count toward • Schedules: daily, specific weekdays, or a number of times per week • Forgiving streaks: a skipped day doesn't break them • A consistency score and trend chart for every habit • Backdate any past day and keep your full history • Reminders that follow each habit's schedule • Up to 5 active habits free, unlimited with Premium FOCUS ROOMS Stay on task next to other people, without a video call: • Join any room free, or host a private one and invite up to 3 friends with a link • See who's focusing, on a break, or paused, with live timers • No camera or microphone, just your avatar and quiet company • Premium: host public or bigger rooms (up to 50 people), and share the task you're working on Many people with ADHD use this kind of body doubling to get started and keep going. TASKS • Jot a task down in one line now, plan the details later • An unlimited inbox, so capturing a thought never hits a limit • Priorities, due dates, subtasks, time estimates, and reminders • Pick a task before a session and your focus time counts toward it • Today, Tomorrow, and Overdue badges keep deadlines in view • Up to 7 planned tasks free, unlimited with Premium THEMES & FOCUS MUSIC • 70+ backgrounds across Lofi, Nature, City, Cozy, Space, and Minimal, including animated ones • Lo-fi, ambient, nature, white noise, and classical tracks, saved for offline listening • Mute music on your breaks • Premium: every theme, the full music library, and your own photo as the background STATISTICS & STREAKS • Daily, weekly, and monthly focus totals • Charts for focus over time, by hour, by weekday, by tag, and by session type • Session history showing which tasks and habits each session counted toward • Re-tag or delete any past session • A daily focus streak • Premium: yearly and all-time statistics MADE FOR • Students studying for their exams • Remote workers and freelancers who need time for deep work • People with ADHD who focus better with structure and company • Anyone who reaches for their phone when they should be focusing WORKS EVERYWHERE Use Kaizen on iPhone, iPad, your computer, or the web. Your tasks, habits, and stats sync across all of them. Start a focus session, block your distracting apps, and see how much more you get done. Terms of Use (EULA): https://my-kaizen.com/eula Privacy Policy: https://my-kaizen.com/privacy Terms & Conditions: https://my-kaizen.com/terms Questions? Reach us at support@my-kaizen.com
Ikigai Flow
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Find your reason for being - and actually live it, one small step at a day. Ikigai Flow blends the Japanese concept of ikigai with a real task and note system, so your to-do list finally connects to what matters: what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what sustains you. See your balance: Every task and note you create is mapped to one of the four ikigai quadrants. A weekly balance view shows you exactly which part of your life has been neglected — before it becomes a problem. Get AI-personalized guidance: As you type, Ikigai Flow suggests the right quadrant for you automatically. Premium members also get kaizen tips generated from what they're actually working on, powered by Apple Intelligence, right on your device. Build momentum you can trust Streaks, XP, levels, and achievements keep you coming back — including a Streak Freeze for Premium members, so one missed day doesn't undo your progress. Capture everything Quick tasks, longer reflections, due dates, recurring routines, and tags — organised by quadrant so nothing feels like clutter. Designed with intention A clean, minimalist interface inspired by Japanese design — no clutter, no noise, just clarity. Ikigai Flow Premium unlocks: - Unlimited tasks and notes - Full monthly balance trends - AI-personalised kaizen insights - Streak Freeze - Export your notes and tasks as beautiful shareable cards - Cloud sync across devices Free to start. Upgrade anytime. Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings. Terms of Service: https://tedbuilds.tech/ikigaitos Privacy Policy: https://tedbuilds.tech/ikigaiprivacy WHAT'S NEW (this version, max 4000 characters) This update is about making your progress actually mean something. - New: Weekly Ikigai Balance card shows which part of your life needs attention - New: AI-personalised kaizen tips (Apple Intelligence, Premium) - New: Automatic quadrant suggestions as you type - New: Streak Freeze for Premium members - New: Export any note or task as a shareable image - New: 3 new achievements - Redesigned Tasks screen — grouped by quadrant, swipe to complete or delete, real tap-to-complete checkboxes - Redesigned Notes screen — filter by quadrant, cleaner cards - Various fixes and polish By signing up to Ikigai Flow, you are agreeing to the EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Kaizen at every 2 weeks against Ikigai Flow's every 3 months. Kaizen also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.4). 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
Both are free to download. Kaizen sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Ikigai Flow sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Kaizen ships an update every 2 weeks, Ikigai Flow every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kaizen | Ikigai Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 18.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MK Development | Lawrence Murdoch |
In-app purchases
Kaizen
- Premium (monthly)14 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Premium (yearly)14 Days trial$39.991 Year
Ikigai Flow
- Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
- Annual Subscription$24.991 Year









