Comparison

Kaizen vs MinuteCue

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

Head to head
About

Kaizen

Features
Read full description

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: • Your apps are blocked during focus sessions and open again on your break • Block now: block them right away, until you turn it off • The block stays in place even if Kaizen is closed • An optional "Open anyway" button: you set how often, how long to wait, and for how long • Block up to 3 apps or websites free • Premium: up to 50 apps, plus Strict mode (stays blocked when you pause) and Locked mode (after the first minute the session can't be skipped or ended, 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 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 • 60+ 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

About

MinuteCue

Features
Read full description

MinuteCue turns abstract minutes into something you can see. A calm, shrinking ring shows exactly how much time is left — no mental math, no squinting at tiny digits. Whether you're a student budgeting study blocks, a parent helping a child transition between activities, a therapist timing a session, or a remote worker pacing deep-work sprints, MinuteCue keeps you on track without adding noise to your day. DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE • At home — chore timers, screen-time limits, and wind-down routines your kids can read at a glance. • At school — transition timers, quiet time, and group-activity pacing. • At work — Pomodoro sessions, meeting caps, and focused deep-work blocks. • For accessibility — a visual cue for learners with ADHD, autism, or anyone who finds numeric clocks hard to read. THREE VISUAL MODES, ONE CALM AESTHETIC • Halo Ring — a circular ring that smoothly drains down. • Sweep Arc — a fan-shaped arc that quietly disappears. • Calm Bar — a horizontal bar for a steady, predictable feel. All three use a soft Teal & Sand palette — low saturation, high contrast, easy on the eyes in any lighting. WORKS WITH YOUR APPLE GEAR • iPhone & iPad — the home base, with Live Activities on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. • Apple Watch — set a timer with a twist of the Digital Crown, feel the haptic on completion. • Home Screen widgets — see the running timer or launch a favorite preset instantly. FREE TO START Run a single visual timer, save a handful of presets, and use widgets and Live Activities. No account, no daily-use limits — the free tier is ad-supported. MINUTECUE PREMIUM A monthly auto-renewing subscription that unlocks: • No ads — enjoy a distraction-free MinuteCue. • Routines — chain multi-step timers (study → break → study) with repeats and loops. • Unlimited custom presets — save every timer you actually use. • Focus statistics — a daily bar chart and 30-day history of completed sessions. • Daily Focus Review — a gentle summary of how your day went. • iCloud sync — presets, routines, and stats follow you across every Apple device. Subscription auto-renews monthly. Manage or cancel anytime in iOS Settings → your name → Subscriptions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Kaizen4 screens
MinuteCue4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Kaizen at none against MinuteCue's shown. MinuteCue's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Kaizen sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and MinuteCue sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kaizen ships an update every 2 weeks, MinuteCue every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Kaizen versus MinuteCue: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKaizenMinuteCue
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMK Developmentbyeonghoon seo

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Kaizen

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (monthly)14 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium (yearly)14 Days trial$44.991 Year
1 purchases

MinuteCue

Subscriptions1
  • MinuteCue Premium$0.991 Month

Questions

Is Kaizen free?
Kaizen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MinuteCue free?
MinuteCue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Kaizen or MinuteCue have ads?
MinuteCue shows ads; Kaizen does not.
Which is updated more often, Kaizen or MinuteCue?
Kaizen ships an update every 2 weeks, and MinuteCue every 4 days. Most recently, Kaizen was updated on October 16, 2026 and MinuteCue on September 30, 2026.

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