Comparison

Dopamine Detox vs CineFocus

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

Head to head
About

Dopamine Detox

Features
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Your attention span dropped from 12 seconds to 8. You reach for your phone 150+ times a day. You can't finish a movie without checking Instagram. This dopamine detox timer helps you rawdog boredom and reclaim your focus. No meditation. No guidance. No content. Just you and your thoughts. "just sit there." is the anti-app. β€”β€”β€” WHAT IT DOES Nothing. That's the point. Set a timer. Put your phone face-down. Sit with your thoughts. That's it. Start with 15 minutes. Work up to an hour. Share your results. β€”β€”β€” WHY BOREDOM WORKS The rawdogging boredom movement isn't a memeβ€”it's backed by science. People are taking flights without entertainment, walking without podcasts, sitting without scrolling. What happens when you stop overstimulating your brain: dopamine receptors regenerate within 2 weeks, gray matter density increases in areas linked to focus, and creativity spikes during periods of stillness. The cure for overstimulation isn't better content. It's no content at all. β€”β€”β€” INTENTIONALLY MINIMAL Simple timer with no complicated settings. Session history to track your growing tolerance for stillness. Daily stats without gamification pressure. No audio, no music, no guidanceβ€”the silence is the feature. β€”β€”β€” IS THIS FOR YOU? You can't read a book chapter without checking your phone. You feel phantom vibrations. "Doing nothing" feels uncomfortable. You've tried meditation apps but they're just more content. You want to reclaim your attention span, not consume another wellness product. β€”β€”β€” THE 30-DAY CHALLENGE Days 1-3: Extreme discomfort and fidgeting. Days 4-7: Boredom peaks, anxiety spikes. Days 8-14: First glimpses of mental clarity. Days 15-21: New habits form. Days 22-30: Deep stillness emerges. Start with 5 minutes. You'll be surprised how hard it isβ€”and how transformative it becomes. β€”β€”β€” PRIVACY FIRST No account required. No data collection. No ads. No upsells to premium calm sounds. Your stillness is yours. β€”β€”β€” Download now. Put your phone down. Just sit there.

About

CineFocus

Features
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CineFocus turns deep work into a cinema ritual. Pick a session, take your seat, tear the ticket β€” and stay until the credits roll. A focus timer and app blocker for people who want a ritual, not another Pomodoro. Every session is a showing. Every completed session is a memory. Over time, your focus becomes your favorite habit. A FOCUS RITUAL UNLIKE ANY OTHER Choose your session length, pick your seat, select your focus type, and tear the movie ticket to begin. It's deep work, reimagined as cinema β€” a Pomodoro alternative that doesn't feel like a productivity spreadsheet. IMMERSIVE FOCUS ENVIRONMENTS Sit in a quiet theater. Park at the drive-in under the stars. Each environment is designed to pull you into flow state and keep distractions at the door. BLOCK THE NOISE Lock out social apps, games, and anything else that steals your attention. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit β€” silenced until the credits roll. Powered by Apple Screen Time. BUILT FOR HOW YOU FOCUS Deep Work β€” long, uninterrupted blocks for your hardest tasks Study β€” exam prep, reading, note-taking, test cramming Meditation β€” quiet, intentional sessions Reading β€” finish that book, one showing at a time Creative Flow β€” writing, designing, making Exercise β€” time-boxed movement TRACK YOUR SHOWINGS See your weekly runtime, daily streak, session count, and genre breakdown. Every session adds up. Every streak tells a story. Perfect for building a deep work habit that actually sticks. WIDGETS, LOCK SCREEN & STANDBY Glance at your current session from your Lock Screen, Home Screen, Dynamic Island, or StandBy. Live Activities keep your focus always in view. MADE FOR Students pulling all-nighters. Writers and designers chasing flow. Remote workers drowning in Slack. Readers reclaiming an hour with a book. Anyone with ADHD who needs a ritual, not a reminder. WHY CINEFOCUS IS DIFFERENT Other focus timers feel like chores. CineFocus feels like a ritual you look forward to. The ticket, the seat, the screen β€” small details that make deep focus something you actually want to do. No gamified guilt. No dying trees. No airport check-ins. Just you, in the best seat in the house. Turn your phone into a cinema. Turn your focus into a feature film. Get your ticket. Take your seat. The show starts when you do. Love CineFocus? Leave a review β€” it helps other focused people find us. - Subscription Plans: "CineFocus Premium (Annual Auto-Renewal)", "CineFocus Premium (Monthly Auto-Renewal)" - Subscription Type: Auto-renewable subscription - Subscription Price: $23.99 per year (annual auto-renewal) / $3.99 per month (monthly auto-renewal) - Cancel Subscription: To cancel your subscription, go to your iPhone Settings β†’ Apple Account β†’ Subscriptions, and select "CineFocus Premium" to cancel. If you do not cancel at least 24 hours before the subscription period ends, the subscription will automatically renew. - The Apple ID associated with the auto-renewable subscription will be charged in your App Store account 24 hours before each billing period ends to extend the subscription. Terms of Service (including subscription policies): https://cinefocus.netlify.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://cinefocus.netlify.app/privacy

Screenshots

Dopamine Detox4 screens
CineFocus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dopamine Detox at none against CineFocus's 4. CineFocus's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. CineFocus sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Dopamine Detox asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dopamine Detox ships an update every 8 days, CineFocus every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Dopamine Detox versus CineFocus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDopamine DetoxCineFocus
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 3 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.617.6 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size4 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBalazs Norbert HorvathAkarys Turganbekuly

In-app purchases

None

Dopamine Detox

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

CineFocus

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Plan$19.99
  • Lifetime Plan$34.99

Questions

Is Dopamine Detox free?
Dopamine Detox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CineFocus free?
CineFocus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dopamine Detox or CineFocus have ads?
Neither Dopamine Detox nor CineFocus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dopamine Detox or CineFocus?
Dopamine Detox ships an update every 8 days, and CineFocus every 3 days. Most recently, Dopamine Detox was updated on September 15, 2026 and CineFocus on June 5, 2026.

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