Deepflow Focus Timer vs Small Start
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Deepflow Focus Timer
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Deepflow combines a flexible Pomodoro focus timer with automatic app and website blocking so you can lock into deep work faster and stay there longer. FOCUS TIMER FEATURES ⢠Customizable Pomodoro sessions with work/break cycles ⢠Automatic app and website blocking during focus time ⢠Sync sessions across iPhone, iPad, and Mac ⢠Track streaks, goals, and total focus minutes ⢠Flexible timer lengths for study, work, or ADHD-friendly routines APP & WEBSITE BLOCKER ⢠Block distracting apps and websites automatically ⢠Pre-made filters for Social Media, Entertainment, Adult Content ⢠Create custom blocklists for different projects ⢠Schedule digital detox windows for mornings and evenings ⢠Blocklists sync across all your devices SCHEDULED SESSIONS ⢠Plan recurring focus sessions by day and time ⢠Pre-made templates for morning routines, study blocks, and work sprints ⢠Set automatic break reminders to prevent burnout ⢠Build consistent deep work habits with calendar integration FOCUS INSIGHTS ⢠Visualize daily, weekly, and monthly focus patterns ⢠Track completed sessions and distraction-free minutes ⢠Monitor streaks to stay motivated ⢠Celebrate wins and identify your most productive hours Perfect for students protecting study time, remote professionals reducing digital overwhelm, and anyone building a healthier relationship with technology.
Small Start
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An ADHD brain fights lists. That is exactly why routines are so hard to keep. Small Start shows you one step at a time. Not a checklist you have to re-read, not twelve boxes waiting to be ticked ā one step, one timer, one big Done button. When it's finished, the next one appears. WHY IT WORKS ⢠One step on screen to focus on. The list is the problem, so it stays hidden. ⢠Every step gets a timer, so time stops being invisible. ⢠The timer runs on real clock time. Lock your phone, take a call, come back ā it never drifts. ⢠Every step chimes when it ends, with Done and +1 minute right there ā the phone can stay on the shelf while you brush your teeth. ⢠Skip and +1 minute are always there. A routine that can't bend gets abandoned. REMINDERS THAT DON'T BECOME WALLPAPER Most apps send the same notification forever until you switch them off. Small Start rotates through more than a dozen messages, so it never becomes background noise. And if you ignore three in a row, it doesn't nag harder ā it changes the subject and asks whether the time is wrong, then offers to move the reminder or turn it off. Your 7:00 alarm was never going to work if you're never awake at 7:00. IT STARTS WITHOUT YOU OPENING THE APP Opening an app is the same problem as starting a routine, so it doesn't insist. ⢠A home-screen widget starts today's routine at step one, in one tap ⢠The running step counts down on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island ⢠Apple Watch: start, finish a step or add a minute from your wrist ⢠Ask Siri, or let a Shortcuts automation start it when your alarm goes off STREAKS THAT DON'T PUNISH YOU Missing today doesn't break your streak until the day is actually over, and a missed day is shown as a day, not a failure. A habit survives one of those. No red, no guilt, no "you've lost your progress". Half a routine counts as half, not as nothing: get through at least half the steps and the day still counts. And if you walk away mid-routine, the app offers to pick it back up where you left off. BUILT FOR PRIVACY No account. No sign-up. No email. No ads, ever. Your routines, steps and history stay on your phone ā never uploaded anywhere. Your data can also leave with you. One tap exports every routine, step and completion to a file you keep, so a new phone doesn't cost you your setup. WHAT YOU GET ⢠Three ready-made routines to start in one tap ā Morning, Evening Wind-down, Getting Out the Door ā all editable ⢠Unlimited routines and steps of your own ⢠Step lengths from 30 seconds to 90 minutes, or the one-tap presets ⢠Per-routine schedules, weekday-by-weekday ⢠Streaks, completion rates, a calendar of your days, and the pattern of which weekdays actually work for you ⢠Measured step lengths, so the plan matches how long it really takes ⢠Export and import, so your routines and history are yours to keep ⢠Light and dark themes TRY THE WHOLE THING FOR 14 DAYS Everything is unlocked for 14 days. No card, no account, nothing to cancel ā we never asked for a payment method, so we cannot charge you by accident. After that you decide, once. There's a pay-once option if you never want to think about a subscription again. Small Start is a timer and a routine keeper for adults living with ADHD. It isn't a medical device and doesn't diagnose or treat anything ā it's built by and for people who find starting hard. Small Start Premium is available as a yearly subscription ($19.99/year) or a monthly subscription ($3.99/month). A one-time Lifetime purchase ($29.99) is also available and never renews. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your Apple ID account settings after purchase. Terms of Use: https://unverfirat.github.io/fireflysoftware/smallstart/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://unverfirat.github.io/fireflysoftware/smallstart/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Deepflow Focus Timer at none against Small Start's 3. Small Start's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Small Start sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Deepflow Focus Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Deepflow Focus Timer ships an update every 4 months, Small Start fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Deepflow Focus Timer | Small Start |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Fortnightly ā better |
| Ads | Yes | No ā better |
| In-app purchases | No ā better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 ā better |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Deepflow Labs LLC | Ali Firat Unver |
In-app purchases
Deepflow Focus Timer
No in-app purchases
Small Start
- Monthly$3.991 Month
- Yearly$19.991 Year
- Lifetime$29.99
Questions
Is Deepflow Focus Timer free?
Is Small Start free?
Do Deepflow Focus Timer or Small Start have ads?
Which is updated more often, Deepflow Focus Timer or Small Start?
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