Comparison

FocusMaxing vs JotScreen

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

Head to head
About

FocusMaxing

Read full description

Procrastinating - why not start FocusMaxing instead? A premium, action-oriented tool for overcoming procrastination when stuck. The app's goal is to give you everything you need to start what you have to do right now, and limit the amount of pain on the way there. It seeks to create a sense of real motivation when dealing with tasks that are GENUINELY AWFUL, and have ZERO INHERENT VALUE, like COOKING, CLEANING, and STUDYING. Zone Management (developed in-house; for time blindness), Start AI (to learn about yourself), Tri-timer (developed in-house; for task-state management), and much more to help you get going with what you want to do! “I just need to start… why can’t I start?” “It will take 5 minutes… why am I still not doing it?” “I’ve been scrolling for 3 hours feeling guilty the entire time. -Let´s scroll some more” “I’ll start at 14:00… oh it’s 14:03. I’ll wait until 15:00- but then i´m going” “The whole day just disappeared.” “There are 20 things to do, but i can´t pick one.” *For students:* “I´ll do it in the evening, i´ll have more energy then…” “I should sleep, but I can’t put my phone down.” “I wasted the whole day again.” “Let´s scroll some more…” FocusMaxing: - Tool to help you get going there and then, as well as manage time-blindness in the longer term. - You´ll see exactly how long to focus before you should feel good about yourself. - You know how much is enough - You know when you’re done. You do not need to feel bad for what you did not do, the Zones lets you recalibrate. - Works immediately, nothing to learn - Built for real life - Built for when your brain doesn’t want to Other features list (for complete list, see the app) - Decision wheel (Innovated by FocusMaxing - helps when overthinking) - Simple breathing reset (may reduce overwhelm) - SMS tool (Schedule your own SMS reminders) - Habit Stacking (helps with habits) FocusMaxing is for you if: You struggle to start, even when you care and want to start. You had the whole day planned out but are experiencing zero-days. You get stuck switching between tasks. You’ve tried everything else. FocusMaxing is NOT for you if: You are not struggling with severe procrastination. You are just looking for a better to-do list, task/calendar system, or time blocking. You are not often left to yourself to deal with boring, unforgiving tasks. The result of FocusMaxing: - You may get more drive the from synthetic motivation. - You get more done in a day (easier to not have time fly away) - You may fetch long term positives from the increased efficiency daily, and/or if you got help getting unstuck when you were stuck. Subscription: - No lock-ins, easy to cancel. Available through support +47 99 88 41 73. - The app supports a free tier in 2026. For subscriptions: USD 30–40/month. Download today and start FocusMaxing instantly. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

JotScreen

Transform your screen into a dynamic wall of colorful sticky notes for jotting down thoughts, sketching ideas, or tracking tasks. Organize notes with boards, pin important items, and enjoy instant search. Built for privacy with all data stored locally.

Highlights
  • Digital sticky notes
  • Freehand drawing with Apple Pencil
  • Checklist task tracking
  • Home Screen widgets
  • Markdown support for text notes
  • Organize notes into boards
  • Privacy-focused, local storage
Features
Read full description

JotScreen turns your screen into a wall of colorful sticky notes. Jot down thoughts, sketch ideas with Apple Pencil, or track tasks with checklists all in a beautiful, tactile interface that feels like real paper. Your ideas, beautifully organized Create notes in 12 vibrant colors and organize them into boards. Pin your most important stickies to the top, mark favorites, and find anything instantly with Spotlight search. Three ways to capture - Plain text with markdown support - Freehand drawings with Apple Pencil or finger - Checklists with progress tracking Home Screen widgets Pin a sticky to your Home Screen, see recent notes at a glance, or add new notes with a single tap — without even opening the app. Built for privacy Everything stays on your device. No accounts, no cloud, no tracking. Your notes are yours alone. Premium unlocks everything The free tier gives you 10 notes, 4 colors, and 1 board. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited notes, all 12 colors, drawings, checklists, unlimited boards, and premium widgets. Terms of Use: https://jotscreen.sabio.studio/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://jotscreen.sabio.studio/privacy.html

Screenshots

FocusMaxing4 screens
JotScreen4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: JotScreen at none against FocusMaxing's shown. FocusMaxing's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. FocusMaxing sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $30.99 per month and JotScreen sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FocusMaxing ships an update every 2 weeks, JotScreen every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 11, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
FocusMaxing versus JotScreen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocusMaxingJotScreen
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB4 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperStart ASSABIO LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

FocusMaxing

Subscriptions2
  • MyFocusPal Pro7 Days trial$30.991 Month
  • FocusMaxing Pro14 Days trial$31.992 Months
3 purchases

JotScreen

Subscriptions2
  • JotScreen Premium (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • JotScreen Premium (Yearly)$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • JotScreen Premium Purchase$39.99

Questions

Is FocusMaxing free?
FocusMaxing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is JotScreen free?
JotScreen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FocusMaxing or JotScreen have ads?
FocusMaxing shows ads; JotScreen does not.
Which is updated more often, FocusMaxing or JotScreen?
FocusMaxing ships an update every 2 weeks, and JotScreen every 6 weeks. Most recently, FocusMaxing was updated on August 11, 2026 and JotScreen on September 8, 2026.

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