Comparison

Focus vs Shadow Work

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

Head to head
About

Focus

Features
Read full description

One app. One price. Zero distractions. Focus is a simple attention training app with 3 science-backed exercises designed to strengthen your ability to concentrate. Pay once — no subscriptions, no ads, no in-app purchases. Ever. WHAT YOU GET Focus Lock — Sustain attention on a single target while distractions try to pull you away. Train the ability to stay locked in. Inhibition Test — Respond quickly to targets while resisting the urge to react to distractors. Build impulse control and selective attention. Rhythm Tap — Maintain a steady rhythm by tapping in time. Practice sustained concentration and internal timing. Each exercise is grounded in cognitive science research on attention, inhibition, and working memory. WHY FOCUS WORKS Most focus apps are just timers. Focus actually trains the cognitive skills behind attention: · Selective attention — filtering out what doesn't matter · Sustained attention — staying on task without drifting · Inhibitory control — resisting impulses and distractions Sessions take 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Short enough to fit anywhere in your day. Challenging enough to actually improve your focus over time. BUILT FOR DAILY PRACTICE · Streak tracking keeps you consistent · Adjustable difficulty grows with you · Clean, minimal design — zero distractions · Accessibility-first: VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, high contrast ONE PRICE. NO TRICKS. Focus is a one-time purchase. You pay once and get everything. No free tier with annoying upsells. No subscription to cancel. No ads. Just the full app, forever. DESIGNED FOR · Students who need better study focus · Professionals who struggle with distractions at work · Anyone who feels their attention span has gotten shorter · People looking for a simple, no-nonsense brain training tool Focus is intentionally simple. Three exercises. Daily practice. Real improvement. Download once. Own forever. Start training your focus today.

About

Shadow Work

This app offers a structured journaling experience based on Jungian psychology to explore hidden aspects of yourself. It guides you through stages of self-discovery, integration, and self-actualization with written prompts and body awareness exercises. All your entries are stored privately on your device.

Highlights
  • 25 structured sessions across 3 stages
  • Shadow Archetype and Exile reveal
  • Trigger & Glimmer tracker
  • The Mirror reflection tool
  • Grounding breathwork and body check-ins
  • Private, device-only journaling
  • Progress tracking and daily streaks
Features
Read full description

Shadow Forge is a structured shadow work journal built on Jungian psychology. Not a mood tracker. Not a gratitude log. A guided descent into the parts of yourself you've been ignoring, judging, or hiding from the world. HOW IT WORKS Shadow Forge divides your inner work into 3 stages and 25 sessions: Stage 1 - Shadow: 7 sessions Meet the parts you cast away. Explore your projections, your triggers, and the qualities you deny in yourself. Ends with your Shadow Archetype reveal - and the Exile it has been protecting. Stage 2 - Integration: 10 sessions Stop fighting what you found. Learn to own the shadow instead of being owned by it. Stage 3 - Self: 8 sessions The work becomes who you are. Live from a more complete version of yourself. WHAT EACH SESSION INCLUDES - A grounding ritual to prepare the container - 3 written prompts designed to surface what hides beneath the surface - A body check-in to locate emotion as sensation - Everything stored privately on your device THE FIRST STAGE IS FREE Complete all 7 sessions of Stage 1 at no cost. Unlock Stage 2 and Stage 3 with a monthly or annual subscription. YOUR JOURNAL. NO ONE READS IT BUT YOU. Every response is stored locally on your device. No account. No cloud. No server ever receives your entries. FEATURES - 25 structured sessions across 3 stages - Shadow Archetype reveal, plus an Exile card - the wound your Archetype has been protecting - Trigger & Glimmer tracker - log what drains you and what lifts you, see the pattern over 14 days - The Mirror - a 5-question reflection that reveals your relationship pattern, synthesized with your Shadow Archetype - Grounding breathwork before each session - Body awareness check-in - Private journal - device only, no cloud - Progress tracking across all sessions - Daily streak - Grounding exercise available anytime - 11 languages supported Privacy Policy: https://enginaytekin.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Focus4 screens
Shadow Work4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Shadow Work at Free against Focus's $4.99. Shadow Work also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). Focus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Shadow Work is free to download; Focus costs $4.99 up front. Shadow Work sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Focus asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Focus ships an update every 5 months, Shadow Work fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Focus versus Shadow Work: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocusShadow Work
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB55 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperYingwen WangEngin Aytekin

In-app purchases

None

Focus

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Shadow Work

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Focus free?
Focus costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shadow Work free?
Shadow Work is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Focus or Shadow Work have ads?
Neither Focus nor Shadow Work shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Focus or Shadow Work?
Focus ships an update every 5 months, and Shadow Work fortnightly. Most recently, Focus was updated on October 8, 2026 and Shadow Work on October 13, 2026.

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