# Focustown vs Swim Away

The clearest difference is ads: Swim Away at none against Focustown's shown. Swim Away also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 77%). Focustown's advantage is ratings volume (9K vs 8) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Focustown sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Swim Away sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Focustown against 4.9 for Swim Away. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Focustown has 9K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Focustown's written reviews are positive against 100% of Swim Away's.

Focustown ships an update daily, Swim Away every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Focustown | Swim Away |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focustown-pomodoro-timer/id6758457625/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swim-away-reduce-screen-time/id6761780929/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Daily** | Every 3 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.1 GB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.2 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Second Round Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1818164945) | [PMARC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891429832) |

## What reviewers say

### Focustown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focustown-pomodoro-timer/id6758457625)

This app provides a virtual study environment where users can focus alongside others globally in cozy, low-poly settings. Earn in-app currency to customize your avatar and stay motivated through shared focus sessions.

**Highlights:** Cozy study environments, Study with real people globally, Earn coins and customize avatar, Study with friends, Built-in focus timer

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Foucstown Pro Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Foucstown Pro Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Foucstown Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Foucstown Pro Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Foucstown Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Foucstown Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Foucstown Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pocketful Golden Beans | $0.99 | one-time |
| Purchase Coffee Boost | $0.99 | one-time |
| Single Coffee Boost | $0.99 | one-time |
| Handful of Golden Beans | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sack of Golden Beans | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Brown Beans | $3.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Golden Beans | $3.99 | one-time |
| Super Boost Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sack of Golden Beans | $3.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Brown Beans | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cart of Brown Beans | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Golden Beans | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Golden Beans | $19.99 | one-time |
| Cart of Golden Beans | $39.99 | one-time |


### Swim Away

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swim-away-reduce-screen-time/id6761780929)

This app offers a suite of tools designed to help users reduce their screen time. It features gamified challenges, app blocking, focus timers, mini-games, educational content, and a pixel art editor, all within a relaxing pixel-art aesthetic.

**Highlights:** Gamified screen time challenges, NFC-based app blocking, Pomodoro-style focus timer, Pixel-art mini-games, Ocean-themed educational content, Pixel art editor for custom mascots

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Stars | $0.99 | one-time |
| 600 Stars | $4.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Stars | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Focustown free?

Focustown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Swim Away free?

Swim Away is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Focustown or Swim Away?

Swim Away is rated higher. Focustown averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9K ratings, while Swim Away averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do Focustown or Swim Away have ads?

Focustown shows ads; Swim Away does not.

### Which is updated more often, Focustown or Swim Away?

Focustown ships an update daily, and Swim Away every 3 days. Most recently, Focustown was updated on November 1, 2026 and Swim Away on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*