Comparison

Focustown vs grounded | mindful screen time

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

Head to head
About

Focustown

This app offers a virtual study environment where users can connect with others globally. Choose from cozy settings like cafes or libraries to focus alongside real people in real time, fostering accountability and motivation for students and professionals.

Highlights
  • Cozy study environments (cafes, libraries)
  • Study with real people globally
  • Earn coins and customize character
  • Study with friends for accountability
  • Built-in focus timer
Features
Read full description

Study with people from all over the world in a cozy low poly environment. Focustown helps you achieve your dreams one focus session at a time. Pick your vibe — a cozy cafe or a quiet library — and join a server where you can sit next to real people studying in real time. Whether you're a student grinding for exams or a working professional tackling your next big project, you're never alone on your journey. FEATURES: • Cozy Study Environments – Choose between beautifully designed cafes and libraries to set the perfect study mood. • Study With Real People – Join servers and focus alongside others from around the world in real time. • Earn Coins & Customize – Complete focus sessions to earn coins and decorate your character with fun accessories. • Study With Friends – Start sessions with your real friends and hold each other accountable. • Focus Timer – A built-in study timer to keep you on track and make every session count. Focustown was built to inspire millions of students and working professionals — reminding them that they're not alone in their journey to make a dent in this universe. Your dreams are worth every focus session. Start yours today. Similar apps include: Forest, Focus Tree, Flora, or Study Bunny Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

grounded | mindful screen time

This app offers a mindful approach to screen time by introducing brief awareness checks before you open distracting applications. It helps you regain control over your phone usage by prompting reflection rather than outright blocking.

Highlights
  • Pre-app awareness checks
  • Customizable app selection
  • Variety of reflection prompts
  • Time-limited app access
  • Gentle relationship with phone
  • Focus on awareness, not control
Features
Read full description

Stop reaching for distraction & start returning to yourself. Grounded transforms the moment you instinctively reach for your phone into a moment of awareness. Instead of falling into endless scrolling, you’re gently invited to breathe, check in, and reconnect with what you actually need. Meditate. Breathe. Reflect. Focus. Or simply decide your phone isn’t what you needed after all. Grounded helps you replace unconscious habits with intentional ones. & not through guilt or restriction, but through calm awareness Designed for people who want a slower, more mindful relationship with technology. — Inspired by the book Safe to Receive and the nervous system work behind it. — Subscription info Monthly: $8.99 USD/month Annual: $39.99 USD/year Subscriptions auto-renew through your Apple ID unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Manage or cancel anytime in iOS Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions. Questions? Reach out at support@fulfilledsoul.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://fulfilledsoul.com/privacy

Screenshots

Focustown4 screens
grounded | mindful screen time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: grounded | mindful screen time at none against Focustown's shown. grounded | mindful screen time also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 77%). Focustown's advantage is ratings volume (7.2K vs 10) and update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Focustown sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and grounded | mindful screen time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Focustown against 4.8 for grounded | mindful screen time. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Focustown has 7.2K ratings behind it against 10, 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 89% of grounded | mindful screen time's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Focustown ships an update every 2 days, grounded | mindful screen time weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Focustown versus grounded | mindful screen time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocustowngrounded | mindful screen time
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (7.2K ratings)4.8 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews76.8% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.2K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.2 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size903 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSecond Round Inc.Datrie Allman

Customer experience

Focustown

All ratings7,192 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews816 reviews
Positive76.8%
Neutral10.0%
Negative13.1%

grounded | mindful screen time

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

20 purchases

Focustown

Subscriptions6
  • Foucstown Pro Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Foucstown Pro Monthly3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Foucstown Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Foucstown Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
  • Foucstown Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Foucstown Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time14
  • Pocketful of Brown Beans$0.99
  • Pocketful Golden Beans$0.99
  • Purchase Coffee Boost$0.99
Show 11 more
  • Single Coffee Boost$0.99
  • Handful of Golden Beans$0.99
  • Sack of Golden Beans$2.99
  • Bag of Brown Beans$3.99
  • Bucket of Golden Beans$3.99
  • Super Boost Pack$3.99
  • Sack of Golden Beans$3.99
  • Bucket of Brown Beans$9.99
  • Cart of Brown Beans$9.99
  • Bucket of Golden Beans$9.99
  • Cart of Golden Beans$19.99
3 purchases

grounded | mindful screen time

Subscriptions2
  • Grounded Monthly$8.991 Month
  • Grounded Annual$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Grounded Lifetime$129.99

Questions

Is Focustown free?
Focustown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is grounded | mindful screen time free?
grounded | mindful screen time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Focustown or grounded | mindful screen time?
Focustown and grounded | mindful screen time are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7.2K and 10 ratings respectively.
Do Focustown or grounded | mindful screen time have ads?
Focustown shows ads; grounded | mindful screen time does not.
Which is updated more often, Focustown or grounded | mindful screen time?
Focustown ships an update every 2 days, and grounded | mindful screen time weekly. Most recently, Focustown was updated on October 2, 2026 and grounded | mindful screen time on September 22, 2026.

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