Focustown vs Chess Shield
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Focustown
This app offers a virtual co-working space with cozy, low-poly environments where users can study or work alongside others globally. It features customizable study rooms, a focus timer, and a system for earning in-app currency to decorate avatars. It aims to combat loneliness and boost productivity through shared focus sessions.
- Cozy study environments (cafe, library)
- Study with real people globally
- Earn coins and customize avatar
- Study with friends
- Built-in focus timer
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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/
Chess Shield
This app helps chess players improve by blocking distracting apps and replacing them with chess puzzles. Solve puzzles to advance your ELO and identify tactical weaknesses. It offers a free tier with basic features and a Pro version for advanced tactics and unlimited app blocking.
- Blocks distracting apps
- Replaces app opens with chess puzzles
- Puzzles matched to ELO
- Tracks ELO in real-time
- Tactical insights
- Unlimited puzzles (Free)
- Block multiple apps (Pro)
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For chess players who want to actually get better. Endless scrolling steals the hours you'd rather spend improving. Chess Shield blocks the apps that eat your chess time. Try to open one, and a puzzle takes over the screen. Solve it to get past. Every solve moves your ELO. HOW IT WORKS Pick the apps you reach for when you meant to study. Instagram, TikTok, X, whatever's eating you. When you try to open them, a puzzle takes over. Solve it to unlock the app for a few minutes. The puzzles match your level. Type your chess.com or Lichess ELO and we'll start there. Or skip the input and we'll test you with three puzzles. From then on, every puzzle is challenging enough to make you think, solvable enough that you'll get there. Insights show you which tactics keep tripping you up. Your ELO moves in real time on every solve. FREE INCLUDES – Unlimited puzzles, matched to your ELO – 6 starter tactics: Fork, Pin, Skewer, Mate-in-1, Mate-in-2, Back-rank – 1 shielded app – Full ELO tracking – Insights into what you solve and what you miss PRO UNLOCKS – All 52 advanced tactics. Mate-in-3, Discovered Attack, Zwischenzug, endgames. The full library, not just the starters. – See every blind spot. Insights unlocks every theme. Your full weakness map, no locked tiles. – Block every app you want, not just one. Plenty to start on Free. Pro is where you stop guessing what to study. 7-day free trial on the yearly plan. $4.99/month or $39.99/year. WHY IT'S DIFFERENT Most focus apps are guilt machines. Most chess apps want your scroll. Chess Shield does both jobs at once. Every minute in here is measurable progress, not just dopamine. If you've ever wished the time you waste scrolling could be real chess time, this is it. PRIVACY We don't collect anything. No accounts, no analytics, no backend. The apps you block are opaque tokens iOS hands us. We literally can't see them. Everything stays on your device. ——— Subscription details Chess Shield Pro is offered as a monthly ($4.99/month) or yearly ($39.99/year) auto-renewing subscription. The yearly plan includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. The subscription auto-renews unless turned off at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in iPhone Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://chessshield.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://chessshield.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Focustown at 77% against Chess Shield's 33%. Focustown also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.5) and update cadence (daily vs every 9 days). Chess Shield's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Focustown sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Chess Shield sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Focustown holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Focustown has 9.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Focustown's written reviews are positive against 33% of Chess Shield's.
Focustown ships an update daily, Chess Shield every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Focustown | Chess Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (9.1K ratings) — better | 3.5 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 77.0% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 9.1K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #198 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.2 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.1 GB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Second Round Inc. | Alejandro Trevino Saldana |
Customer experience
Focustown
Chess Shield
In-app purchases
Focustown
- Foucstown Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
- Foucstown Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
- Foucstown Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
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- Foucstown Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Foucstown Pro Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Starter Pack$0.99
- Pocketful Golden Beans$0.99
- Sack of Golden Beans$2.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Bucket of Golden Beans$9.99
- Bucket of Golden Beans$19.99
Chess Shield
- Chess Shield Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Chess Shield Pro$39.991 Year









