Comparison

FocusCost vs Loops

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

Head to head
About

FocusCost

Features
Read full description

FocusCost is a Pomodoro timer that reveals the hidden cost of interruptions. Most timer apps count the minutes you spend focused. FocusCost counts what you lose when you don't. Every time you leave the app during a focus session, FocusCost logs it as an interruption. It tracks how long you were away, how long it takes to recover, and shows you exactly how much deep work time you're giving up to distractions. HOW IT WORKS Set your focus duration, break length, and number of cycles. Start a session and the timer runs automatically through your focus-break loops. Leave the app during focus, and FocusCost catches it — logging the interruption and tracking your recovery time when you return. TWO TIMER STYLES Choose between a Circular Progress Ring that depletes as time passes, or a Flip Clock with smooth digit-by-digit animations inspired by classic mechanical clocks. Switch between styles anytime, even mid-session. FOCUS PROTECTION During a focus session, leaving the app is treated as breaking focus. When you return, a recovery overlay shows how long you were away, explains the cognitive cost of context switching, and lets you consciously resume. This intentional friction makes the cost of distraction visible. BUILT-IN BROWN NOISE Toggle on procedurally generated brown noise during focus periods to help you concentrate. A subtle tick-tock sound plays during breaks. Transition sounds and haptic feedback keep you aware of session changes without looking at the screen. ANALYTICS THAT MATTER See your productivity data across three time periods — Today, This Week, and All Time. • Focus vs. Interruption ratio — how much of your session time was real deep work • Context Switch trends — are your interruptions improving or getting worse? • Recovery Cost — total time lost to getting back on track, expressed as lost Pomodoros • Session Stats — completion rate, total cycles, and your longest focused session • Weekly bar chart — daily focus time at a glance with streak indicators STREAK TRACKING Build a daily streak by completing at least one session per day. A color-coded progress ring tracks your streak toward a 30-day milestone. Stay consistent and watch your streak grow. SESSION HISTORY Review your last 20 sessions grouped by date. Expand any session to see detailed breakdowns — cycle progress, each individual interruption with its away and recovery times, and a focus quality score. FULLY CONFIGURABLE • Focus duration: 5–120 minutes • Break duration: 1–30 minutes • Cycles: 1–10 per session • Auto or manual transitions between focus and break • Sound, vibration, and brown noise toggles • Override silent mode option DESIGNED FOR FOCUS • Clean, minimal interface with no clutter • Dark mode support • Portrait and landscape layouts • VoiceOver accessible • Screen stays awake during active sessions • Zero third-party dependencies — your data stays on your device FocusCost doesn't just time your work. It shows you where your focus actually goes.

About

Loops

Features
Read full description

I think a lot. You probably do too. Loops is a notebook to help you think. It won't answer, remind you, or connect things. It holds your reasoning until you come back. Writing something feels like learning it. The friction is the point. THE COLD OPEN Come back to a Loop you've left alone for a week or more and the composer is withheld. You get the day count, the last thing you wrote, and your open prediction with three answers: it held, it didn't, still open. Only then do you get to write. CARRY ONE WITH YOU Put a question in your pocket and it moves to your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island for as long as you're chewing on it. When the answer turns up on a walk or in the shower, tap it and you're writing before the thought is gone. THINGS DIE Every Loop shows how cold it is and fades as it goes. Untouched for sixty days and it archives itself. If it mattered, open it again. YOUR REASONING CAN LEAVE Copy any loop out as Markdown — the question, why it mattered, the whole trail, every prediction and how it turned out. Straight into any notes app, or as a file. WHAT IT DELIBERATELY WON'T DO No AI. No suggested connections. No daily review. No streaks. No notifications. No account, no sync, no analytics. Totally FREE.

Screenshots

FocusCost4 screens
Loops4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Loops at 18.0 against FocusCost's 26.2. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FocusCost ships an update weekly, Loops every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
FocusCost versus Loops: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocusCostLoops
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.218.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAmin Ur RehmanJames Jackson

In-app purchases

None

FocusCost

No in-app purchases

None

Loops

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FocusCost free?
FocusCost is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Loops free?
Loops is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do FocusCost or Loops have ads?
Neither FocusCost nor Loops shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FocusCost or Loops?
FocusCost ships an update weekly, and Loops every 10 days. Most recently, FocusCost was updated on October 25, 2026 and Loops on October 24, 2026.

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