Comparison

First Step vs Focusly

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

Head to head
About

First Step

Features
Read full description

First Step helps you start tasks you've been putting off by making them tiny. Tell the app what's on your mind, and AI breaks it into small, concrete steps you can actually do. No planning required. Just begin. BUILT FOR HOW YOUR BRAIN WORKS Big tasks feel impossible. First Step turns them into 2-3 minute actions so small they feel easy. "Clean my room" becomes "pick up 3 things from the floor." That's it. One step at a time. GENTLE FOCUS SESSIONS Tap Start Focus and work through your steps with a calm timer. No pressure, no guilt. You can stop after 2 minutes โ€” or keep going. Most people keep going. AI DAILY SCHEDULING Check in each morning and get a gentle schedule that matches your energy. Too much? Shuffle it. Still too much? Ask for just one thing. Your day, your pace. BRAIN DUMP When your head is full, just talk or type everything out. AI sorts the mess into clear, actionable tasks. One tap to add them to your inbox. TASK WEAVE Working on multiple things? Select 2-5 tasks and AI weaves them into one smart session, finding natural transition points between steps. ROUTINES Group tasks into repeatable routines...morning routine, weekly cleanup, whatever works for you. Start a routine and move through each task in order. APPLE WATCH Your steps follow you. Start a focus session on your wrist, complete steps with a tap, and stay in flow without pulling out your phone. WORKS OFFLINE Create tasks, complete steps, and run focus sessions without internet. Everything syncs when you're back online. WHAT YOU GET WITH FIRST STEP PRO โ€ข AI task breakdown into small, doable steps โ€ข Daily schedule that matches your energy โ€ข Brain Dump with voice and text capture โ€ข Task Weave for multi-task sessions โ€ข Gentle focus timer with no-pressure exit โ€ข Apple Watch companion app โ€ข Widgets for your home and lock screen โ€ข Unlimited tasks and routines Try free for 7 days. Cancel anytime. Privacy matters: your task content is processed by AI only to generate steps and schedules. No personal data is used for training. See our privacy policy for details. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Focusly

Features
Read full description

Focusly is a routine and task planner designed for ADHD brains โ€” not neurotypical to-do lists. If starting a task feels impossible, Focusly breaks it down until the first step feels easy. HOW FOCUSLY HELPS YOU FOCUS โ€ข Break it down โ€” split any task into small, doable steps. Don't know how? Our AI breaks it down for you in seconds. โ€ข One step at a time โ€” Focusly shows you the single next step, so you never feel overwhelmed by the whole list. โ€ข Gentle reminders โ€” set a time for each step and get nudged at the right moment, not nagged. โ€ข Stay on track โ€” review your tasks and completion times to see what's working and build momentum. WHY ADHD BRAINS LOVE IT Focusly is built around how ADHD actually works: less overwhelm, smaller steps, and clear structure for your day. It helps you focus on completing tasks with calm, not pressure. FOCUSLY PRO Unlock the full experience with Focusly Pro: โ€ข Unlimited routines and steps โ€ข AI task breakdown โ€ข Pattern insights and a visual daily timeline โ€ข Home screen widget SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Focusly Pro is an auto-renewable subscription: โ€ข Yearly โ€” $29.99/year (includes a 7-day free trial) โ€ข Monthly โ€” $4.99/month Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://nguyenvankhoecs50.github.io/focusly-legal/privacy.html

Screenshots

First Step4 screens
Focusly4 screens

Verdict

The call

First Step and Focusly are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. First Step sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Focusly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
First Step versus Focusly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst StepFocusly
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyโ€”Every 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size22 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPraise ApataVIET NAM JINGLE SOFTWARE

In-app purchases

2 purchases

First Step

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Access7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Yearly Access$29.991 Year
2 purchases

Focusly

Subscriptions2
  • Focusly Pro โ€” Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Focusly Pro โ€” Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is First Step free?
First Step is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Focusly free?
Focusly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do First Step or Focusly have ads?
Neither First Step nor Focusly shows ads.

Other comparisons