Spicy Focus vs Tendril Mindmap
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Spicy Focus
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Spicy Focus - Science-Based Timer for ADHD Brains Every feature in Spicy Focus is grounded in peer-reviewed ADHD neuroscience. Not productivity advice repackaged with a "for ADHD" label โ actual research. Here's what's inside and why. FREE FEATURES Smart Duration Recommendations ("Focus Calibration") ADHD brains literally cannot predict their own focus capacity โ that's time blindness (Barkley, 2015). And choosing from 7 duration options triggers decision paralysis (Baumeister's decision fatigue research). Spicy Focus learns from your history โ energy levels, completion rates, time of day, activity labels โ and auto-selects the duration you're most likely to complete. It nudges you up when you're on a streak (adaptive difficulty from game design) and pulls back when you're struggling. You can always override it. But you'll rarely need to. "Just 5 Minutes" Micro-Commitment ADHD brains need 2-3x more dopamine stimulation to initiate tasks (Volkow et al., NIDA PET imaging study). The 5-minute rule is the #1 clinician-recommended technique for overcoming initiation paralysis. Commit to 5 minutes. When it's up, you choose: extend or stop. Research shows 80%+ continue past the initial commitment. Session Intentions Vague goals are executive dysfunction's worst enemy. Research on implementation intentions (Gollwitzer, 1999) shows that specifying exactly what you'll do โ "I will write the intro paragraph" โ dramatically increases follow-through. Set one concrete task before each session. Check it off when you're done. Hyperfocus Nudge 68% of adults with ADHD report frequent hyperfocus episodes (Ashinoff & Abu-Akel, 2021). The optional Focus Nudge gently reminds you to stretch, drink water, or rest your eyes without interrupting your flow. Ambient Soundscapes A 2024 meta-analysis found that ambient noise has a statistically significant benefit for ADHD focus (effect size g=0.249, p=0.0001) โ but a negative effect on neurotypical brains. The benefit is ADHD-specific (Soderlund, Sikstrom & Smart, 2007). Also free: countdown timer, stopwatch mode, energy tracking, session history, and dark mode. SPICY FOCUS PRO - $4.99 (with 7-day free trial) Unlock the full toolkit: - Insights dashboard with focus trends, heatmaps, and energy correlation charts - Focus streaks with Grace Days โ your streak won't break if you miss a day, because shame-based systems backfire for ADHD brains (backed by RSD research) - Daily goals with flexible tracking - Pomodoro mode with customizable intervals - XP and leveling system for long-term motivation - Premium soundscapes - Personal records and streak calendar Every feature cites its research in the in-app Science section. 366 million adults worldwide have ADHD. This app was built for you.
Tendril Mindmap
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Tendril is a focused, beautiful radial mind map builder. Grow your ideas like vines, branching outward from a single root. A calm cream canvas, soft leafy palette, and direct-manipulation gestures โ no folders, no toolbars stuffed with options, no ads. KEY FEATURES โข Canvas-rendered radial tree with smooth curved edges โข Drag any node to reposition it anywhere on the canvas โข Per-node color and SF Symbol icon for visual structure โข Pinch to zoom, drag to pan around large maps โข Multiple saved mindmaps, organized in a clean Library grid โข Long-press a node to drag and rearrange your hierarchy โข Undo your last layout change in one tap โข Reset view to recenter on your root node DESIGNED FOR THINKING Whether you are outlining a project, sketching a story arc, planning a trip, or untangling a problem, Tendril stays out of the way and just keeps your ideas connected. PRIVACY No tracking. No accounts. Your mindmaps live on your device.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tendril Mindmap at none against Spicy Focus's 1. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
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
Both are free to download. Spicy Focus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Tendril Mindmap asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Spicy Focus | Tendril Mindmap |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No โ better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad โ better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sina Sima | Linh Phan Nhat Khanh |
In-app purchases
Spicy Focus
- Spicy Focus Pro$4.99
Tendril Mindmap
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Spicy Focus free?
Is Tendril Mindmap free?
Do Spicy Focus or Tendril Mindmap have ads?
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