Comparison

Focus Grove vs Nerve

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

Head to head
About

Focus Grove

Features
Read full description

Focus Grove is a powerful Pomodoro timer and productivity app designed to help you stay focused, manage tasks, and build better daily habits. Whether you are studying for exams, working on important projects, or simply trying to avoid distractions, Focus Grove gives you the tools you need to stay productive and motivated. Using the proven Pomodoro Technique, Focus Grove divides your work into focused sessions followed by short breaks. This structured method helps improve concentration, reduce procrastination, and maintain high productivity throughout the day. But Focus Grove goes beyond a simple timer. It turns your focus sessions into a rewarding experience where your productivity helps grow your own virtual forest. Pomodoro Timer for Deep Focus Stay productive with an intuitive Pomodoro focus timer that lets you manage your work and break sessions easily. Switch between focus, break, and rest modes to maintain a healthy workflow while avoiding burnout. Customize your sessions to match your personal work style and stay on track throughout the day. Grow Your Focus Forest Every focus session helps grow your forest. Unlock and collect more than 10 unique tree species as you stay consistent with your work sessions. Watch your forest expand as your productivity improves and track the trees you have grown over time in the dedicated Forest area. Tasks and Countdown for Better Planning Organize your day with the built-in Tasks feature. Add, edit, and manage your tasks so you always know what to focus on next. Need to prepare for an important event or deadline? Use the Countdown feature to start custom countdown timers for exams, projects, meetings, or personal goals. Build Productive Habits Focus Grove helps you stay consistent with: • Daily streak tracking to maintain momentum• Level and XP system that rewards productivity• Customizable daily goals to keep you motivated Each completed session helps you gain experience and level up your focus journey. Track Your Progress Use the Statistics dashboard to track your productivity and see how your focus improves over time. Monitor completed sessions, daily progress, and long-term achievements to stay motivated. Stay Calm with Ambient Sounds Enhance your focus sessions with relaxing ambient sounds designed to create a distraction-free environment. These sounds help improve concentration while studying, working, or reading. Custom Themes and Personalization Focus Grove includes five beautiful theme colors so you can personalize your workspace and create a calm and enjoyable focus environment. Adjust timers, goals, and themes to match your workflow and productivity style. Extra Tools for Productivity Focus Grove also includes additional tools to help you manage time more effectively: • Stopwatch mode for flexible time tracking• Focus, Break, and Rest modes for balanced work sessions• Motivational daily quotes to keep you inspired• Customizable focus goals to build long-term habits Perfect for Students, Professionals, and Creators Focus Grove is ideal for anyone who wants to stay focused and productive: • Students preparing for exams• Professionals working on projects• Developers and creators needing deep focus Focus better. Grow your forest. Achieve more with Focus Grove - Pomodoro Timer. Subscriptions automatically renew each month 24-hours before the end of the current period and your iTunes account will be charged unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can turn off auto-renew any time from within the app. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription. You can find our terms of use and privacy policy at the following links. Privacy policy: http://inspectorstudios.com/privacypolicy Terms of service: https://www.inspectorstudios.com/termsofuse

About

Nerve

Transform unproductive app usage into a brain-training challenge. Answer logic puzzles and brainteasers to earn back access to blocked apps, with higher difficulty offering greater rewards and risk.

Highlights
  • App blocking via Apple Screen Time
  • 6 difficulty tiers with escalating rewards
  • Pick Your Risk and Gauntlet modes
  • Double-or-Nothing gambling mechanic
  • 1000 handcrafted brainteaser questions
  • ELO-inspired Brain Score tracking
  • Daily quests and achievements
Features
Read full description

Nerve turns screen time into a game of brains and risk. Block the apps you waste time on, then answer brainteaser questions to earn your screen time back. Harder questions unlock more time — if you have the nerve to try them. HOW IT WORKS Pick the apps you want to block. When you try to open one, Nerve challenges you with a brainteaser. Answer correctly and the app unlocks. Answer wrong and you're locked out on a cooldown. It's that simple. PICK YOUR RISK Choose from 6 difficulty tiers — Gimme, Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert, and Genius. Gimme questions earn you a few minutes. Genius questions earn you hours. But if you get it wrong, harder questions have shorter cooldowns while easier ones make you wait longer. Risk and reward, every time. DOUBLE OR NOTHING Got it right? Gamble your winnings on a harder question for double the screen time. Keep going until you cash out or lose it all. THE GAUNTLET Think you can go all the way? Start at Gimme and climb through all 6 tiers. Every correct answer adds time. One wrong answer and you stop — but you keep what you've earned. Complete all 6 for the ultimate payout. 1000 BRAINTEASER QUESTIONS Logic puzzles, lateral thinking, pattern recognition, wordplay, math tricks, spatial reasoning, number sense, sequencing, deduction, and visual puzzles. These aren't trivia — they're brainteasers designed to make you think. BRAIN SCORE Track your intellectual growth with an ELO-inspired rating system. Start at 1000 and climb through 7 ranks: Novice, Student, Scholar, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, and Genius. See your strengths and weaknesses across 10 question categories. DAILY QUESTS & ACHIEVEMENTS Three new quests every day to keep you on track. Earn streak multipliers for consecutive days. Unlock 20+ achievements as you progress. The more you play, the more screen time you earn per question. FEATURES - Block any app using Apple Screen Time - 6 difficulty tiers with escalating rewards - Pick Your Risk and Gauntlet challenge modes - Double-or-Nothing gambling mechanic - 1000 handcrafted brainteaser questions - 10 question categories - ELO-inspired Brain Score tracking - Daily quests with bonus rewards - 20+ unlockable achievements - Streak tracking with time multipliers - Per-category performance analytics - Weekly progress reports - Cooldown skip packs - Works entirely on-device — no account required SUBSCRIPTION Nerve requires a subscription. Plans: - Monthly: $7.99/month - Yearly: $34.99/year (save 63%, includes 3-day free trial) Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.bestdaylabs.com/nerve/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://www.bestdaylabs.com/nerve/terms.html Support: https://www.bestdaylabs.com/nerve/support.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Focus Grove4 screens
Nerve4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Nerve at Free against Focus Grove's $19.99. Nerve also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). Focus Grove's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On ads and in-app purchases 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

Nerve is free to download; Focus Grove costs $19.99 up front. Focus Grove sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month and Nerve sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Focus Grove ships an update monthly, Nerve every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Focus Grove versus Nerve: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocus GroveNerve
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating—4.9 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—15 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Subscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperINSPECTOR STUDIOS TEKNOLOJİ BİLİŞİM YAZILIM PAZARLAMA LİMİTED ŞİRKETİBest Day Labs, LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Focus Grove

Subscriptions1
  • Focus Grove Premium Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
5 purchases

Nerve

Subscriptions3
  • Nerve Weekly$0.997 Days
  • Nerve Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Nerve Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • Cooldown Skip Pack$0.99
  • Nerve Pro Lifetime$14.99

Questions

Is Focus Grove free?
Focus Grove costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Nerve free?
Nerve is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Focus Grove or Nerve have ads?
Neither Focus Grove nor Nerve shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Focus Grove or Nerve?
Focus Grove ships an update monthly, and Nerve every 4 days. Most recently, Focus Grove was updated on October 14, 2026 and Nerve on October 2, 2026.

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