Cortex vs Scalyx

Cortex is a focus timer for deep work and study — Pomodoro 25/5, Long Focus 50/10, Short Sprint 15/3, an open-ended Flow mode, 19 ambient tracks and a sleep timer. Built for people who think for a living: students revising for exams, developers and designers in deep work, writers, and anyone with ADHD who needs sound and structure to get started. Four timer modes, three focus sounds, session history, streaks, heatmaps and Apple Health are free. Premium adds the AI Adaptive mode, 16 more sounds, the sleep timer, custom presets, Health Insights and the weekly report. No ads, no account, no sign-up. You track your workouts. Your sleep. Your macros. But not your focus. Cortex closes that gap: it measures your sessions, sizes the next one around your recovery, and shows you the hours your attention actually peaks. STRUCTURED FOCUS MODES Pomodoro (25/5) — Classic deep work intervals Long Focus (50/10) — Extended sessions for complex tasks Short Sprint (15/3) — A low-friction way to start on a bad day Flow Mode (no limit) — Open-ended, stop when you are done AI Adaptive (Premium) — Session length set for you, not guessed Custom Timers (Premium) — Your own work rhythm, up to 10 presets AI ADAPTIVE TIMER (PREMIUM) Instead of asking how long you can concentrate, Cortex works it out. With Apple Health connected it reads your heart rate variability and last night's sleep; without Health it falls back to a time-of-day model. Keep finishing your sessions and it extends them. 19 AMBIENT TRACKS Focus: lo-fi beats, acoustic, downtempo, neo-classical, space ambient, cinematic, chillwave, jazz hop, deep pulse, ethereal piano. Sleep: ethereal pads, deep drone, analog wash, submarine, harp lullaby, binaural, distant choir, zen garden, zero gravity. Three focus tracks ship inside the app and are free. The other 16 come with Premium and download on demand, Wi-Fi recommended. Audio keeps playing with the screen locked. SLEEP TIMER (PREMIUM) Six durations from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Sound fades out gradually and stops — no alarm at the end. A morning check-in records how you slept and whether you woke up rested; with Apple Health connected, the sleep screen also shows last night's stages and a sleep score. DATA, NOT FEELINGS Focus Score — weekly performance metric Peak Hours — the hours your attention actually peaks Heatmaps — focus patterns across the month Weekly Report — personalized recommendations computed on device from your own sessions (Premium; the first week is free) Streaks & Achievements — gamified progress that compounds daily CSV export of every session (Premium) APPLE HEALTH, READ ONLY Only when you tap Connect, and only three data types: heart rate variability, resting heart rate and sleep analysis. Cortex never writes anything to Apple Health. Those readings, and the recovery and sleep scores computed from them, stay on your device and are not sent to analytics. The app works fully without Health. 10 languages · Neo-brutalist design · No ads · No data selling · Usage analytics can be switched off in Settings Built for people who use Notion, Linear, and Arc — not pastel wellness apps Your brain is a machine. We help you run it at peak RPM. --- SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Cortex Premium is available as Monthly, Annual, or Lifetime purchase. - Payment is charged to your Apple ID at purchase confirmation - Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled 24+ hours before period end - Manage or cancel anytime in Account Settings after purchase - Privacy Policy: https://cortex-focus.com/privacy/ - Terms of Use: https://cortex-focus.com/terms/

Scalyx is a safe space, not just a planner. Breathe here, log how you feel. And when you want to, lay out your day. Scalyx is made for ADHD brains and for anyone who gets overwhelmed easily. THE SAFE SPACE Guided breathing you follow with your eyes, long enough to come back down when everything is moving too fast. One affirmation a day: 365 of them, written one at a time, each with a short version for the days you’re only passing through and a longer one for the days you want to sit with it. A mood journal: note how you’re doing, without owing anyone an explanation. YOUR DAY, GENTLY Cards instead of a list: a colored icon, a time, sub-steps, a reminder. You tick it off and the title quietly gets crossed out. That’s it. A quick capture inbox: write it down now, plan it later. The idea is safe, and your head is clear. AN ASSISTANT THAT BREAKS THINGS DOWN Talk to it in English or French, by voice or by typing. Hand it the big task you can’t find a way into: it splits it into small steps and offers a schedule you accept with one tap. It can reschedule and edit too, when the day changes its mind. Your conversations are saved, and you can reopen them any time. STAYING WITH IT A focus timer that keeps running on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. Put the phone down and it keeps counting for you. EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE Import your iPhone calendar and reminders, so there is nothing to copy over. YOUR DATA Private iCloud backup: switch phones, reinstall, and it’s all still there. When you write to the assistant, your message and the titles in your day are sent to an AI service to build the reply. Nothing else leaves your iPhone and your iCloud. MAKE IT YOURS 7 accent colors plus one of your own, 9 app icons, 2 typefaces (New York and Charter), light and dark mode. The app is in English and French, affirmations included. WHAT THE SUBSCRIPTION COVERS The assistant, sub-steps, rescheduling, early reminders, calendar and reminders import, colors and icons are part of the Scalyx subscription, which renews automatically. The rest works without it. Terms of Use: https://scalyx.app/conditions Privacy Policy: https://scalyx.app/confidentialite Scalyx is not a medical tool. It doesn’t diagnose anything, it doesn’t treat anything, and it doesn’t replace professional support. It’s a calm place to organize your day, at your own pace.