Comparison

Cortex vs Lumas

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

Head to head
About

Cortex

Features
Read full description

Cortex is a focus timer for deep work and study β€” 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) β€” Classic deep work intervals Long Focus (50/10) β€” Extended sessions for complex tasks Short Sprint (15/3) β€” A low-friction way to start on a bad day Flow Mode (no limit) β€” Open-ended, stop when you are done AI Adaptive (Premium) β€” Session length set for you, not guessed Custom Timers (Premium) β€” 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 β€” 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 β€” weekly performance metric Peak Hours β€” the hours your attention actually peaks Heatmaps β€” focus patterns across the month Weekly Report β€” personalized recommendations computed on device from your own sessions (Premium; the first week is free) Streaks & Achievements β€” 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 Β· Neo-brutalist design Β· No ads Β· No data selling Β· Usage analytics can be switched off in Settings Built for people who use Notion, Linear, and Arc β€” 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/

About

Lumas

Features
Read full description

Lumas is a gentle daily planner for people who struggle to start. Built with ADHD and executive-function challenges in mind, it turns scattered thoughts, unfinished tasks, and overwhelming days into clear next steps. PLAN WITH LESS FRICTION β€’ Capture unscheduled tasks in Lists β€’ See tasks, routines, calendar events, and sessions in one timeline β€’ Break difficult tasks into manageable steps with the AI Guide β€’ Build flexible routines without streaks or guilt β€’ Review unfinished work and adjust when plans change β€’ Use guided focus sessions to keep moving β€’ Check your next task and run a timer from Apple Watch LUMAS PRO Upgrade for ongoing AI Guide access and premium planning support. Monthly and yearly subscriptions are managed through the App Store. Lumas is a productivity tool and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Cortex4 screens
Lumas4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cortex at every 5 days against Lumas's every 3 weeks. Lumas's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Cortex sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Lumas sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cortex ships an update every 5 days, Lumas every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Cortex versus Lumas: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCortexLumas
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days β€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch β€” better
Requires iOS16.4 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size78 MB34 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDmitry AfanasyevBala Abhinav Kirthy Vijayakumar

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Cortex

Subscriptions2
  • AI Focus Timer Premium7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • AI Focus Timer Premium7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • AI Focus Timer Lifetime$99.99
2 purchases

Lumas

Subscriptions2
  • Lumas Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Lumas Pro Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Cortex free?
Cortex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lumas free?
Lumas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cortex or Lumas have ads?
Neither Cortex nor Lumas shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cortex or Lumas?
Cortex ships an update every 5 days, and Lumas every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cortex was updated on October 18, 2026 and Lumas on October 5, 2026.

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