Comparison

Ice Focus vs Ember

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

Head to head
About

Ice Focus

Features
Read full description

Stop scrolling. Start focusing. Ice Focus is the satisfying visual timer that makes deep work feel effortless. Hit start and watch a real ice cube slowly melt over 25 minutes — your only job is to stay present until it is gone. HOW IT WORKS - Tap Start Session - Watch the ice cube melt in real time - Stay focused for the full 25 minutes - Complete the session and build your streak FEATURES - Cinematic ice melt video synced to your timer - Lofi ambient audio for deep concentration - Focus labels — tag what you are working on - Streak tracking to build consistency - Session history with stats - Beautiful share cards to flex your focus - Fully offline — no accounts, no data collection PERFECT FOR - Students studying for exams - Remote workers who need deep focus blocks - Anyone who struggles with phone addiction - ADHD brains that need a visual anchor - Pomodoro technique enthusiasts The Pomodoro Technique is proven: 25 minutes of focused work followed by a short break. Ice Focus makes it visual, satisfying, and impossible to ignore. No complicated settings. No overwhelming features. Just you, the ice, and 25 minutes of pure focus. Subscription required. $4.99/month or $19.99/year. Privacy Policy: https://www.icefocus.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.icefocus.app/terms

About

Ember

Features
Read full description

Prop up your phone and it becomes a giant flip clock that keeps time while you study. Plan your day in time blocks, tap Start, and let Ember run every focus session on a clock you can read from across the room. A FOCUS TIMER YOU CAN SEE FROM ANYWHERE • Full-screen flip clock digits that flip in real time, not a tiny number in the corner • Countdown, stopwatch or Pomodoro: set focus and break rounds and Ember switches between them for you • Turn your phone sideways and the clock turns with it • Brightness control, auto-dim and an optional glow keep it easy on your eyes and your battery PLAN YOUR DAY IN TIME BLOCKS • Give every task a time, a length and a Start button • Add subtasks, notes, alerts and repeats • Finish a focus block and it ticks itself off in your plan • Keep your streak going as finished tasks fill in your calendar, day after day SEE WHERE YOUR HOURS GO • Day, week, month and year reports, split by activity • Your peak focus hours, plus average and longest sessions • A daily focus goal, with your progress always in view • Track Study, Deep Work, Reading, Exercise and Meditation, or add your own activities STAY ON TRACK OUTSIDE THE APP • Live Activities on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • A floating timer (Picture in Picture) that stays on top of other apps while a session runs • 10 Home Screen widgets, including a flip clock, calendars and world clocks A DESK CLOCK WORTH LOOKING AT • Use Ember as a desk or bedside clock between sessions • Show the time where you are or in cities around the world • 5 clock faces (Minimal, Marquee, Terminal, Ring and Flip) with 7 flip-panel finishes and your own digit and accent colors • Ambient sounds for focus: campfire, morning, sea, thunder and a ticking clock MADE FOR THE WAY YOU WORK Ember is built for students preparing for exams, writers, developers, designers and anyone who does their best work in focused sprints. A short setup shapes your session lengths and reminders around the hours you focus best. And a big, always-visible clock makes a simple visual timer for anyone with ADHD or anyone who loses track of time. FREE, WITH AN AD-FREE OPTION Every feature in Ember is free, and you don't need an account. Ember is supported by a few ads that only appear after you finish something, never in the middle of a session. Ember Pro removes them. Ember speaks 15 languages: English, Español, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, Português, Русский, 日本語, 한국어, 中文, हिन्दी, Türkçe, Nederlands, Polski and Bahasa Indonesia. Ember Pro is an optional auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. It renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://ember-focus.jabbarsales.xyz/terms Privacy Policy: https://ember-focus.jabbarsales.xyz/privacy

Screenshots

Ice Focus4 screens
Ember4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Ice Focus at none against Ember's shown. Ember's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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

Both are free to download. Ice Focus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Ember sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Ice Focus versus Ember: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIce FocusEmber
PriceFreeFree
Update frequency—Every 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB62 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFuturon IncABUZAR MUNIR

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Ice Focus

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly$19.991 Year
2 purchases

Ember

Subscriptions1
  • Ember Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Ember Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Ice Focus free?
Ice Focus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ember free?
Ember is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ice Focus or Ember have ads?
Ember shows ads; Ice Focus does not.

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