Comparison

Cascade vs Foccus

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

Head to head
About

Cascade

This app helps you regain focus by blocking distracting applications and offering mindfulness exercises. It provides different session modes to suit your needs, from strict blocking to intentional unlock windows, and helps you understand app design to reduce their hold on your attention.

Highlights
  • App blocking for set durations
  • Multiple session modes (Zen, Monk, Vault)
  • Mindfulness and breathing exercises
  • Rewire course on app design
  • Pattern recognition for habits
  • Routine building for sessions
Read full description

Cascade is an app that helps you limit your screen time. It blocks your distracting apps for as long as you decide, and the rest of the app works on your attention itself, so the block is not the only thing doing the work. You start by choosing a mode. Zen blocks the apps you picked until the timer runs out, and you can end the session whenever you want. Monk is for being more intentional, so it opens a few short unlock windows during the session, and you can switch those off if you would rather not have them at all. If you decide to end a Monk session early it asks you to name the reason first, and seeing the same reasons come back week after week is how you start to recognize your own pattern. Vault holds you to a promise you made before the session started, so there is no stopping early at all, apart from three emergency passes a week for the times you genuinely need one. What Cascade offers you after that depends on the reason you gave. Boredom, tension, loneliness and plain habit do not call for the same answer, so the suggestion changes with it. It might be a breathing exercise, something small to do away from the screen, or a question worth sitting with for a moment. Each one asks a minute or two of you, and none of them send you back to the app you were about to open. The sessions add up to something. Every session is a vote for who you are becoming, and Cascade keeps that in front of you instead of burying it in a chart you never open. You can also build your sessions into a routine, so that starting one stops being a decision you have to make from scratch every day. There is more inside than blocking. The meditation sessions are short mindfulness practices that sharpen your attention, and Rewire is a course that explains how the apps on your phone were designed to take that attention in the first place. Once you can see the mechanism, it has less of a hold on you. The list of apps you block never leaves your phone. Blocking runs entirely on your device through Apple's Screen Time framework, and we never receive it. Cascade is free to use, with unlimited Zen sessions, one meditation session and one Rewire session included. Upgrading gives you unlimited access to Zen, Monk and Vault modes, along with every meditation and Rewire session, including the ones we add in the future. The yearly plan starts with a seven day free trial. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Foccus

Features
Read full description

Can't put your phone down? It's not your fault. Those apps were designed to keep you inside. Foccus was designed to keep them out. Foccus turns focusing into a game: shake your phone — and 3 randomly picked apps from your list get locked. Who's going? Instagram, TikTok, or that game you can't quit? Luck decides. That's why every session starts with the thrill of a lottery draw. THE REST IS UP TO YOU While the timer runs, your locked apps are off limits — try to open one and you'll hit a shield. Hold out, and every screen-free minute turns into points. Finish the session and the points, streak and badges are yours. Give up early... and your streak resets. Simple, fair, ruthless. HOW IT WORKS • Pick the apps that can be locked — just once • Shake your phone (or tap the dice) • 3 random apps get locked for 30 min to 3 hours • Resist, earn points, level up EVERYTHING THAT KEEPS YOU PLAYING • Points: every screen-free minute = 1 point, multiplied by completion bonuses and streaks • Daily streaks: complete a session every day and watch your multiplier grow • 6 levels: start as a Rookie, rise to Zen Legend • 8 badges to collect: from First Step to the 1,000 Minute Club • Screen-Free Time stats: the exact opposite of screen time — charts of the minutes you spent away from your phone THE SERIOUS PART Foccus is built on Apple's official Screen Time technology. The lock is real: you can't swipe it away or bargain for "5 more minutes." Watch the countdown live in the Dynamic Island — even when the app is closed. PRIVACY? ZERO DATA. Apple never tells us which apps you picked — so we couldn't share it even if we wanted to. No account, no sign-up, no ads, no tracking. Everything stays on your device. WHO IS IT FOR? • Students who reach for their phone mid-study session • Professionals who "just check something" and lose 40 minutes • Night scrollers glued to the screen before sleep • Everyone who started a digital detox and quit on day three — this time, the game is on your side Stop fighting your screen time. Turn it into a game and win. Shake. Lock. Focus. SUBSCRIPTION & PURCHASE Foccus Pro unlocks unlimited focus sessions. The free version includes one session per day. • Foccus Pro Monthly: auto-renewable subscription, 1 month • Foccus Pro Yearly: auto-renewable subscription, 1 year • Foccus Pro Lifetime: one-time purchase, not a subscription Both subscriptions start with a 3-day free trial. Prices are shown in the app in your local currency. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged within 24 hours prior to the end of that period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://luqalab.com/app/shake-and-focus/en/privacy-policy.txt

Screenshots

Cascade4 screens
Foccus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Foccus at weekly against Cascade's every 2 weeks. On price, ads, 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. Cascade sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Foccus sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cascade ships an update every 2 weeks, Foccus weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Cascade versus Foccus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCascadeFoccus
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size307 MB9 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperIDIL CIVEZAhmet Tek

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Cascade

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$11.991 Month
  • Yearly Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$199.99
3 purchases

Foccus

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Yearly3 Days trial$23.491 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$44.99

Questions

Is Cascade free?
Cascade is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Foccus free?
Foccus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cascade or Foccus have ads?
Neither Cascade nor Foccus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cascade or Foccus?
Cascade ships an update every 2 weeks, and Foccus weekly. Most recently, Cascade was updated on September 17, 2026 and Foccus on September 11, 2026.

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