Comparison

FocusWell vs Koe

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

Head to head
About

FocusWell

This app helps you regain control of your daily screen time and combat excessive scrolling. It introduces a mindful pause before opening distracting applications and allows you to set custom limits and focus sessions to build lasting concentration.

Highlights
  • Mindful pause before distracting apps
  • Custom app limits
  • Focus sessions
  • Daily screen time insights
  • Distraction-free design
  • Private data handling
Read full description

Most people don't decide to scroll for forty five minutes. It just happens, somewhere between checking one notification and looking up an hour later. FocusWell is an app blocker and focus tool built for exactly that moment, the split second before autopilot takes over. Your phone is built to keep you tapping. FocusWell is built to give you a way out, not through willpower alone, but through a calm pause, honest app limits, and focus sessions that actually hold. WHY FOCUSWELL A calm pause, not a lecture. Before a distracting app opens, FocusWell gives you one honest moment to decide. No shame, no lockouts you didn't ask for, just a real choice where autopilot used to win. Block one app or everything at once. Choose exactly what to limit, one app, a category, or all of it, for a focus session or on a schedule that runs automatically in the background. See where your time actually goes. Daily and weekly screen time insights show your real habits, not a guess, so you can see the hours you win back add up week over week. Build focus that lasts. Turn one good day into a streak. FocusWell helps you trade the scroll reflex for deep work, study time, or simply being where you already are. WHAT YOU GET - A calm pause before distracting apps open - App limits and focus sessions, for one app or all of them - Schedules that run automatically, not just when you remember - Daily and weekly screen time insights - Private by design: your usage data stays on your device WHO IT'S FOR Students protecting a study block. Anyone building a career who needs one uninterrupted hour before the inbox opens. People who pick up their phone for one notification and put it down forty minutes later, more tired than when they started. FocusWell meets you at the moment you already recognize, right before the scroll starts. Every skipped scroll adds up to a real hour somewhere else, a workout, a book, a conversation, or just quiet. FocusWell doesn't ask you to try harder. It just removes the moment where autopilot used to win. FocusWell runs on Apple's own Screen Time framework, so your usage data stays on your device, not a server. No streak shaming, no guilt trips, just a clear tool for people who want their attention back. Download FocusWell and start your first focus session today. Terms, Privacy and Conditions https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ https://https://www.getfocuswell.com/terms-of-service

About

Koe

This app allows you to quickly record your thoughts and see them transcribed in real-time. Entries are automatically organized by date and can be titled and shared. It's a lightweight tool for capturing ideas without needing an account or subscription.

Highlights
  • One-tap recording
  • Live transcription
  • Automatic daily organization
  • Optional note titles
  • Shareable transcripts
  • Cross-device recording (iPhone/Apple Watch)
Features
Read full description

Koe is a voice-first journal for capturing thoughts before they disappear. Speak and watch your words turn into a live transcript, add a quick title if you want, and save everything into a clean daily log you can browse later. Unlike traditional voice memo apps, Koe treats the transcript as the product - not the audio file. With Koe you can: - Start recording in one tap - See a live transcript as you speak - Keep entries organized automatically by day - Add an optional title to each note - Share transcripts anywhere - Record from iPhone or Apple Watch No account. No subscription. No built-in AI. Just a fast, lightweight way to get thoughts out of your head and into a readable journal. Your entries stay local to your device.

Screenshots

FocusWell4 screens
Koe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Koe at none against FocusWell's shown. FocusWell's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 4 weeks) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for FocusWell against 5.0 for Koe. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FocusWell ships an update every 8 days, Koe every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
FocusWell versus Koe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocusWellKoe
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStanislav VaretskyiRodolfo Alberto Lopez Terriquez

Customer experience

FocusWell

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Koe

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

FocusWell

No in-app purchases

None

Koe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FocusWell free?
FocusWell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Koe free?
Koe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FocusWell or Koe?
FocusWell and Koe are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do FocusWell or Koe have ads?
FocusWell shows ads; Koe does not.
Which is updated more often, FocusWell or Koe?
FocusWell ships an update every 8 days, and Koe every 4 weeks. Most recently, FocusWell was updated on October 14, 2026 and Koe on October 13, 2026.

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