Comparison

FocusGate vs Notbuk

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

Head to head
About

FocusGate

This app helps you reclaim time lost to scrolling by setting up personalized "Focus Gates." When you try to open distracting apps, it presents your priorities and tasks first, offering a gentle nudge to refocus. Track your progress and build momentum towards better digital habits.

Highlights
  • Customizable Focus Gates for any app
  • Personalized task reminders before app opens
  • Mid-session "Doom Scroll" check-ins
  • Real-time interrupts redirect to Focus Gates
  • Daily Focus Score and progress dashboard
  • Shareable progress cards with cosmic artwork
Features
Read full description

Stop doomscrolling. Start doing. You open Instagram "just for a second." Forty minutes later, you're still scrolling. Sound familiar? FocusGate isn't just anothe app blocker - it puts your real priorities in the way first. Set up Focus Gates with personal reminders and tasks. When you reach for a distracting app, FocusGate steps in with what actually matters to you - then lets you choose. No guilt trips. No hard locks. Just a moment of clarity that changes everything. The result? You reclaim hours every week - not by willpower, but by design. ------- FOCUS GATES - Your Priorities Come First Create custom gates for any app. Each gate carries your reminders: "Did you finish that report?" "Have you called Mom back?" "Drink some water first." Complete your tasks, then continue. • Choose which apps to gate and when (weekdays, weekends, custom schedules) • Add personal task reminders that appear before each app opens • Track Focus Momentum - watch your task completion grow • Built-in breathing exercises to reset before you scroll DOOM SCROLL CHECK-INS Already deep in a scroll session? FocusGate has your back. Set check-in intervals so FocusGate asks you mid-session: "Still here on purpose?" Choose the right frequency for you and FocusGate becomes the perfect safety net for when you fall down the rabbit hole. REAL-TIME INTERRUPTS THAT ACTUALLY HELP FocusGate works at the system level. When you open a gated app, you're immediately redirected to your Focus Gate - no workaround, no delay. FOCUS SCORE & PROGRESS DASHBOARD See your digital habits transform with real data: • Daily Focus Score (0–100) based on gates completed, breaks taken, and check-ins honored • Native Screen Time integration for detailed usage reports • Top Disruptors - see which apps steal the most time • Track your progress over days, weeks, and months SHARE YOUR WINS Hit a milestone? FocusGate creates stunning share cards with your stats - gorgeous cosmic artwork you'll actually want to post. Show your friends what "in control" looks like. ------- WHY FOCUSGATE IS DIFFERENT Most screen time apps treat you like someone who needs to be locked out of your own phone. FocusGate treats you like a capable person who just needs a better system. → Not a hard lock - a gate. You always have the choice to continue. → Not a countdown timer - a task system. Your real priorities interrupt the scroll. → Not a guilt trip - a momentum builder. Every completed task adds to your Focus Score. → Not another generic utility - a beautifully crafted experience you'll actually want to use. ------- WORKS WITH YOUR PHONE, NOT AGAINST IT • Deep Screen Time API integration with native usage reports • Shields distracting apps at the system level • Smart notifications power every gate and check-in in real time Terms, Privacy & Conditions: https://www.focusgate-app.com/focusgate/terms

About

Notbuk

Features
Read full description

Notbuk : To-do & Notes Notbuk is a tiny notebook for your phone. Two pages Notes and Tasks and two ways to fill them: type or hold the mic and just talk. Say it and it's on paper Press and hold the microphone, speak your thought and let go. Notbuk turns it into a clean note or a clear task depending on which page you're on. No typing required. Everything is transcribed on your device nothing is sent to the cloud to be understood. A notebook, not a productivity suite No folders. No tags. No projects. No dashboards. Just a warm paper page a handwritten font and the two things most people actually want from a notes app: write something down, and know what needs doing. Tasks, with real reminders Set an optional reminder on any task and Notbuk will nudge you at the right time nothing to configure no separate reminders app to open. It feels like paper, because it should Subtle grain, faint ruling, a hand-drawn checkbox that gets a satisfying ink strikethrough when you check something off. Pick your handwriting style Notebook, Casual, Print, or Marker and the whole app follows. Yours, on your device Notes and tasks live in local storage on your phone. No account, no sign-in, no sync required to use the app. What's next Notbuk is intentionally small. If there's something you want added tell us right in the app under Settings → Feature Requests.

Screenshots

FocusGate4 screens
Notbuk3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notbuk at none against FocusGate's 2. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. FocusGate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Notbuk asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
FocusGate versus Notbuk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocusGateNotbuk
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFocusGateAfthal Ahmadh

In-app purchases

2 purchases

FocusGate

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Subscription$1.997 Days
  • Yearly Subscription$14.991 Year
None

Notbuk

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FocusGate free?
FocusGate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notbuk free?
Notbuk is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do FocusGate or Notbuk have ads?
Neither FocusGate nor Notbuk shows ads.

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