Comparison

Nooklo vs Focus Buddy

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

Head to head
About

Nooklo

This app allows you to study or work alongside friends remotely. See who's focused, join their synchronized work sessions, and track your progress together without distractions.

Highlights
  • Live feed of friends working
  • One-tap session joining
  • Synced Pomodoro timer
  • Session recaps
  • 7-day commit grid
Features
Read full description

Houseparty for studying. Most study apps are timers. Nooklo is a place where your friends already are. Open the app, see who's locked in right now, and join them with a tap. Same synced timer, same room. No chat, no video, no pressure. HOW IT WORKS The Tonight feed shows which friends are in a session right now. Tap one to slip in beside them. You'll run the same focus blocks and breaks, in sync. Or start your own session, and your friends get a push the moment you lock in. BLOCK THE APPS THAT PULL YOU AWAY Pick your distracting apps once. Nooklo blocks them at the iOS level every time a session starts, lifts the shield at breaks, and re-locks when focus resumes. It survives force-quits and phone locks. You never touch the picker again. You can also set recurring windows (sleep, class hours, deep work) where your picked apps stay blocked automatically. PLAN THE WEEK TOGETHER Schedule Nooks on a 7 day grid and invite up to 4 friends. Your existing calendar (iCloud, Google, Outlook, Exchange) shows through as ghost blocks so you never double-book, and scheduled Nooks mirror back to your calendar. A JOURNAL THAT WRITES ITSELF Every day pulls in what you actually got done: completed Nooks, checked-off tasks, session reflections. Add your own to-dos, check them off mid-session, and get quiet receipts, not a scoreboard. PROOF YOU SHOWED UP A heatmap of when you actually study, hours per subject, weekly rhythm, and share-stats cards. Stats are intimate, not competitive. FOCUS MECHANICS THAT HOLD UP • Pomodoro (25/5 by default, 50/10 or custom) and free study • Lock Screen Live Activity and Dynamic Island countdown • Home screen widgets to start a session without opening the app • Session intentions: capture what you want to get done, check it off mid-session PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Only friends you add can see when you're in a session. No public profiles, no follower counts, no algorithm. Calendar and reflection data stays on your device. Everything is free right now, including app blocking. Plus is free until September.

About

Focus Buddy

This app provides a virtual space to study and work alongside others, fostering motivation and consistency. Utilize focus timers and join shared study rooms to make productivity a collaborative experience, ideal for students and remote workers.

Highlights
  • Virtual study rooms
  • Focus timer
  • Study together
  • Build consistency
  • Distraction-free design
Features
Read full description

Focus Buddy helps you stay focused by studying together with other people. Join a virtual study room, start a focus timer, and work alongside students, learners, and productivity-minded people who are also trying to stay consistent. Instead of studying alone, Focus Buddy gives you a simple social space where focus feels easier. Whether you are preparing for exams, working on assignments, reading, coding, or building a daily study habit, Focus Buddy helps you turn focus into a shared experience. MAIN FEATURES JOIN STUDY ROOMS Enter virtual rooms and study together with other focused people. FOCUS TIMER Set a focus timer and stay committed to your study session. STUDY TOGETHER Feel the motivation of working alongside others, even when you are studying from home. BUILD CONSISTENCY Use focused sessions to improve your discipline, routine, and productivity. SIMPLE AND DISTRACTION-FREE Focus Buddy is designed to be clean, calm, and easy to use. PERFECT FOR Students Exam preparation Homework sessions Reading Deep work Pomodoro-style focus Remote studying Productivity routines Studying alone can feel boring. Focus Buddy makes it easier to show up, stay focused, and keep going. Join a study room, start your timer, and focus together. Terms of service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Nooklo4 screens
Focus Buddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Nooklo at 5.0 against Focus Buddy's 3.0. Nooklo also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Focus Buddy's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads 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. Focus Buddy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Nooklo asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nooklo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Nooklo versus Focus Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNookloFocus Buddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerriley lauKerem Cebi

Customer experience

Nooklo

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Focus Buddy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Nooklo

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Focus Buddy

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Annual14 Days trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Nooklo free?
Nooklo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Focus Buddy free?
Focus Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Nooklo or Focus Buddy?
Nooklo is rated higher. Nooklo averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Focus Buddy averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Nooklo or Focus Buddy have ads?
Neither Nooklo nor Focus Buddy shows ads.

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