Comparison

Only Focus vs ThoughtRecorder

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

Head to head
About

Only Focus

Features
Read full description

Only Focus is a beautifully crafted Pomodoro timer for students, creators, and professionals who want to build a real focus habit. Set a session, silence the noise, and watch your deep work add up β€” one 25-minute block at a time. WHAT YOU GET - Pomodoro timer with smart presets (25/5, 50/10, custom) - Focus rooms: study live with friends in real-time and stay accountable - Premium themes: from minimal light to deep cinematic dark - Achievements & XP: turn consistency into progress you can see - Sound mixer: rain, cafΓ©, forest, white noise, and Lo-Fi Beats - Reports & coach insights: weekly trends, streaks, and gentle nudges DESIGNED FOR DEEP WORK Every detail β€” typography, haptics, sound design β€” is tuned to help you start faster and stay longer. No clutter, no dark patterns, no ads. Just a calm space to do your best work. TRUSTED BY STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS Only Focus is used by students preparing for exams, writers shipping drafts, developers in deep work blocks, and teams who want a shared focus ritual. Stay consistent, support your study routine, and build focus habits that hold up on the hard days too. DOWNLOAD AND BUILD YOUR FOCUS HABIT Download Only Focus today and turn focus into your default mode. Your future self will thank you. β€” Premium subscription unlocks all themes, unlimited focus rooms, the full sound library, and advanced reports. Auto-renewing monthly or yearly; cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Restore Purchases is available in the app. See in-app links for Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Terms of Use (EULA): https://mustafabaykal.com/onlyfocus/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://mustafabaykal.com/onlyfocus/privacy/

About

ThoughtRecorder

Features
Read full description

there is no server we run. RECORD ANYWHERE β€’ Tap the mic on any device to start capturing β€’ Apple Watch: record directly from your wrist, syncs back automatically β€’ Lock Screen widget for one-tap recording β€’ Live Activity shows recording status while you work in other apps CATEGORIES THAT WORK LIKE YOU DO Sort your thinking however makes sense β€” Ideas, Meetings, To-do, Manuscript, or anything you invent. Categories sync across all your devices, so a category made on Watch appears on Mac. Filter your library in one tap. No folders to manage, no rigid hierarchy β€” just labels that follow your mind. SHARE PRIVATELY, WITH ONE PERSON Send a specific recording or note to a specific person. No public feed, no discovery, no "everyone with the link." The recipient sees exactly what you sent, opens it in their own Thought Recorder, and can reply with comments. You'll see when they've viewed it. Perfect for interviews handed to a producer, ideas passed to a co-writer, or a private voice note to a friend. TRANSCRIBE ON-DEVICE Enhanced transcription runs entirely on your device β€” no audio ever leaves it. Powered by state-of-the-art open models compiled to Apple Neural Engine. Prefer cloud accuracy? Bring your own OpenAI Whisper or AssemblyAI key β€” your audio goes directly to your account, billed to you, never through us. AssemblyAI adds automatic speaker labeling. ORGANIZE THE DETAIL β€’ Flags in five colors for triage β€’ Markers within long recordings β€’ Notes alongside recordings β€” plain text with location, date, and title β€’ Search across everything with Ask Archive using plain-language questions SYNC ACROSS YOUR DEVICES iCloud sync uses your Apple account. Everything syncs automatically β€” recordings, notes, categories, flags, transcripts, sharing state. BACKUP TO WHAT YOU ALREADY USE β€’ iCloud Drive: automatic, organized by year and category β€’ Google Drive (optional): connect your own account, files stored only in a folder Thought Recorder creates BUILT FOR PRIVACY β€’ No third-party SDKs β€’ No analytics β€’ No tracking β€’ Nothing leaves your device unless YOU turn on a cloud feature under YOUR own account Thought Recorder is made by a small independent studio in Trondheim, Norway.

Screenshots

Only Focus4 screens
ThoughtRecorder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ThoughtRecorder at none against Only Focus's 2. Only Focus's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Only Focus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. ThoughtRecorder asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Only Focus versus ThoughtRecorder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOnly FocusThoughtRecorder
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyβ€”Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 β€” better26.1
Further details β€” not scored
Size66 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMUSTAFA BAYKALGonzoDocs AS

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Only Focus

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
None

ThoughtRecorder

No in-app purchases

Questions

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

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