Mini Focus Timer vs ThoughtRecorder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Mini Focus Timer
This minimalist timer uses the Pomodoro technique to help you focus for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. It features a simple interface with a circular dial and a large start button, offering focus, short break, and long break phases. Track your progress with daily, weekly, and monthly charts.
- Minimalist Pomodoro timer
- Focus, short break, long break phases
- Circular glass dial interface
- Home & lock screen widgets
- Apple Watch complications
- Daily, weekly, monthly focus charts
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Focus 25, rest 5. That's it. MiniFocus is the simplest Pomodoro timer for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch ā one glossy glass dial, one big start button, and a gentle ping when the phase ends. ⢠Three phases only ā focus, short break, long break ⢠Big circular glass dial in the iOS 26 Liquid Glass tone ⢠Home & lock screen widgets ā running timer Ā· today stats Ā· quick start ⢠Apple Watch complications ā your remaining time, always one glance away ⢠Universal ā iPhone, iPad, and a paired Apple Watch app, all in one ⢠Daily, weekly, monthly focus charts ⢠No sign-up. No ads. No tracking. No IAP. No account, no cloud ā everything lives on your device. The point isn't measuring time. It's not drifting away for 25 minutes.
ThoughtRecorder
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there is no server we run. RECORD ANYWHERE ⢠Tap the mic on any device to start capturing ⢠Apple Watch: record directly from your wrist, syncs back automatically ⢠Lock Screen widget for one-tap recording ⢠Live Activity shows recording status while you work in other apps CATEGORIES THAT WORK LIKE YOU DO Sort your thinking however makes sense ā 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 ā 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 ā 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 ā your audio goes directly to your account, billed to you, never through us. AssemblyAI adds automatic speaker labeling. ORGANIZE THE DETAIL ⢠Flags in five colors for triage ⢠Markers within long recordings ⢠Notes alongside recordings ā plain text with location, date, and title ⢠Search across everything with Ask Archive using plain-language questions SYNC ACROSS YOUR DEVICES iCloud sync uses your Apple account. Everything syncs automatically ā recordings, notes, categories, flags, transcripts, sharing state. BACKUP TO WHAT YOU ALREADY USE ⢠iCloud Drive: automatic, organized by year and category ⢠Google Drive (optional): connect your own account, files stored only in a folder Thought Recorder creates BUILT FOR PRIVACY ⢠No third-party SDKs ⢠No analytics ⢠No tracking ⢠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
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Mini Focus Timer at daily against ThoughtRecorder's every 4 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mini Focus Timer ships an update daily, ThoughtRecorder every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mini Focus Timer | ThoughtRecorder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | ā |
| Update frequency | Daily ā better | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | ā |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch ā better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 ā better | 26.1 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lim Sangjin | GonzoDocs AS |
In-app purchases
Mini Focus Timer
No in-app purchases
ThoughtRecorder
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Mini Focus Timer free?
Is ThoughtRecorder free?
Do Mini Focus Timer or ThoughtRecorder have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mini Focus Timer or ThoughtRecorder?
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