Comparison

NEN vs App Blocker & Focus

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

Head to head
About

NEN

This app provides a calm, Pomodoro-style focus timer designed for deep work and study sessions. It helps users maintain attention with clear progress tracking and distraction-resistant routines, offering customizable break intervals and app blocking features.

Highlights
  • Focus, short break, and long break sessions
  • Clear timer progress and round tracking
  • Focus categories for different work types
  • Block selected apps during focus (Pro)
  • Apple Watch controls
  • Live Activities and widgets
  • Session history and progress insights
Features
Read full description

NEN is a calm Pomodoro-style focus timer for iPhone and Apple Watch, built for deep work, study sessions, real breaks, and distraction-resistant routines. Start a focus session, move through short and long breaks, and keep your attention on the work in front of you. NEN is built around a simple Pomodoro-style timer flow with a quiet visual style, clear session progress, and useful controls when you need them. Use NEN for deep work, study blocks, writing sessions, coding, reading, or any routine where you want a focused rhythm without extra noise. Features: - Focus, short break, and long break sessions - Clear timer progress and round tracking - Focus categories for different kinds of work - Block selected apps during focus with NEN Pro - Apple Watch controls - Live Activities and widgets - Session history and progress insights - Optional NEN Pro lifetime unlock for deeper focus tools NEN is made for people who want a focused timer that feels calm, native, and easy to return to every day.

About

App Blocker & Focus

This app helps you reduce distractions by blocking specific apps and websites. It uses a friendly cat character to provide personalized reminders, encouraging you to stay focused on your goals. Customize your focus sessions with various tones and schedules to build healthier screen habits.

Highlights
  • Block distracting apps and websites
  • Customizable reminder tones
  • Scheduled focus sessions
  • Quick Focus sessions
  • Parent Mode for child screen time management
  • Progress tracking and insights
Features
Read full description

Simba is more than an app blocker. It's a gentle reminder to stay true to the focus you promised yourself. Most blockers just say no. Simba goes further: when you try to open something you've blocked, a friendly cat named Simba shows up with a personal reminder in your own tone of voice, motivational, honest, playful, or brutally direct, so you pause, remember why you blocked it, and choose focus instead of distraction. BLOCK WHAT PULLS YOU AWAY - Block distracting apps: social media, games, video, or anything that steals your time - Block websites too, not just apps - Group apps into folders like Social Media, Games, or Work Distractions, and reuse them everywhere CHOOSE HOW SIMBA REMINDS YOU - Pick your tone: Motivational, Honest, Playful, Brutal, or Mixed - Simba's shield replaces the default block screen with something that actually makes you think twice FIT FOCUS INTO YOUR REAL LIFE - Set schedules for work hours, school time, or nightly wind-down, enforced automatically even when the app is closed - Start a Quick Focus session anytime, timed or open-ended - Use ready-made routines like Deep Work, Gym, Pre-Sleep, and Reading - Track your session on your Lock Screen with Live Activity STAY ACCOUNTABLE, GENTLY - Turn on Hard Mode when you know a simple Stop button won't be enough - Emergency Unlock is there for genuine reasons, with just enough friction to make you certain FOR YOU OR YOUR FAMILY - Myself Mode for personal focus, no restrictions on you - Parent Mode with a PIN, so you can help your child build better screen habits SEE YOUR PROGRESS - Daily streaks, focus minutes, and the apps that tempt you most - Simple insight cards that celebrate progress, never guilt Premium unlocks unlimited focus sessions, Hard Mode, full schedules, and complete Insights. Remember why you blocked it, before you open it. That's Simba. Privacy Policy: https://www.simbafocus.com/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.simbafocus.com/terms.html

Screenshots

NEN4 screens
App Blocker & Focus4 screens

Verdict

The call

NEN and App Blocker & Focus are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. NEN sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and App Blocker & Focus sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for NEN against 5.0 for App Blocker & Focus. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NEN ships an update every 5 days, App Blocker & Focus every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
NEN versus App Blocker & Focus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNENApp Blocker & Focus
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings35 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.516.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB185 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNijanthan VijayakumarFatih Demir

Customer experience

NEN

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

App Blocker & Focus

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

NEN

One-time1
  • NEN Lifetime Unlock$2.39
7 purchases

App Blocker & Focus

Subscriptions7
  • Simba Premium - Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days
  • Simba Premium - Annual$9.991 Year
Show 4 more
  • Monthly Subscription$14.991 Month
  • Simba Premium - Annual$19.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Simba Premium - Annual$69.991 Year

Questions

Is NEN free?
NEN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is App Blocker & Focus free?
App Blocker & Focus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NEN or App Blocker & Focus?
NEN and App Blocker & Focus are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do NEN or App Blocker & Focus have ads?
Neither NEN nor App Blocker & Focus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NEN or App Blocker & Focus?
NEN ships an update every 5 days, and App Blocker & Focus every 8 days. Most recently, NEN was updated on October 31, 2026 and App Blocker & Focus on November 5, 2026.

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