playfullynow vs FocusPiece
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
playfullynow
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This app isnβt about using your phone less. Itβs about seeing your time away from your phone add up. How to use it? Lock your phone from the app, then unlock back into it to see your time away add up. Or just stay on and watch every second add up. Tap or swipe anywhere for a minimal view. Earn a Trophy for any uninterrupted 2+ hours session away from your phone. Earn a Finisher Flag for 2+ hours away in a day, across any number of sessions. The app also shows your potential - how much life you could take back by the end of the year if your longest stretch today kept going. No setup No login No account No permissions No data collection No analytics No ads No notifications No streaks to lose No guilt No punishments No blocking No VPN No subscription No brick to buy
FocusPiece
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FocusPiece β Where Focus Becomes Art Concentration has become rare. FocusPiece makes it visible. Set the timer, put your phone down and sink into your work. While you stay focused, a hidden masterpiece emerges from the mist, piece by piece. At the end of every session you hold a fully revealed work of art that you have earned. No points. No aggressive streaks. No guilt. Just a calm, beautiful space for deep concentration. HOW IT WORKS β’ Choose your time: 15, 25, 45 or 60 minutes of undisturbed focus. β’ Stay in the picture: as long as you remain in the app, the hidden painting sharpens with every minute. Leave, and the reveal gently pauses. β’ Collect masterpieces: every completed session unlocks a work and places it in your personal gallery. A GALLERY YOU EARN Your collection does not fill up by chance, but through real concentration. Every unlocked work carries the date, the length of your session and the story behind the original. Browse van Gogh's "Almond Blossom", Hokusai's "Great Wave", Monet's "Sunrise", Friedrich's "Wanderer" and many more classics of art history: public-domain masterpieces, curated for quiet moments. ON YOUR WRIST AS WELL With Apple Watch you start, pause and follow a session without reaching for your iPhone. On the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island your progress stays in view. DELIBERATELY MINIMAL FocusPiece was designed around a single principle: nothing that distracts. Warm paper white, a calm terracotta accent, clear typography. No loud notifications, no endless statistics, no mechanics designed to hook you. The app steps back so your focus and the art can step forward. FEATURES AT A GLANCE β’ Focus timer with a freely selectable duration β’ Progressive art reveal in real time, tied to your concentration β’ Apple Watch: start, pause and follow a session from your wrist β’ Live Activity on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island β’ Personal gallery with every unlocked work β’ Challenges that unlock further works β’ One overview in the gallery: focus time collected, rounds and works revealed β’ Detail views with title, artist, year and collection context β’ Set a work as your lock screen β’ Optional ambient sounds, such as rain β’ Gentle completion chime and subtle haptic feedback β’ "Soft start" for a calm beginning to every session β’ Light mode that lets the artworks shine β’ Works entirely without an account; your data stays on your device WHO IS IT FOR? For everyone who wants to work more deeply: students studying for finals, creatives in flow, developers and writers, anyone who works with the Pomodoro technique, and everyone looking for a more beautiful, quieter alternative to noisy productivity apps. Concentration is a gift you give yourself. FocusPiece turns it into something you can see.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: playfullynow at none against FocusPiece's 3. FocusPiece's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. FocusPiece sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. playfullynow asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | playfullynow | FocusPiece |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | β | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch β better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | VINIT KAUSHIK | Christoph Hesse |
In-app purchases
playfullynow
No in-app purchases
FocusPiece
- Impressions$0.99
- Nocturnes$0.99
- Dutch Golden Age$0.99








