Comparison

FocusPaws vs Matchbox

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

Head to head
About

FocusPaws

This app helps you stay focused on tasks by connecting you with friends and featuring cute animal companions. Track your progress visually and achieve your daily goals together, even when apart.

Highlights
  • Focus with friends remotely
  • Adorable animal companions
  • Select task and start timer
  • Track progress visually
  • Real-time friend status
Features
Read full description

Welcome to FocusPaw. Struggling to stay focused when working or studying alone? FocusPaw is a social focus timer app that helps you stay on track with the help of adorable animals and your friends. Experience the feeling of working together, even when you are miles apart, and start crushing your daily goals. [ Key Features ] Focus With Friends Feel like you are in the same room, even remotely. See your friends' real-time status and timers to stay motivated and hold each other accountable. Adorable Animal Companions Let our cute animal friends, from a studying squirrel to a working-out koala, accompany and cheer you on during your focus sessions. Pick a Task and Start Simply select your current activity, such as coding, working, working out, or studying, and start the timer to manage your routines effortlessly. Track Your Progress Your focused time is automatically recorded on your calendar, beautifully visualizing your monthly statistics and total hours. Feel a strong sense of accomplishment as you watch your progress stack up over time. Download FocusPaw today and start your productive journey with your new animal friends.

About

Matchbox

Features
Read full description

Strike, light, and focus until it burns out. Matchbox is a focus timer and habit tracker built around a retro matchbox. Strike a match and stay focused while that one match slowly burns down โ€” a primal, beautiful ritual, faithfully recreated on your iPhone. โ–  A focus timer you strike to start Swipe the match against the striker and it lights with a satisfying, tactile "catch." Then simply focus while the match burns. The countdown quietly fades into the night after a while (tap the screen to peek anytime). Want to stop? Blow into the mic and the flame goes out. โ–  Match Block: tuck distracting apps into the box While your match is burning, the apps you choose are blocked via Screen Time (Family Controls). Social media and games stay "in the box" until the match burns out โ€” or until you blow it out. Which apps you pick never leaves your device. โ–  Ten living night scenes, each with its own sound Moonlit night, snowfield, night rain, firefly lake, starry night, bamboo grove, night sakura, moonlit sea, harvest moon, ink wash. Snow falls, petals swirl, fireflies blink โ€” sometimes a shooting star crosses the sky. Every scene brings its own ambience: hearth, night wind, rain, waves, crickets and more. โ–  Habits, one match at a time Complete a daily habit and strike a single match to log it. The matches in your box run down, so your effort literally stacks up as a physical amount. Streaks are always one glance away. โ–  Matchboxes to collect Vintage, letterpress-style matchbox designs โ€” Nordic, cafรฉ, retro, sakura and more. The joy of collecting keeps you coming back. โ–  Shake to hear it Shake your iPhone on the home screen and the box rattles based on how many matches are left. A real matchbox, in the palm of your hand. Free to use. Premium (one-time or weekly, no free trial) unlocks every matchbox design, backdrop and holder, unlimited habits, no ads, and detailed records. โ–  LINKS - Support: https://tsuzukit.com/contact/ - Terms of Service: https://tsuzukit.com/legal/terms-of-service.html - Privacy Policy: https://tsuzukit.com/legal/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

FocusPaws4 screens
Matchbox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: FocusPaws at none against Matchbox's shown. FocusPaws also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. FocusPaws sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Matchbox sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FocusPaws ships an update every 6 days, Matchbox every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 5 level
FocusPaws versus Matchbox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocusPawsMatchbox
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 6 days โ€” betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size233 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJinhee KimRyo Tsudukihashi

In-app purchases

3 purchases

FocusPaws

One-time3
  • time 500$0.99
  • time 1200$1.69
  • time 2000$2.39
2 purchases

Matchbox

Subscriptions1
  • Premium (Weekly)$0.997 Days
One-time1
  • Premium (Lifetime)$19.99

Questions

Is FocusPaws free?
FocusPaws is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Matchbox free?
Matchbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FocusPaws or Matchbox have ads?
Matchbox shows ads; FocusPaws does not.
Which is updated more often, FocusPaws or Matchbox?
FocusPaws ships an update every 6 days, and Matchbox every 2 months. Most recently, FocusPaws was updated on November 5, 2026 and Matchbox on November 10, 2026.

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