Comparison

Roam vs Focus Timer

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

Head to head
About

Roam

Features
Read full description

Roam blocks distracting apps and websites where you need to focus, and lets them go when you leave. Pick a place (home, office, library, school) and what to block there. When you arrive, Roam locks it. When you leave, it comes back. No timers to remember. Set a schedule for each place: work hours at the office, evenings at home. Need to focus right now? Start a Quick Block for the apps and websites you choose. Need a breather? Take a 5-minute break. Really need in? Type a pause code, so every unlock is on purpose. Pick Gentle, Firm or Strict, or set your own. Roam uses Apple's Screen Time and your location. Your rules follow your day without you thinking about them. Try everything free for 14 days. After that, one schedule stays free; places and unlimited schedules need a subscription ($29.99 a year or $4.99 a month). Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Focus Timer

Features
Read full description

Focus for 25 minutes โ€” and a building rises in your city. Focus Timer is a calm Pomodoro timer with a reason to stay off your phone: every session you finish becomes one building in a little isometric city that's yours to explore. Quick sessions raise cottages; long deep-work sessions raise townhouses and apartment blocks. Keep showing up and your city grows whole districts โ€” leafy neighborhoods, a market square, parks, and one day, a clock tower. โ€ข One finished session = one building, forever โ€” tap any building to see the day, the minutes, and what you were working on โ€ข Longer sessions build bigger buildings โ€ข A real little city: roads, gardens, districts, landmarks โ€” pinch, pan, explore โ€ข Classic Pomodoro breaks, gentle and optional โ€ข Pick your length: presets, or a simple stepper up to an hour โ€ข Streaks and lifetime focus stats โ€ข No account, no ads getting in the way of the work โ€” everything stays on your device Free for 7 days, then a single one-time unlock. No subscription, ever. Part of Appopolis โ€” a little city of small, focused apps.

Screenshots

Roam4 screens
Focus Timer3 screens

Verdict

The call

Roam and Focus Timer are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Roam sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Focus Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Roam versus Focus Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRoamFocus Timer
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 โ€” better16.4
Further details โ€” not scored
Size30 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJIAN KUANGRAGHAV MODGIL

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Roam

Subscriptions2
  • Roam Plus$4.991 Month
  • Roam Plus$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Roam Lifetime$49.99
1 purchases

Focus Timer

One-time1
  • Unlock Forever$4.49

Questions

Is Roam free?
Roam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Focus Timer free?
Focus Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Roam or Focus Timer have ads?
Neither Roam nor Focus Timer shows ads.

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