Focus Hourglass vs Sparkstep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Focus Hourglass
Read full descriptionHide full description
Focus Hourglass is a simple focus timer that starts when you flip your phone over. It recreates the feeling of a real hourglass, helping users reduce phone distractions and stay focused. Core Features: 1. Flip to Start Choose a focus duration and flip your phone over to begin. 2. Real Hourglass Experience A flowing hourglass animation makes time feel clear and visual. 3. Pick-Up Reminder If you turn your phone back during a session, the app reminds you to flip it over and continue focusing. 4. Focus Sounds Multiple white noise options help create a calm focus atmosphere. 5. Weekly Stats Track focus time, average duration, success rate, and longest session. 6. Milestones Unlock achievement badges as you complete focus sessions. Privacy Policy: https://cathycup.github.io/focus_hourglass/privacy-policy
Sparkstep
Read full descriptionHide full description
Sparkstep is a focus timer and routine planner designed for ADHD brains - low clutter, dopamine-aware, and calm by design. No account, no cloud, fully offline. WHY FOCUSFLOW - Built for ADHD: visual time, one task at a time, instant rewards. - Low stimulation: generous whitespace and gentle motion so you can think. - Private and offline: everything stays on your device. VISUAL FOCUS TIMER - A shrinking disc shows your time at a glance - easier than reading digits. - Adjustable focus and break lengths, Pomodoro-style rounds. - "One task right now" field keeps you anchored. - Park-a-thought button: capture a distraction, let it go, come back. - Optional ambient sound (white noise, brown noise, rain) and a celebration when you finish. ROUTINES, ONE STEP AT A TIME - Build morning, work-start and wind-down routines as ordered steps. - Run mode shows ONLY the current step, so the rest never overwhelms you. - Per-step timers, big check-off, progress bar, and ready-made templates. TODAY: NOW / NEXT / LATER - Three simple buckets instead of an endless backlog. - Quick capture, "eat the frog" highlight, estimated vs actual time. - Unfinished tasks roll over to today automatically. INSIGHTS & ACHIEVEMENTS - Focus minutes, sessions, routine streaks and your best focus time of day. - A GitHub-style consistency heatmap and weekly comparison. - Dozens of achievements to keep momentum going. MADE YOUR WAY - English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese. - Reduce-motion and low-stimulation options. - Export and import your data anytime. Sparkstep is a productivity and focus aid, not a medical or clinical tool. Download Sparkstep and make focus feel doable.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Focus Hourglass at none against Sparkstep's shown. Sparkstep's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Focus Hourglass | Sparkstep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days | — |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hangzhou Plus One Daily Technology Co., Ltd. | Ferran Espuna |
In-app purchases
Focus Hourglass
No in-app purchases
Sparkstep
No in-app purchases









