Comparison

Focus Hourglass vs Sparkstep

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

Head to head
About

Focus Hourglass

Read 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

About

Sparkstep

Features
Read 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

Focus Hourglass4 screens
Sparkstep4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Focus Hourglass versus Sparkstep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocus HourglassSparkstep
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHangzhou Plus One Daily Technology Co., Ltd.Ferran Espuna

In-app purchases

None

Focus Hourglass

No in-app purchases

None

Sparkstep

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Focus Hourglass free?
Focus Hourglass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sparkstep free?
Sparkstep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Focus Hourglass or Sparkstep have ads?
Sparkstep shows ads; Focus Hourglass does not.

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