Comparison

FocusPal vs FocusTrain

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

Head to head
About

FocusPal

This app offers a personalized Pomodoro timer experience by allowing users to create a "Pal" from their own photos. It includes features to block distractions, display a live countdown on the Lock Screen, and track focus sessions with detailed reports.

Highlights
  • Customizable Pal companion from photos
  • Pomodoro timer with adjustable durations
  • Focus Shield to block distractions
  • Live countdown on Lock Screen and Dynamic Island
  • Animated Pal companions
  • Customizable focus backgrounds
  • Focus time tracking and stats reports
Features
Read full description

FocusPal is a Pomodoro timer with a Pal you create from your own photo — plus Focus Shield to keep distractions out of reach and a live countdown on your Lock Screen. Create a Pal from a photo of your favorite pet, plush toy, or little companion, then let it stay with you while you work, study, read, write, or build a better daily routine. Instead of staring at a plain countdown, FocusPal gives your focus session a friendly presence on screen. CREATE YOUR OWN PAL Turn a photo into a personal Pal, choose a cozy spot, and bring it to life with companion animations. Your Pal can be a pet, a toy, or anything that makes your focus space feel more personal. FOCUS WITH POMODORO SESSIONS Start a focus session, stay with one task, then take a short or long break when it is time to reset. Customize your focus duration, break duration, long break length, and cycle rhythm to match the way you actually work. BLOCK DISTRACTIONS WITH FOCUS SHIELD Decide what stays out of reach while you focus. Focus Shield uses Screen Time to hold back the apps and websites you choose, then clears itself when your session ends or you start a break. Pick Strict to shield everything blockable, Allowlist to keep a few exceptions open, or Loose to leave your phone exactly as it is. SEE YOUR TIMER AT A GLANCE Your session stays visible on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, so you can check the time left without unlocking your phone or reopening the app. ENJOY DIFFERENT PAL ANIMATIONS Your Pal is not just a static image. FocusPal supports animated Pal companions, making each focus session feel more alive and less mechanical. CUSTOMIZE YOUR FOCUS SPACE Choose from different focus backgrounds and create a calm space for your timer and Pal. Whether you prefer a cozy room, a bright sky, or a softer scene, FocusPal helps your focus space feel like your own. TRACK YOUR FOCUS TIME Review your focus history with dedicated stats reports. See your weekly, monthly, and yearly focus patterns, and understand how your sessions add up over time. GOOD FOR - Studying - Deep work - Reading - Writing - Homework - Creative work - Work sessions - Gentle Pomodoro routines - Building a focus habit FocusPal is built for people who want a simple Pomodoro timer with a softer, more personal feeling. It gives you a timer, breaks, Pal animations, focus backgrounds, and progress reports in one calm place. Terms of Use: https://focuspalapp.com/en/term-of-service Privacy Policy: https://focuspalapp.com/en/privacy-policy

About

FocusTrain

Features
Read full description

Focus like you're going somewhere. FocusTrain turns every focus session into a real train journey across Europe. Choose how long you want to work, pick a destination your train can actually reach in that time, and depart. While you focus, your train rolls down real tracks toward a real station. Stay on board until you arrive. THE RIDE • Real routes. Stations and tracks come from the actual European rail network. Fifty minutes of deep work is the ride to Basel, not a number on a kitchen timer. • The Quiet Carriage. Stow your distracting apps in the luggage rack for the ride. They lock while the train moves, unlock at every station break, and open again when you arrive. Built on Apple's Screen Time. You choose the apps, and you can always end the ride. • Station breaks. Longer sessions stop at real stations along the route. Stretch, breathe, then the doors close and you roll on toward your destination. • Train ambience. A soft interior rumble rides with you, quiets down at the stops, and keeps playing when you lock your phone. • Tickets you keep. Every completed journey prints a ticket into your wallet. End a ride early and the ticket rips in half. Ripped tickets aren't kept. That's the point. SUBSCRIPTION FocusTrain requires an active Focus Train Pro subscription. Every journey, the Quiet Carriage, and your ticket wallet are included. • Yearly: $49.99/year, after a 7-day free trial for new riders • Monthly: $12.99/month Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Any unused portion of the free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use: https://n.rocapine.com/Terms-62586d14be1a4148a92fca350098d2dc Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://n.rocapine.com/Privacy-9966e57032da4ff7afccf7166c4288f1

Screenshots

FocusPal4 screens
FocusTrain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: FocusPal at none against FocusTrain's shown. FocusPal also leads on iOS requirement (17.2 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. FocusPal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and FocusTrain sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
FocusPal versus FocusTrain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocusPalFocusTrain
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.2 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size145 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLIFEPLUS TECH LTDJason Mayo

In-app purchases

3 purchases

FocusPal

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$2.991 Month
  • Annual Pro$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$26.99
2 purchases

FocusTrain

Subscriptions2
  • Focus Train (Monthly)$12.991 Month
  • Focus Train (Yearly)7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is FocusPal free?
FocusPal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FocusTrain free?
FocusTrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FocusPal or FocusTrain have ads?
FocusTrain shows ads; FocusPal does not.

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