Comparison

Nautilus vs Focus Mirror

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

Head to head
About

Nautilus

Features
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For the hours you spend studying or working alone. While you dive, the apps you chose truly won't open. Exams, certifications, deep work included. Nautilus folds three things into one action: dive. REAL BLOCKING, AT THE OS LEVEL Tap to dive, and the apps you chose (social, YouTube, etc.) are shielded on the spot via Screen Time. Not a reminder — while you're diving, those apps genuinely won't open. Block sets change per focus type (e.g. Reading vs. Coding). DUMP A DISTRACTION IN 3 SECONDS A stray "I need to do that" mid-session? Jot it down from the Lock Screen or Dynamic Island in about 3 seconds, without leaving focus. Everything you dumped is waiting for you when you surface. SURFACE, AND IT'S ALREADY A JOURNAL When you surface, that session becomes a log entry automatically — what you dove into, how long, what distractions you dumped. No manual logging. DESIGNED FOR ZERO GUILT No red badges. A zero-minute day isn't punished. "Depth," the number that reflects your focus quality, only ever goes up. Blocking relies on the device's Screen Time framework.

About

Focus Mirror

Features
Read full description

See yourself on camera, and stay focused on your own. People often act differently when they feel watched — a phenomenon known as social facilitation. Focus Mirror uses your front camera to recreate that feeling while you study or work, and gently alerts you with a glowing screen edge or a vibration when you leave your seat or look away for too long. ā–  Two detection modes for different kinds of work • Gaze: For screen work like a computer. Your usual posture is recorded during a 3-second countdown, and you're alerted when you keep looking down, up, or away. • Face: For reading, writing, or studying at your desk. Looking slightly away or down is fine — you're alerted only when you leave or turn fully sideways. ā–  A timer in the Dynamic Island • Time remaining blends right into the Dynamic Island • A ring around the screen edge shows your progress at a glance • The island and ring change color when you need a nudge • Keep an eye on the timer with Live Activities, even outside the app ā–  Blur or hide yourself • Blur your image (low, medium, high) or hide it completely • Detection keeps running while hidden, so you can work without distraction ā–  Track and review your focus • Records focus time, time away, warnings, and your focus rate • Compare with your last session and browse your history • Battery history shows charge levels over time, with charging periods highlighted ā–  Place it any way you like • Portrait, landscape, and upside down — prop it up however your charging cable allows • Choose a fixed orientation that stays even when rotation is locked • Works on iPhone and iPad ā–  Built for long sessions • Three power-saving levels for camera and detection • Automatically lowers the load in Low Power Mode or when the device gets warm ā–  Privacy • Face detection runs only on your device using Apple's Vision framework • Camera video and photos are never saved or sent anywhere • No account needed. Your records stay on your device ā–  Pricing This app is free to use. Premium is available as monthly and yearly auto-renewing subscriptions, as well as a one-time purchase. Prices are displayed in the App Store. Premium removes all ads and lets you register up to three viewing positions. Eligible users can try the yearly plan free for 7 days. ā–  Great for • Studying at home or preparing for exams • Staying off your phone while working remotely • Creating a study-hall atmosphere on your own • Building a habit by tracking your study time Focus Mirror is designed to help you get into focus. It does not measure or evaluate your ability to concentrate. Detection can be affected by lighting and camera angle. Terms of Use: https://taka3267-collab.github.io/tkApps/focus-camera/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://taka3267-collab.github.io/tkApps/focus-camera/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

Nautilus4 screens
Focus Mirror4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nautilus at none against Focus Mirror's 3. Nautilus also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Focus Mirror sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Nautilus asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Nautilus versus Focus Mirror: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNautilusFocus Mirror
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 5 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHIROTO IGUCHITakahiro Kimura

In-app purchases

None

Nautilus

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Focus Mirror

Subscriptions2
  • Remove Ads Monthly Plan$0.991 Month
  • Remove Ads Yearly Plan7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove Ads Lifetime$39.99

Questions

Is Nautilus free?
Nautilus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Focus Mirror free?
Focus Mirror is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Nautilus or Focus Mirror have ads?
Focus Mirror shows ads; Nautilus does not.
Which is updated more often, Nautilus or Focus Mirror?
Nautilus ships an update every 5 days, and Focus Mirror every 5 days. Most recently, Nautilus was updated on October 11, 2026 and Focus Mirror on October 9, 2026.

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