Stopwatch Journal vs Focal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Stopwatch Journal
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Stopwatch Journal is a precise stopwatch and countdown timer that remembers every run. Instead of timing something and losing the result the moment you reset, Stopwatch Journal saves each session โ elapsed time, mode, and every lap โ to a journal you can revisit, review, and analyze. Time your way with two modes. Use count-up to measure how long something takes, or set a target and use count-down for intervals, workouts, cooking, and focus sessions. Record laps while the clock runs to break a session into meaningful splits, then keep them for later. Everything you time is saved automatically: - Capture laps with split and total times as you go - Browse past runs in a clean History tab - Spot trends and patterns in the Analysis tab - Choose from multiple stopwatch faces to suit your style - Import and export your journal to move it between devices Stopwatch Journal is designed for practical, repeatable use โ training splits, study intervals, kitchen timers, practice sessions, or any routine worth measuring. The interface stays out of your way so you can start, lap, and save in seconds, then come back later to see your progress. Available in many languages with light and dark themes, Stopwatch Journal gives you a dependable timing companion that keeps a full record of your work โ not just the current run.
Focal
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See the time you have left. Focal turns a countdown into something you can look at: a colored disk that shrinks as your time runs out โ the same idea as the timer on a classroom wall, in your pocket, on your lock screen, and on your desk while the phone charges. ONE THING AT A TIME A routine in Focal is a chain of short steps, each with its own length. Focal shows you the step you are on and nothing else, then moves to the next one by itself. Morning launch, shutdown, cleaning sprint, a study block โ start with ten ready-made routines or build your own. TIME YOU CAN SEE, EVERYWHERE โข Full-screen timer in three shapes: disk, bar, or pie โข Live Activity and Dynamic Island โ the countdown keeps running on your lock screen โข Home and Lock Screen widgets for your next routine โข Put the phone on its side while charging and StandBy becomes a desk timer โข Start from Siri, the Action Button, or Control Center BUILT FOR THE WAY ATTENTION ACTUALLY WORKS โข Gentle haptics at the halfway mark and in the final minute โข When time is up the clock keeps counting, and Focal taps you on the shoulder at five and fifteen minutes โ the alarm for when you fall into something too deep โข Add a minute without losing your place โข Eight themes, including high-contrast and a quiet monochrome one NOTHING LEAVES YOUR PHONE. No account. No cloud. Nothing you make ever leaves your phone โ the timer works in airplane mode, because it never needed the internet. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stopwatch Journal at none against Focal's 3. Stopwatch Journal also leads on device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Focal's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price there is nothing between them.
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
Both are free to download. Focal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Stopwatch Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.
Stopwatch Journal ships an update fortnightly, Focal weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Stopwatch Journal | Focal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly โ better |
| Ads | Yes | No โ better |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac โ better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 โ better | 18.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 79 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | WaldKlang Company | Ho Van Dai |
In-app purchases
Stopwatch Journal
No in-app purchases
Focal
- Focal Pro โ Monthly$0.991 Month
- Focal Pro โ Yearly$7.991 Year
- Focal Pro โ Lifetime$24.99









