Comparison

Stopwatch Journal vs Focal

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

Head to head
About

Stopwatch Journal

Features
Read full description

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.

About

Focal

Features
Read full description

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 โ€ข Full-screen timer in three shapes: disk, bar, or pie โ€ข Live Activity and Dynamic Island โ€” the countdown keeps running on your lock screen โ€ข Home and Lock Screen widgets for your next routine โ€ข Put the phone on its side while charging and StandBy becomes a desk timer โ€ข Start from Siri, the Action Button, or Control Center BUILT FOR THE WAY ATTENTION ACTUALLY WORKS โ€ข Gentle haptics at the halfway mark and in the final minute โ€ข 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 โ€ข Add a minute without losing your place โ€ข 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

Stopwatch Journal4 screens
Focal4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stopwatch Journal ships an update fortnightly, Focal weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences ยท 1 level
Stopwatch Journal versus Focal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStopwatch JournalFocal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly โ€” better
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size79 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWaldKlang CompanyHo Van Dai

In-app purchases

None

Stopwatch Journal

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Focal

Subscriptions2
  • Focal Pro โ€” Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Focal Pro โ€” Yearly$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • Focal Pro โ€” Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is Stopwatch Journal free?
Stopwatch Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Focal free?
Focal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Stopwatch Journal or Focal have ads?
Stopwatch Journal shows ads; Focal does not.
Which is updated more often, Stopwatch Journal or Focal?
Stopwatch Journal ships an update fortnightly, and Focal weekly. Most recently, Stopwatch Journal was updated on October 14, 2026 and Focal on October 5, 2026.

Other comparisons