Comparison

Onbeat Running vs Refocus.

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

Head to head
About

Onbeat Running

Improve your running form with a metronome that plays under your music. Features interval workouts, voice cues, and a four-week cadence retraining program. Works on iPhone and Apple Watch, even offline.

Highlights
  • Running metronome plays under music
  • Interval workouts with voice cues
  • Four-week cadence retraining program
  • Standalone Apple Watch app
  • Works offline
  • Customizable workouts
Features
Read full description

Sore knees? Overstriding? Quicker, lighter steps are the fix. Onbeat gives you a steady beat in your ears. Your feet lock onto it. The beat plays under your music or podcast. You can still hear it on a loud road, with your phone in your pocket or just your watch on your wrist. Run to the beat and your cadence goes up. The training layer makes it stick: interval workouts with voice cues, and a program that retrains your cadence in four weeks. THE BEAT • Exact timing at any steps per minute. No drift, no stutter • Plays under whatever you listen to. Loud enough for the road • Change tempo without breaking stride. Controls on the Lock Screen THE TRAINING LAYER • Interval workouts. A voice tells you when to push and when to recover. You never look at the screen • Cadence Builder: four weeks of small steps that raise your cadence for good • Build your own workouts and keep them APPLE WATCH • Works on its own. Leave the phone at home and the real beat plays from your wrist • Intervals and voice cues on the watch too. Every run saves to Apple Health A METRONOME YOU BUY ONCE Here's what you get: the running metronome that plays under your podcast, interval workouts with voice cues, the four week cadence program, and the standalone Apple Watch app. Try everything free for 7 days. It's a real trial and there's nothing to cancel. Then $9.99, once. It's yours for life. No subscription. No account. No ads. You can browse the app forever either way. Starting a run is what needs the unlock. Works offline.

About

Refocus.

Features
Read full description

Refocus is a personal attention aid. When you open apps that pull you off track, iOS shows a short system pause first. Breathe or write an intention, then continue or step away. • Guard apps with Screen Time (Family Controls) • Timing: immediate, delayed, or ask-on-open • Today & focus report on device • Free: up to 2 guarded apps; Refocus Pro (monthly/yearly) unlocks unlimited apps Lifestyle guidance only—not medical advice. Requires iOS 16+ and Screen Time authorization.

Screenshots

Onbeat Running4 screens
Refocus.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Refocus. at every 5 days against Onbeat Running's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, 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. Onbeat Running sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Refocus. sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Onbeat Running ships an update every 3 weeks, Refocus. every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Onbeat Running versus Refocus.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOnbeat RunningRefocus.
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlterras LLCNightelf

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Onbeat Running

One-time1
  • Onbeat Lifetime$9.99
2 purchases

Refocus.

Subscriptions2
  • Refocus Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Refocus Pro Yearly$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Onbeat Running free?
Onbeat Running is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Refocus. free?
Refocus. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Onbeat Running or Refocus. have ads?
Neither Onbeat Running nor Refocus. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Onbeat Running or Refocus.?
Onbeat Running ships an update every 3 weeks, and Refocus. every 5 days. Most recently, Onbeat Running was updated on October 14, 2026 and Refocus. on October 13, 2026.

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