FocusCat vs Nela
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
FocusCat
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You want to focus, but the phone keeps pulling you back. FocusCat is simple. Choose a length, start, put the phone down. Your cat stalks a butterfly on the screen while you work. Your cat hunts while you focus As the timer runs, your cat closes in on a butterfly. At first it just sits and watches, tail swishing. Then its eyes go wide as it takes aim, and it starts creeping closer. When time is up it snatches the butterfly with one paw. You can tell how far along you are from the cat's posture alone, without checking the clock. Your cat calls you when time is up When the session ends your cat meows until you tap the screen. Leave the phone face down and you still won't miss it. Leave the app and your focus breaks Switch to another app and the session is recorded as failed. There is a 25 second grace period for a mistapped notification or a short call, but stay away longer and your cat gives up waiting. That one rule is the whole app. Lofi plays while you focus A quiet loop runs in the background. One tap mutes it when you're somewhere you can't make noise. You decide the length Pick 15, 25, 45 or 60 minutes, or set your own from 1 minute up to 3 hours. A cat that grows with you Successful focus time adds up and your cat grows. No ads while you focus Ads appear only after a session ends. Nothing covers the screen while you're focusing. No account, no sign-in, no purchases. Free.
Nela
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Study with a little friend who grows with every session. Nela is a focus timer with a study pet. Start a session, put your phone down, and your little red panda sits down to study with you. When the timer ends, you earn coins, your bond grows, and sometimes your pet finds something in the world you explore together. HOW IT WORKS ⢠Start focus in one tap: Pomodoro, a timer or a stopwatch, with pause. ⢠Pick a subject and, if you like, a task from your to-do list. ⢠Put your phone down. The timer keeps running on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, even when you leave the app. ⢠When it ends, your pet asks whether you finished your task, and you collect your rewards. BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS, IF YOU WANT Turn on Block distracting apps for a session and Nela uses Apple's Screen Time to keep the apps you choose away until it ends. It's a switch, never a requirement. SEE YOUR PROGRESS ⢠A daily goal, with today's focus time on Home and in a widget. ⢠Your days in a row, with a flame. Missing a day never takes away anything you've earned. ⢠Stats by day, week and subject, with your best day. ⢠Study quests with coins to claim: finish 3 sessions today, focus 2 hours this week, study 7 days in a row. ⢠Routines with gentle reminders for the study days you plan. A PET AND A WORLD THAT GROW ⢠Every session, your pet studies somewhere in its world, and each subject sends it to a different kind of place. ⢠Collect postcards and discoveries, and open new parts of the map. ⢠Spend coins in the shop on furniture, room styles and outfits, including a study corner. ⢠Ambient sounds for your sessions: rain for everyone, and campfire, breeze, night and lo-fi with Nela Plus. KIND BY DESIGN Your pet never gets sick or runs away. Ending a session early is allowed, and the time you focused still counts. No ads. NELA PLUS, IF YOU WANT MORE The timer, your pet, the shop, study quests and app blocking are free. Nela Plus adds: ⢠All 5 ambient sounds ⢠All 12 study routines, up to 3 at a time ⢠Double coins from every session ⢠Your full stats history ⢠Plus items and a daily deal in the shop Nela Plus is $3.99 a month, or $19.99 a year with a 7-day free trial. Prices may differ by country. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel it at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. PRIVATE ⢠No account needed to start. Your sessions and progress stay on your iPhone, with an optional backup when you sign in. ⢠You choose which apps to block. Nela never sees which ones they are, and doesn't read anything inside your apps. Nela is a study tool, not a medical or mental-health treatment. Available in English, Japanese, French, German, Korean, Portuguese and Hebrew. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://getnela.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FocusCat at none against Nela's 2. Nela's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Nela sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. FocusCat asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | FocusCat | Nela |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | ā |
| Ads | Yes | No ā better |
| In-app purchases | No ā better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod ā better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 ā better | 16.4 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 97 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Hyeok Kwon | Kovacs Software Solutions |
In-app purchases
FocusCat
No in-app purchases
Nela
- Plus Monthly$3.991 Month
- Plus Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
Questions
Is FocusCat free?
Is Nela free?
Do FocusCat or Nela have ads?
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