Comparison

Needle · Pomodoro Timer vs Focus

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

Head to head
About

Needle · Pomodoro Timer

Features
Read full description

Needle is a calm, beautiful Pomodoro timer that helps you spend your time on what matters, one session at a time. Pick what you want to focus on, set the length, and start. When the time is up, take a real break. That's the whole method, proven for decades. FOCUS WITHOUT FRICTION • Set the length on a tape in the middle of the screen, then start in one tap • Focus Lock adds a few seconds of friction before you can give up early — or, set to Locked, refuses to let you stop until the block ends • Tag every session: Work, Study, Code, anything you like • A real alarm at the end of a session that breaks through silent mode and Focus SOUND AND SCENES TO WORK TO • A full-screen focus player opens as your session starts • Quran recitations, free for everyone: choose from up to 14 reciters and listen to all 114 surahs • Lofi tracks across three moods — Ambient & Zen, Chillhop & Jazz, Late Night — bundled and offline, no account, no streaming; one free track in every mood, the full library with Needle+ • 40 ambient sounds — rain, nature, night, travel and more — to layer, each with its own volume (Needle+) • Looping video scenes, or none at all SEE WHERE YOUR TIME GOES • A day view, a week strip, and a full session timeline • Build a daily streak and keep it alive • Set a daily goal that fits your life and watch it fill • Export every session to CSV whenever you want ON EVERY SCREEN YOU OWN • iPhone, iPad and Mac — on Mac, a compact Liquid Glass timer that lives in the menu bar • An Apple Watch app that runs sessions on its own • Control Center tiles • Start, pause and stop the timer from Spotlight, Siri and Shortcuts MAKE IT YOURS • Backgrounds and eight alternate app icons • Eleven languages • Dark by design, easy on the eyes at 2am Needle+ (optional subscription) The full lofi library and all 40 ambient sounds, unlimited tags and colors, detailed stats and insights, and Live Activity with the Dynamic Island. Family Sharing supported, so one subscription covers your whole family. Monthly or yearly; payment is charged to your Apple Account and renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Your time is your most valuable asset. Spend it on what matters. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Focus

Features
Read full description

Make time for what matters, one focused session at a time. Focus brings a Pomodoro timer, tasks, and useful progress tracking together on your iPhone. GIVE EACH SESSION A PURPOSE Choose what you want to work on, then start the timer. Keep reading, writing, revision, and everyday work in a simple task list. Add daily time goals to the tasks you want to make room for. FIND YOUR RHYTHM Use a Pomodoro timer with focus periods and breaks, adjust the durations to suit your day, or switch to the stopwatch when you want to count up. Pause, resume, or end a session as your plans change. SEE WHERE YOUR TIME WENT Review your sessions and weekly focus time. See time by task and follow your progress toward a daily goal, so your next session starts with a clearer picture. KEEP YOUR TIMER IN VIEW Follow an active session with Live Activities on your iPhone. On supported iPhone models, your timer can also appear in the Dynamic Island. BRING YOUR DEVICES TOGETHER Use Focus on iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch. Sync your Focus data through your private iCloud database when iCloud is available. Local features work without creating a Focus account. Start with one task. Make a little time. Build from there.

Screenshots

Needle · Pomodoro Timer4 screens
Focus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Focus at none against Needle · Pomodoro Timer's 2. Focus also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 6 days) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. Needle · Pomodoro Timer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Focus asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Needle · Pomodoro Timer ships an update every 6 days, Focus daily. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Needle · Pomodoro Timer versus Focus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeedle · Pomodoro TimerFocus
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Mac, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size153 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGaliya ZhenisAyush Deolasee

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Needle · Pomodoro Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Needle+ Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Needle+ Yearly7 Days trial$5.991 Year
None

Focus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Needle · Pomodoro Timer free?
Needle · Pomodoro Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Focus free?
Focus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Needle · Pomodoro Timer or Focus have ads?
Neither Needle · Pomodoro Timer nor Focus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Needle · Pomodoro Timer or Focus?
Needle · Pomodoro Timer ships an update every 6 days, and Focus daily. Most recently, Needle · Pomodoro Timer was updated on October 29, 2026 and Focus on October 29, 2026.

Other comparisons