Comparison

Focal vs LockIn

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

Head to head
About

Focal

Features
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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 β€” 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 β€” start with ten ready-made routines or build your own. TIME YOU CAN SEE, EVERYWHERE β€’ Full-screen timer in three shapes: disk, bar, or pie β€’ Live Activity and Dynamic Island β€” the countdown keeps running on your lock screen β€’ Home and Lock Screen widgets for your next routine β€’ Put the phone on its side while charging and StandBy becomes a desk timer β€’ Start from Siri, the Action Button, or Control Center BUILT FOR THE WAY ATTENTION ACTUALLY WORKS β€’ Gentle haptics at the halfway mark and in the final minute β€’ When time is up the clock keeps counting, and Focal taps you on the shoulder at five and fifteen minutes β€” the alarm for when you fall into something too deep β€’ Add a minute without losing your place β€’ 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 β€” 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/

About

LockIn

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Temporarily block distracting apps and websites while you focus. Choose the apps, categories, and websites that pull your attention, start a Focus Timer or Pomodoro, and LockIn uses Apple’s Screen Time technology to shield them for the duration of your session. Blocking continues if you leave LockIn or lock your phone. When the timer ends, everything unlocks automatically. BLOCK DISTRACTIONS WITH A TIMER β€’ Select apps, complete categories, or specific websites using Apple’s private activity picker β€’ Set a custom session lasting anywhere from 2 minutes to several hours β€’ Keep blocking active while using other apps or while your phone is locked β€’ See a clean Screen Time shield when you try opening a selected app β€’ Automatically remove every shield when your session finishes β€’ Use Strict Mode to help prevent ending a session early THREE WAYS TO LOCK IN FOCUS TIMER Start one protected deep-work session. Choose your duration, block your distractions, and remain focused until the countdown ends. POMODORO Work and rest in structured rounds. Begin with the classic 25-minute focus and 5-minute break routine, or customize the intervals to suit your workflow. Your selected apps and websites remain shielded throughout the routine, including its breaks. MEDITATE Choose 5, 10, or 15 minutes, or create your own duration. Play calming ambient sound, breathe, reset, and return sharper. Meditate mode does not block apps, so you can use it as a simple calming timer. MAKE IT YOURS Visit the Styles gallery to explore and preview different timer experiences before choosing your favorite. Available timer styles include: β€’ Sprint β€’ Flip Clock β€’ Ring β€’ Stealth β€’ Intervals STAY IN THE ZONE β€’ Play a deep-focus pad, brown noise, rain, ocean, or soft rhythm β€’ Continue listening while using another app or while your screen is locked β€’ Control playback from the Lock Screen, Control Center, or in-app mini-player β€’ Follow the countdown through a Lock Screen and Dynamic Island Live Activity WATCH YOUR FOCUS COMPOUND Your Training Log helps you understand your progress with: β€’ Total focus time β€’ Daily streaks β€’ Weekly totals β€’ Personal best sessions β€’ Your strongest focus window β€’ Focus and meditation history PRIVATE BY DESIGN LockIn uses Apple’s Screen Time framework and works with opaque activity tokens. It does not identify or collect a list of the apps installed on your device. Your selected restrictions, focus sessions, meditation activity, and training history are stored on your device. No account is required. LOCKIN PRO A LockIn Pro subscription is required to access the app. Pro includes unlimited sessions, Focus Timer, Pomodoro, Meditate mode, every timer style, Strict Mode, presets, ambient sounds, and your complete Training Log. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel your subscription from your Apple Account settings. Focus is a skill. Train it. Terms: https://sunnyrk.github.io/LockIn-Website/terms.html Privacy: https://sunnyrk.github.io/LockIn-Website/privacy.html

Screenshots

Focal4 screens
LockIn4 screens

Verdict

The call

Focal and LockIn are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters β€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them β€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Focal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and LockIn sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Focal versus LockIn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocalLockIn
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size10 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHo Van DaiSunny Radadiya

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Focal

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

LockIn

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Pass$5.997 Days
  • Yearly Β· Best Value$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Focal free?
Focal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LockIn free?
LockIn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Focal or LockIn have ads?
Neither Focal nor LockIn shows ads.

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