# Sumbi vs Commonplace

The clearest difference is monetization model: Sumbi at free with in-app purchases against Commonplace's subscription. Commonplace's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 9 days). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sumbi sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Commonplace sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Sumbi against 5.0 for Commonplace. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Sumbi ships an update every 9 days, Commonplace daily. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sumbi | Commonplace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sumbi-study-focus-timer/id6802502926/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/commonplace-book-notes/id6802507010/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 154 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [나이스데이](https://appshunter.io/developer/1751418356) | [DK Data Science](https://appshunter.io/developer/6798345241) |

## What reviewers say

### Sumbi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sumbi-study-focus-timer/id6802502926)

This app uses a focus timer to encourage users to put down their phones. Successful focus sessions grow a virtual ocean and attract sea creatures, creating a calming visual reward for digital detox and concentration building.

**Highlights:** Focus timer for study and work, Digital detox and screen time reduction, Virtual ocean with collectible sea creatures, Gamified focus sessions, Share creatures with friends, Ad-free experience

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Haenyeo Fins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Shallow Sea Creature | $0.99 | one-time |
| Haenyeo Hat | $1.99 | one-time |
| Haenyeo Breath Bubbles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Deep Sea Creature | $1.99 | one-time |
| Haenyeo Wetsuit | $2.99 | one-time |
| Abyssal Creature | $2.99 | one-time |


### Commonplace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/commonplace-book-notes/id6802507010)

This app helps you retain information from books and audiobooks by prompting you to write down your thoughts after each chapter. It then asks you questions to reinforce learning and provides a summary of your notes when you finish.

**Highlights:** Chapter-based note-taking, Active recall prompts, Customizable questions, End-of-book summaries, Export notes (text/JSON), Ad-free experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Commonplace Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Commonplace Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sumbi free?

Sumbi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Commonplace free?

Commonplace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sumbi or Commonplace?

Sumbi and Commonplace are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Sumbi or Commonplace have ads?

Neither Sumbi nor Commonplace shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sumbi or Commonplace?

Sumbi ships an update every 9 days, and Commonplace daily. Most recently, Sumbi was updated on November 10, 2026 and Commonplace on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*