Comparison

Zen Timer vs Focus

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

Head to head
About

Zen Timer

Features
Read full description

Focus. Grow. Evolve. Zen Timer is a calm Pomodoro and focus timer for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. Every session you finish helps Orbilla, your focus companion, grow, rank up and unlock new looks. Pick what you want to focus on: Study, Reading, Journal, Meditation, Deep Focus or a HIIT Workout. Set an intention and press start. Zen Timer moves you into rest on its own, waits until you're ready for the next round, and keeps honest track of the time you actually spent. ORBILLA GROWS WITH YOU - Focus time earns leaves for Orbilla's wardrobe and your Zen Garden - Eight ranks to climb, from Cadet to Marshal - Nothing is ever lost, and nothing is sold for money A TIMER THAT FEELS LIKE A RITUAL - Painted scenes for every mode, in a light Dawn and a deep Dusk theme - Living atmospheres that move gently while you work: Mountain Mist, Aurora, Ember Glow, Ocean Tide, Starfield and more - Classic Pomodoro rounds, or Flow mode: count up while you're in the zone, then take a longer break - Start the next round automatically, or keep the screen on during a session - Spoken cues, singing-bowl chimes or quiet haptics SOUNDS FOR DEEP FOCUS - Original soundscapes: tanpura drone, soft rain, ocean, forest, singing bowls and warm hum - Your own sound mix, or Apple Music songs and playlists sized to your session PLAN A CALMER DAY - Plan my day: type or say your list and get a calm schedule, made on your device - A visual day planner that checks your Calendar for conflicts - Tasks with two-way Apple Reminders sync FOCUS TOGETHER - Focus Circles: see when friends are focusing, with no calls - SharePlay a session on FaceTime and start, pause and rest in sync CELEBRATE EVERY RETURN - A completion moment with petals and a quick "how deep was your focus?" check-in - A Zen Garden that grows a new plant for every routine you finish - Insights, streaks that never punish you, and a weekly rhythm report EVERYWHERE YOU ARE - Mac: a native app with a menu bar timer and keyboard shortcuts - Apple Watch: start a session on your wrist, with haptics at every phase - iPad: a two-column layout with keyboard shortcuts - Live Activity and Dynamic Island, widgets, StandBy, Control Center, Siri and Shortcuts - Alarms that ring on silent and in StandBy when a break or session ends - Apple Health: log meditation as Mindful Minutes and HIIT as workouts (optional) - Accessible: Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, Reduce Motion and Reduce Transparency PAY ONCE. FOCUS EVERYWHERE. One Zen Plus plan covers iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. Your routines and history sync through your own iCloud. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No ads. No tracking. Your data stays on your devices and in your own iCloud. ZEN PLUS Study mode, Flow mode, alerts, widgets, Shortcuts and Orbilla's ranks are free. Zen Plus unlocks all six modes, every scene and soundscape, the planner and Plan my day, tasks and Reminders sync, Focus protection, detailed insights, the weekly report, iCloud sync and your routines on Apple Watch. - Zen Plus Monthly: 1-month auto-renewable subscription - Zen Plus Yearly: 1-year auto-renewable subscription - Zen Plus Lifetime: one-time purchase, not a subscription New subscribers can start with a 1-week free trial; if you don't cancel at least 24 hours before it ends, the subscription begins. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. If Plus ends, your routines, tasks and history are kept. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://orbilla.com/privacy/

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

Zen Timer4 screens
Focus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Focus at none against Zen Timer's 3. Focus also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 4 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Zen Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Focus asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zen Timer ships an update every 4 days, Focus daily. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Zen Timer versus Focus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZen TimerFocus
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysDaily โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch โ€” betteriPhone, Mac, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size85 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTAPAN ShatapathyAyush Deolasee

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Zen Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Zen Plus Monthly: Focus & Study7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Zen Plus Yearly: Focus & Study7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Zen Plus Lifetime$49.99
None

Focus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Zen Timer free?
Zen Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Focus free?
Focus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Zen Timer or Focus have ads?
Neither Zen Timer nor Focus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zen Timer or Focus?
Zen Timer ships an update every 4 days, and Focus daily. Most recently, Zen Timer was updated on October 1, 2026 and Focus on October 10, 2026.

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