# Emphasis vs Silo

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Emphasis at 84% against Silo's 38%. Emphasis also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and rating (4.7 vs 3.4). Silo's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Emphasis is free to download; Silo costs $1.99 up front. Emphasis sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and Silo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Emphasis holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emphasis has 1.1K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Emphasis's written reviews are positive against 38% of Silo's.

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Silo every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | Silo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews)** | [3.4 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/silo-focus-and-study-timer/id1086491369/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **83.9% of reviews** | 37.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 73 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [Rainbox Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086491368) |

## What reviewers say

### Emphasis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214)

This app helps users achieve deep work by providing customizable focus intervals and ambient soundscapes. It tracks your focus progress and offers personalized statistics to help you reclaim your time from distractions.

**Highlights:** Customizable focus intervals, Ambient background sounds, Focus-O-Meter for distraction tracking, Personalized progress statistics, Cloud sync across devices, Highly customizable sessions

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Emphasis Premium Subscription | $3.49 | per month |
| Emphasis Premium Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Feature (Yearly Promo) | $12.99 | per year |
| Emphasis Premium Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime premium | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime premium | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Minimalistic and simple design
- 👍 Customizable timer settings
- 💡 Helpful for productivity and focus
- 🚀 Sleek and intuitive interface
- 👍 Visually appealing countdown timer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription model required for full features
- 🐛 Sync and login issues
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes after updates
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications and alerts

**Reported bugs**

- Timer not working correctly after breaks
- Task lists not saving properly
- App crashing on launch for some users
- Sync issues causing data loss

**Requested features**

- Ability to track individual tasks and time spent
- Landscape mode support
- Apple Watch app integration
- More color theme options
- Improved statistics and progress tracking


### Silo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/silo-focus-and-study-timer/id1086491369)

This app provides a distraction-free Pomodoro timer specifically designed for Apple Watch. It uses subtle haptic feedback to guide focus and break sessions, helping users stay on track without auditory alerts. Ideal for quiet environments, it supports task management and progress tracking.

**Highlights:** Apple Watch native design, Discreet haptic alerts, Focus and break cycles, Adjustable timer intervals, Distraction-free operation, Task management and reminders (Pro), Focus stats tracking (Pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SILO Pro | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlock Pro Features | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is Silo free?

Silo costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Emphasis or Silo?

Emphasis is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Silo averages 3.4 from 10 ratings.

### Do Emphasis or Silo have ads?

Neither Emphasis nor Silo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Silo?

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Silo every 3 weeks. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 11, 2026 and Silo on October 7, 2026.

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