Comparison

Emphasis vs FocusTimer 2

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

Head to head
About

Emphasis

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
Read full description

You sit down to work. 40 seconds later, your hand is already reaching for your phone. Familiar? You’re not lazy. Modern life is engineered for distraction, and trying to force yourself to focus through sheer willpower simply doesn't work. Emphasis doesn’t force you to fight your own brain. One tap, a gentle ambient sound, a steady rhythm—and you’re already in a session. Ended a focus block after 12 minutes instead of 25? That’s 12 minutes of deep work you didn't have before. In Emphasis, every minute counts. 4.7 · 20,000+ reviews · Lightweight at just 75 MB Whether you’re navigating an ADHD brain, tackling a heavy study load, or trying to find clarity in a chaotic work week, Emphasis is a sanctuary from the digital noise. We took the science of the Pomodoro technique and turned it into a gentle, intentional rhythm that respects your natural energy levels. DESIGNED FOR YOUR FLOW STATE: * Immersive Sonic Spaces: Silence background distractions with curated ambient soundscapes. From subtle rhythmic pulses to meditative nature tones, create an environment where getting started feels effortless. * The Focus-O-Meter: Awareness is the first step to change. Select the apps that pull you away from your work and watch your Focus-O-Meter rise as you choose presence over the scroll. It’s not about restriction—it’s about reclaiming the time that belongs to you. * Tailored Focus Blueprints: No two brains work the same. Our onboarding learns your workflow needs from the start, letting you fully customize your session lengths and restorative breaks to prevent burnout before it begins. * Progress, Not Perfection: Focus is a practice, not a destination. Use beautiful, minimalist progress charts and calendar stats to recognize your personal patterns of success and celebrate your consistency. * Apple Ecosystem Sync: Your focus journey shouldn't be tied to one desk. Emphasis syncs seamlessly across your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch to keep your rhythm steady wherever you go. At just 75 MB, Emphasis won’t bloat your device, but it will help clear your mind. Join thousands of us who are choosing a kinder, more intentional way to live and work. Download Emphasis today and let’s find your rhythm together. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

FocusTimer 2

This app helps you stay focused on tasks using the Pomodoro Technique. It breaks down work into timed intervals with short and long breaks, offering statistics on your performance. Improve productivity for learning, work, and training by minimizing distractions.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro Technique timer
  • Customizable focus and break lengths
  • Long break mode
  • Work and study focus
  • Performance statistics
  • Distraction minimization
Features
Read full description

FocusTimer+ is work focus timer. It also contains statistics and performance analysis of your working log. Stay focused and use FocusTimer+ for learning, work, and training sessions. Stop wasting your time on distractions instead of focusing on what really matters. How to use this app? - Base on Pomodoro Technique, for work and stury - 25-minutes fully concentrated periods, separated by 5-minutes short breaks - Long Break mode. Trigger a long break every four concentrated periods - Allows customizing the length of focuses and breaks Pomodoro Technique is an easy-to-use time management method, which uses a timer to break down works into intervals, traditionally 25 min in length, separated by 5 min breaks. Pomodoro in Italian means tomato.

Screenshots

Emphasis4 screens
FocusTimer 23 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Emphasis at 4.7 against FocusTimer 2's 3.3. Emphasis also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (84% vs 57%). FocusTimer 2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). On price and ads 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. Emphasis sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. FocusTimer 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Emphasis holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emphasis has 1.1K ratings behind it against 3, 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 57% of FocusTimer 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, FocusTimer 2 every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Emphasis versus FocusTimer 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmphasisFocusTimer 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better3.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings1.1K — better3
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAleksandr FiodorovAppNextDoor Labs

Customer experience

Emphasis

All ratings1,058 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral2.2%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews1,108 reviews
Positive83.9%
Neutral6.0%
Negative10.0%

FocusTimer 2

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%

Bugs and requests

Emphasis

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

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

FocusTimer 2

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Emphasis

Subscriptions4
  • Emphasis Premium Subscription$3.491 Month
  • Emphasis Premium Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Premium Feature (Yearly Promo)$12.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Emphasis Premium Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime premium$29.99
  • Lifetime premium$59.99
None

FocusTimer 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Emphasis free?
Emphasis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FocusTimer 2 free?
FocusTimer 2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Emphasis or FocusTimer 2?
Emphasis is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while FocusTimer 2 averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Emphasis or FocusTimer 2 have ads?
Neither Emphasis nor FocusTimer 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Emphasis or FocusTimer 2?
Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and FocusTimer 2 every 9 months. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 19, 2026 and FocusTimer 2 on October 12, 2026.

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