Comparison

Emphasis vs Move On

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

Move On

Enhance focus and productivity with timed work sessions and scheduled breaks. This app helps you minimize distractions and achieve your goals through its minimalist design and cross-device synchronization. Easily adjust work and break intervals to suit your workflow.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free design
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Adjustable work/break intervals
  • Minimalist interface
  • Goal setting
  • Customizable notifications
Features
Read full description

Move On will help you power through distractions, hyper-focus, and get things done in short bursts while taking breaks to come up for air and relax. Sync tasks between devices, easily change your work and break intervals using swipes, and get your things done anywhere. The app has a minimalist design so that you can narrow down your distraction and completely focus on your task! • Distraction-free design • Sync everything between devices • Change your work and break intervals using swipes • Beautiful notifications • Easily set your main goal and achieve it! Everything that you can conceive of wanting is within your grasp.

Screenshots

Emphasis4 screens
Move On4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Emphasis at 1.1K against Move On's 186. Move On's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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 and Move On sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Emphasis against 4.6 for Move On. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emphasis has 1.1K ratings behind it against 186, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Emphasis's written reviews are positive against 81% of Move On's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Move On every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Emphasis versus Move On: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmphasisMove On
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better4.6 (186 ratings)
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews — better80.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1.1K — better186
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAleksandr FiodorovIvan Orlov

Customer experience

Emphasis

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

Move On

All ratings186 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral3.8%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive80.8%
Neutral9.2%
Negative10.0%

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

Move On

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
2 purchases

Move On

Subscriptions2
  • Move On Plus Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
  • Move On Plus Yearly7 Days trial$12.991 Year

Questions

Is Emphasis free?
Emphasis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Move On free?
Move On is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Emphasis or Move On?
Emphasis is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Move On averages 4.6 from 186 ratings.
Do Emphasis or Move On have ads?
Neither Emphasis nor Move On shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Move On?
Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Move On every 11 days. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 11, 2026 and Move On on October 8, 2026.

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