# Emphasis vs Focus Tomato

The clearest difference is rating: Focus Tomato at 4.9 against Emphasis's 4.7. Focus Tomato also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 84%). Emphasis's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Emphasis sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and Focus Tomato sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Focus Tomato holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Emphasis's written reviews are positive against 95% of Focus Tomato's.

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Focus Tomato monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | Focus Tomato |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-tomato-lets-focus-now/id1471458198/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | **95.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 132 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [CHIH-SHAN LIU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470906398) |

## 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


### Focus Tomato

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-tomato-lets-focus-now/id1471458198)

This app helps you stay focused and productive using a modified Pomodoro technique. It guides you through focused work intervals and short breaks, with features to prevent distractions and allow flexibility in your work sessions.

**Highlights:** Goal setting and breaking down tasks, 25-minute focus intervals, 5-minute rest periods, Extended breaks after 4 cycles, Flexible timer duration, Do Not Disturb mode, Integrates with other productivity tools

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tomato King | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and lovely design
- 🙏 Motivational messages
- 🙌 Customizable focus and break times
- 🎨 Vintage-style illustrations
- 🔊 Variety of ambient sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs with sound effects and notifications
- 🔍 Lack of advanced features like tags or categories
- 📱 No iPad or Apple Watch support

**Reported bugs**

- Upgrade didn't work as expected
- Timer stops when switching to other apps

**Requested features**

- Add a dark mode option
- Implement a widget for quick access
- Introduce a leaderboard or progress tracking
- Allow syncing across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is Focus Tomato free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Emphasis or Focus Tomato?

Focus Tomato is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Focus Tomato averages 4.9 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Emphasis or Focus Tomato have ads?

Neither Emphasis nor Focus Tomato shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Focus Tomato?

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Focus Tomato monthly. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on September 19, 2026 and Focus Tomato on September 24, 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.*