# Emphasis vs Focus Lock

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Emphasis at 84% against Focus Lock's 23%. Emphasis also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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 Lock sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Emphasis holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 295 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Emphasis's written reviews are positive against 23% of Focus Lock's.

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Focus Lock every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | Focus Lock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews)** | [4.3 (295 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-lock-screen-time-limit/id1494966346/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 295 |
| Positive reviews | **83.9% of reviews** | 22.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 74 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [Flipd Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1719329275) |

## 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 Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-lock-screen-time-limit/id1494966346)

This app helps you reduce screen time and block distracting applications to improve focus and productivity. It offers customizable blocking sessions, scheduling, and progress tracking to support digital detox and better presence.

**Highlights:** Block distracting apps, Set screen time limits, Automatic scheduling, Digital detox without deleting apps, Track progress and streaks, Save custom session shortcuts

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| The Success Bundle | $12.49 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription - 3 days free | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription - 7 days free | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| The Success Bundle | $87.99 | per year |
| Focus Lock Premium Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helps with focus and productivity
- 🔒 Effective at blocking distracting apps
- 👍 Useful for studying and work
- 💡 Customizable lock durations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Apps don't return to original order
- 🐛 Inconsistent app locking functionality
- 🐛 Resets notification settings
- 💰 Expensive subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Apps not returning after lock duration
- Inability to unlock or reactivate apps
- Frequent crashes or glitches

**Requested features**

- Allow selective app locking
- Provide scheduling options for automatic locks
- Improve app organization after lock ends


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is Focus Lock free?

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

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

Emphasis is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Focus Lock averages 4.3 from 295 ratings.

### Do Emphasis or Focus Lock have ads?

Neither Emphasis nor Focus Lock shows ads.

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

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Focus Lock every 2 weeks. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on November 1, 2026 and Focus Lock on November 3, 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.*