Comparison

Emphasis vs TomoNow 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

TomoNow 2

This app offers a unique and intuitive time management experience with a focus timer designed to enhance concentration. It includes a to-do list, detailed statistics, and cross-device synchronization. Optimized for accessibility, it's suitable for daily use by visually impaired individuals.

Highlights
  • Unique real-timer UI
  • Flexible focus timer customization
  • Integrated to-do list
  • Daily work efficiency statistics
  • Home screen and lock screen widgets
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • iCloud synchronization
Features
Read full description

Do you remember the last time you used a real timer? TomoNow 2 can make your time management more interesting. Without too much thought, it's easy to get started. - It feels different: A specially designed UI feels like a real timer. Helps you to improve your focus and avoid interruption. - Full-function focus timer: TomoNow 2's timing tools are highly flexible and easy to customize. - Accessibility: TomoNow has been optimized for accessibility and is suitable for daily usage by visually impaired people. - To-do list: Focus on the current task. Use as a "current actions list" to incorporate the TomoNow 2 into your time management workflow. You can make a plan and follow the progress. There are also useful features such as repeat and undo. - Statistics: Record your daily work efficiency. Easy to analyze and review. Include the day, week, month, and time count since you start using TomoNow 2. - Task history: Manage finished tasks, long press to repeat. - Widget: Timer and task list widget that you can put on the home screen or lock screen. - Live Activity and Dynamic Island: Show the current timer state. - Watch app: Start focus from Apple watch! Set and add a task. Work perfectly in the background. - iCloud sync: Sync task list and history between your devices. - Sound themes: Reality, Glass, Synth, and Classic sound theme. - Siri shortcut, URL scheme support, drag & drop. - TomoNow 2 is designed and developed by an indie developer. - Using open-source projects: Gidole - Open Source Modern DIN (MIT): https://github.com/larsenwork/Gidole

Screenshots

Emphasis4 screens
TomoNow 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Emphasis at Free against TomoNow 2's $3.99. Emphasis also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 20). TomoNow 2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence 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

Emphasis is free to download; TomoNow 2 costs $3.99 up front. Emphasis sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. TomoNow 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Emphasis holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emphasis has 1.1K ratings behind it against 20, 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 79% of TomoNow 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, TomoNow 2 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Emphasis versus TomoNow 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmphasisTomoNow 2
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better4.5 (20 ratings)
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews — better78.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1.1K — better20
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAleksandr FiodorovJinyu Meng

Customer experience

Emphasis

All ratings1,058 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral2.2%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews1,109 reviews
Positive83.9%
Neutral6.0%
Negative10.1%

TomoNow 2

All ratings20 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative15.8%

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

TomoNow 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

TomoNow 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Emphasis free?
Emphasis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TomoNow 2 free?
TomoNow 2 costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Emphasis or TomoNow 2?
Emphasis is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while TomoNow 2 averages 4.5 from 20 ratings.
Do Emphasis or TomoNow 2 have ads?
Neither Emphasis nor TomoNow 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Emphasis or TomoNow 2?
Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and TomoNow 2 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 23, 2026 and TomoNow 2 on October 19, 2026.

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