Emphasis vs Session Pomodoro Focus Timer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Customizable focus intervals
- Ambient background sounds
- Focus-O-Meter for distraction tracking
- Personalized progress statistics
- Cloud sync across devices
- Highly customizable sessions
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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/
Session Pomodoro Focus Timer
This app helps users improve focus and productivity by guiding them through timed work sessions and breaks. It blocks distracting websites and apps, mutes notifications, and automates workflow elements like Do Not Disturb and music playback. Users can also track their time and review their progress.
- Timed work and break sessions
- Website and app blocking (Mac only)
- Mute Slack notifications
- Automated Do Not Disturb
- Music playback automation
- Apple Calendar sync
- Session progress tracking
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- Do you procrastinate and spend your time mindlessly? - have problem with focusing? - often get distracted while trying to focus? - maybe you are burned out because you worked too much and forget to take necessary break? - or, maybe have an ADHD? Session can help you with your focus problem. Trusted daily by tens of thousands of engineer in Silicon Valley, independent studios in Madrid, writers in Netherlands, and creative worker + freelancer all over the world. It helps you be more productive by guiding you to work in sessions, block distractions, track your time, and remind you to rest. GET INTO HABIT OF WORKING IN TIME BLOCK Inspired by Pomodoro technique, Session helps you block your time for focus. 25 minutes or 45 minutes is all you need to get closer to your goal KEEP YOUR FOCUS BY BLOCKING WEBSITES AND APPS THAT DISTRACT YOU (MAC ONLY) Session block distracting website and apps when you started a Session. It'll automatically restore your website when you are on rest / session has ended. BLOCK SLACK TEAM Session will automatically mute Slack team you choose when Session has started and open them up again when Session has stopped working. DON'T FORGET TO TAKE A REST Forcing yourself to work on long period of time is ineffective. Rest is as important as work / study. Why? Because rest is a crucial time where you: - store what you have learned in your head, and where - your brain solve difficult problem on the background. Notice that you usually get a new idea and solves problem when you're on walk and shower. Or anywhere where you're away from "work". AUTOMATE YOUR WORKFLOW (AUTOMATIC DO NOT DISTURB, PLAY MUSIC) Imagine having no distracting notifications while working on. It's possible by turning on Do Not Disturb. What if you can turn it on when you started your Session, and disable it after Session ends—all automatically? Or maybe change bulb color, play Apple music when Session has started? Different playlist on break? It's possible with Session. Automate it with AppleScript on MacOS and Apple Shortcut on iOS SEE YOUR SESSIONS ON APPLE CALENDAR WITH ONE WAY SYNC. See automatically create Sessions on Apple Calendar to review how your day has progressed. REVIEW YOUR SESSIONS Are you spending more time on a task than it's worth? Session keep you mindful by tracking your work and ask what you have learned after Session has ended. Session tracks what you have worked on, what have you learned, and for how long. Review your progress and journey that you have made. — Need support? Contact philip@stayinsession.com for assistance! — Learn about what Session can do here: https://www.stayinsession.com/learn — Join our Discord community channel here: https://discord.com/invite/5KASx2T4RU — Terms: https://www.stayinsession.com/terms Privacy policy: https://www.stayinsession.com/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Session Pomodoro Focus Timer at every 5 days against Emphasis's fortnightly. Session Pomodoro Focus Timer also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 84%) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Emphasis sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and Session Pomodoro Focus Timer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Emphasis against 4.8 for Session Pomodoro Focus Timer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 364 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Emphasis's written reviews are positive against 94% of Session Pomodoro Focus Timer's.
Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Session Pomodoro Focus Timer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Emphasis | Session Pomodoro Focus Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.1K ratings) | 4.8 (364 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | 93.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 364 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 73 MB | 107 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aleksandr Fiodorov | Translucent LLC |
Customer experience
Emphasis
Session Pomodoro Focus Timer
User reviews
Emphasis
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Minimalistic and simple design
- 👍 Customizable timer settings
- 💡 Helpful for productivity and focus
- 🚀 Sleek and intuitive interface
- 👍 Visually appealing countdown timer
Room to improve
- 🔒 Subscription model required for full features
- 🐛 Sync and login issues
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes after updates
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications and alerts
Session Pomodoro Focus Timer
From 364 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Most complete Pomodoro timer
- 👍 Excellent focus app with great features
- 🔒 Helps with ADHD and focus
- 👍 Beautiful, intuitive, and user-friendly design
- 👍 Seamless sync across devices
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional syncing issues between devices
- 🔒 Expensive subscription model, no one-time purchase option
- 👎 Some features like app blocking not working as expected
- 👎 Tedious to adjust session times
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
Session Pomodoro Focus Timer
Reported bugs
2 issues- Issues with editing past sessions
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices
Requested features
4 requests- Integrate with more productivity apps and to-do lists
- Add Apple Watch app support
- Expand customization options for themes and sounds
- Improve documentation and onboarding for advanced features
In-app purchases
Emphasis
- Emphasis Premium Subscription$3.491 Month
- Emphasis Premium Subscription$4.991 Month
- Premium Feature (Yearly Promo)$12.991 Year
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- Emphasis Premium Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Lifetime premium$29.99
- Lifetime premium$59.99
Session Pomodoro Focus Timer
- Session monthly subscription$4.991 Month
- Session yearly subscription$39.991 Year
Questions
Is Emphasis free?
Is Session Pomodoro Focus Timer free?
Which has better reviews, Emphasis or Session Pomodoro Focus Timer?
Do Emphasis or Session Pomodoro Focus Timer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Session Pomodoro Focus Timer?
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