# Emphasis vs Focused Work

Emphasis and Focused Work are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Emphasis sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and Focused Work sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 4.7 for Focused Work. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 603 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Emphasis's written reviews are positive against 85% of Focused Work's.

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Focused Work weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | Focused Work |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews) | [4.7 (603 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focused-work-pomodoro-timer/id1523968394/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 603 |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | **84.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [Michael Tigas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1364337001) |

## 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


### Focused Work

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focused-work-pomodoro-timer/id1523968394)

This app helps users improve focus and productivity through structured timed sessions. It offers customizable timers, goal setting, and distraction blocking to build healthy work habits.

**Highlights:** Customizable focus sessions, Pomodoro and Flowmodoro templates, Distraction blocking, Reflection and goal tracking, Statistics and charts, Live Activities and widgets

**Features:** Safari Extension, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Focused Work Pro (1 month) | $2.99 | per month |
| Focused Work Pro - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Focused Work Pro (1 month) | $6.99 | per month |
| Focused Work Pro (1 year) | $19.99 | per year |
| Focused Work Pro - Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Focused Work Pro (1 year) | $39.99 | per year |
| Little Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Massive Tip | $19.99 | one-time |
| Focused Work Pro Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |
| Focused Work Pro Lifetime | $89.99 | one-time |
| Focused Work Pro Lifetime | $119.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 GAME CHANGER
- 👍 Good app
- 👍 Good Product
- 🚀 Phenomenal
- 👍 Great productivity app!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Shouldn't be a subscription
- 🐛 Reminders are annoying
- 🔒 Stop nagging people for reviews
- 🔒 App for iwatch is still missing in 2025.
- 🔒 Could be an amazing timer

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Stuck on a session: Gap time
- Desktop doesn't sync with phone

**Requested features**

- Need iwatch app
- Calendar integration?
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is Focused Work free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Emphasis or Focused Work?

Emphasis and Focused Work are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.1K and 603 ratings respectively.

### Do Emphasis or Focused Work have ads?

Neither Emphasis nor Focused Work shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Focused Work?

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Focused Work weekly. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 11, 2026 and Focused Work on October 7, 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.*