# Emphasis vs Focusability

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Focusability at none against Emphasis's 6. Focusability also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 84%). Emphasis's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 6). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Emphasis sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. Focusability asks for nothing beyond the download.

Focusability holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emphasis has 1.1K ratings behind it against 6, 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 100% of Focusability's.

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Focusability every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | Focusability |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focusability-stop-daydreaming/id1661097653/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 73 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [Emarceen Yusef](https://appshunter.io/developer/1661097655) |

## 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


### Focusability

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focusability-stop-daydreaming/id1661097653)

This tool helps you stay focused on tasks by actively monitoring your activity. If you stop engaging with your material, it provides a gentle alert to bring you back. It's designed to build disciplined work habits and improve concentration.

**Highlights:** Active Monitoring method, Focus Booster activation, Silence detection alerts, Productivity analytics, Privacy-focused audio processing, Reverse Alarm mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is Focusability free?

Focusability is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Emphasis or Focusability?

Focusability is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Focusability averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Emphasis or Focusability have ads?

Neither Emphasis nor Focusability shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Focusability?

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Focusability every 3 months. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 11, 2026 and Focusability on October 13, 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.*