# Emphasis vs Laps

The clearest difference is ads: Emphasis at none against Laps's shown. Emphasis also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 26) and device support (4 vs 2). Laps's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 and Laps sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Laps 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 26, 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 Laps's.

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Laps every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | Laps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews) | **[5.0 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/laps-focus-and-block-apps/id6452190950/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [Kwabena Ohemeng](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698778868) |

## 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


### Laps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/laps-focus-and-block-apps/id6452190950)

This app helps you focus by blocking distracting applications during work sessions. As you complete focus sessions, you virtually travel through real cities on a map, unlocking new routes and building a streak. Track your progress with detailed statistics for each session.

**Highlights:** Block distracting apps, Gamified focus sessions, Virtual city exploration, Progress tracking, Focus streak building, Unlock new routes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Early Adopter 1 Week | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Early Adopter 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Early Adopter 1 Year Plan | $39.99 | per year |
| Early Adopter 1 Year | $49.99 | per year |
| Restore Streak | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1,000 Laps Points | $8.99 | one-time |
| 2,800 Laps Points | $22.99 | one-time |
| 5,000 Laps Points | $36.99 | one-time |
| 13,500 Laps Points | $89.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is Laps free?

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

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

Laps is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Laps averages 5.0 from 26 ratings.

### Do Emphasis or Laps have ads?

Laps shows ads; Emphasis does not.

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

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Laps every 3 days. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 11, 2026 and Laps on September 17, 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.*