# Emphasis vs Pomofocus

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Emphasis at 84% against Pomofocus's 17%. Emphasis also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.8) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 8). Pomofocus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Emphasis holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emphasis has 1.1K ratings behind it against 8, 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 17% of Pomofocus's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | Pomofocus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews)** | [2.8 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pomofocus-focus-timer/id6467185071/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **83.9% of reviews** | 16.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 73 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [MicraSol LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470199317) |

## 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


### Pomofocus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pomofocus-focus-timer/id6467185071)

This time-blocking application helps users enhance productivity by dividing work into focused intervals with short breaks. It supports task definition, customizable timers, and includes features like goal setting and color themes to minimize distractions and achieve objectives.

**Highlights:** Time-blocking intervals, Customizable work timers, Short break reminders, Daily goal setting, Minimalistic design, Color themes, Notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is Pomofocus free?

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

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

Emphasis is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Pomofocus averages 2.8 from 8 ratings.

### Do Emphasis or Pomofocus have ads?

Neither Emphasis nor Pomofocus shows ads.

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

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Pomofocus fortnightly. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on September 19, 2026 and Pomofocus on September 15, 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.*