Comparison

Emphasis vs Timella

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Customizable focus intervals
  • Ambient background sounds
  • Focus-O-Meter for distraction tracking
  • Personalized progress statistics
  • Cloud sync across devices
  • Highly customizable sessions
Features
Read full description

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/

About

Timella

Master your time with this comprehensive productivity tool. Track various activities, set daily goals, and analyze your focus patterns to enhance efficiency. Customize sessions and use shortcuts for effortless workflow management.

Highlights
  • Focus Timer
  • Time Management
  • Productivity Tracker
  • iCloud Sync
  • Customizable Sessions
  • Daily Goals & Insights
  • Live Activities
Features
Read full description

Transform Your Time Management with Timella: The Ultimate Time Tracking Companion Unlock the full potential of your day with Timella, your all-in-one solution to mastering time management and elevating productivity. Designed with versatility in mind, Timella is the ideal partner for students, software developers, designers, fitness enthusiasts, and anyone in between, offering tailored features to track, analyze, and enhance how you utilize every moment. Key Features: * Focus Timer: Improve your concentration and track any activity. * Time Management: Organize your work, study, fitness, and other tasks. * Productivity Tracker: Monitor your progress and achieve your goals. * iCloud Sync: Keep your data backed up and synced across all your devices. * Versatile Time Tracking: Engage in comprehensive time tracking across a variety of activities such as coding, learning, designing, and exercising. Timella's adaptability allows you to oversee every facet of your day, empowering you with the insights needed to refine your time management strategy for peak productivity. * Customizable Sessions: Elevate your time tracking with sessions that you can personalize with unique names and icons. Whether you prefer a structured countdown or the freedom of an endless timer, Timella adapts to the nature of your tasks, ensuring your productivity is always aligned with your personal or professional goals. * Effortless Shortcuts: Enhance your efficiency with one-tap shortcuts for your regular activities. Timella's customizable categories streamline your workflow, enabling you to focus more on the task at hand and less on the setup, saving you invaluable time every day. * Daily Goals & Insights: Set achievable daily targets and monitor your progress with Timella's intuitive goal-setting capabilities. Delve into detailed insights about your focus patterns, equipping you with the knowledge to make strategic adjustments and consistently hit your daily objectives. * Live Activities: Maintain a clear overview of your ongoing sessions with Timella's live activity feature. This at-a-glance functionality ensures you remain in command of your time, helping you to stay focused and on track with your commitments. Who Stands to Gain? Timella transcends the boundaries of a typical app to become a catalyst for productivity transformation. Its intuitive design and robust features cater to a wide audience, from students to professionals and beyond, making it the quintessential tool for anyone looking to seize control of their time and achieve more every day. Embark on a Productivity Journey with Timella! Step into a world where time works in your favor. Download Timella today and join a community committed to productivity excellence. From coding marathons to design sprints, study sessions, and fitness challenges, let Timella be your guide in maximizing the potential of every moment. For more details on the terms and conditions that govern your use of our app, please visit https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Emphasis4 screens
Timella4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Timella at every 3 days against Emphasis's fortnightly. Timella also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 84%). Emphasis's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Emphasis sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and Timella sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Timella every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Emphasis versus Timella: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmphasisTimella
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAleksandr FiodorovJordan Andrade Carlota

Customer experience

Emphasis

All ratings1,058 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral2.2%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews1,108 reviews
Positive83.9%
Neutral6.0%
Negative10.0%

Timella

Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Timella

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Emphasis

Subscriptions4
  • Emphasis Premium Subscription$3.491 Month
  • Emphasis Premium Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Premium Feature (Yearly Promo)$12.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Emphasis Premium Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime premium$29.99
  • Lifetime premium$59.99
3 purchases

Timella

Subscriptions2
  • Timella Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Timella Pro Yearly$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Timella Pro$14.99

Questions

Is Emphasis free?
Emphasis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Timella free?
Timella is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Emphasis or Timella have ads?
Neither Emphasis nor Timella shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Timella?
Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Timella every 3 days. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 11, 2026 and Timella on September 29, 2026.

Other comparisons