# Emphasis vs TimeLog

The clearest difference is ads: Emphasis at none against TimeLog's shown. Emphasis also leads on device support (4 vs 1). TimeLog's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Emphasis sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and TimeLog sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, TimeLog every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | TimeLog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [masashi adachi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1644649812) |

## 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


### TimeLog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timelog-study-and-habit-tracker/id6475646073)

Effortlessly track study, work, or habit durations with a simple tap. Visualize your progress with beautiful charts and analyze your time across daily, weekly, and monthly views to stay focused and motivated.

**Highlights:** Record daily activities and durations, Easy tracking with stopwatch, Categorize activities, Daily, weekly, and monthly charts, Analyze category and action time, Calendar view for reflection, Supports Dark Mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly plan | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual plan | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime plan | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is TimeLog free?

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

### Do Emphasis or TimeLog have ads?

TimeLog shows ads; Emphasis does not.

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

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and TimeLog every 4 days. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 22, 2026 and TimeLog on October 14, 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.*