# Emphasis vs Deep Work

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Emphasis at 1.1K against Deep Work's 1. Deep Work's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, 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 Deep Work sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Deep Work 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 1, 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 Deep Work's.

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Deep Work every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | Deep Work |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deep-work-stay-focused/id6742068060/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [Krishna Sangeeth KS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1796652653) |

## 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


### Deep Work

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deep-work-stay-focused/id6742068060)

Build focused attention in a distracting world with a focus timer, visual time blocking, and insightful analytics. Track progress, earn badges, and get personalized recommendations to improve your productivity and achieve your best work.

**Highlights:** Customizable focus timer (Pomodoro), Visual time blocking, Task management with categories and priorities, Focus session analytics and trends, Gamified streaks and badges, Personalized productivity insights

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DeepTick | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is Deep Work free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Emphasis or Deep Work?

Deep Work is rated higher. Emphasis averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Deep Work averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Emphasis or Deep Work have ads?

Neither Emphasis nor Deep Work shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Deep Work?

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Deep Work every 3 days. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on September 19, 2026 and Deep Work 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.*