Comparison

Emphasis vs Revlo

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

Revlo

Features
Read full description

Revlo is a quiet revision planner for students with an exam coming up. Tell it what you're sitting, when, and how many hours a day you can give it. Revlo turns that into a concrete schedule — subject by subject, block by block, day by day — so you stop planning and start revising. BUILD A PLAN IN SECONDS Enter your exam name, date, subjects, daily study hours and how hard the exam feels. Revlo weights your subjects and lays out the blocks for you, starting from right now. FOCUS, ONE BLOCK AT A TIME Each study block opens as a full-screen timer. Pause and resume freely — a session you leave halfway is still there when you come back. While a session runs, a Live Activity keeps the countdown on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, so you can put your phone face down and stay on track. SEE WHERE YOU ACTUALLY STAND Completion ring, hours studied, sessions done, daily average. Weekly bars comparing what you studied against what you planned, a momentum trend, and a progress bar per subject so you can spot the one you've been avoiding. REMINDERS THAT RESPECT YOU A notification when a study block begins and when a session's time is up. Nothing else. No streak guilt, no badges. BUILT TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY No account. No ads. No internet connection required — your plan lives on your device. Light and dark themes, and a deliberately calm, typographic design. Good luck with your exam.

Screenshots

Emphasis4 screens
Revlo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Revlo at none against Emphasis's 6. Revlo also leads on update cadence (daily vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support 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. Revlo asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Revlo daily. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Emphasis versus Revlo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmphasisRevlo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.1K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAleksandr FiodorovPanicle Tech Private Limited

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

Revlo

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
None

Revlo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Emphasis free?
Emphasis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Revlo free?
Revlo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Emphasis or Revlo have ads?
Neither Emphasis nor Revlo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Revlo?
Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Revlo daily. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 11, 2026 and Revlo on September 15, 2026.

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