# Emphasis vs Be Focused

The clearest difference is ads: Emphasis at none against Be Focused's shown. Emphasis also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). Be Focused's advantage is ratings volume (4.3K vs 1.1K). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Emphasis against 4.7 for Be Focused. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 4.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Emphasis's written reviews are positive against 89% of Be Focused's.

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, Be Focused every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emphasis | Be Focused |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews) | [4.7 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/be-focused-deep-focus-timer/id973130201/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K | **4.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Fiodorov](https://appshunter.io/developer/571378481) | [Denys Ievenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/427936468) |

## 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


### Be Focused

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/be-focused-deep-focus-timer/id973130201)

This app helps you stay focused by breaking down tasks into timed work intervals with short breaks. It offers task management, customizable timers, progress tracking, and cross-device synchronization. Enhance your productivity and concentration with this effective tool.

**Highlights:** Task creation and management, Customizable work/break intervals, Progress tracking and reports, Cross-device synchronization, Widgets and Lock Screen controls, Sound and notification options

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Pro | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Straightforward and easy to use
- 🚀 Helps with focus and productivity
- 💡 Customizable work and break times
- 📊 Tracks time spent on tasks
- 🔔 Good notification system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
- 🔔 Inconsistent notification sounds
- 💻 Lack of dark mode
- 🔍 Difficulty rearranging tasks

**Reported bugs**

- Timer resets unexpectedly
- Timers not syncing correctly across devices
- Notifications not always working as expected

**Requested features**

- Option to override Do Not Disturb mode
- Ability to log partial intervals
- Time tracking with notes per interval
- Customizable notification sounds
- Ability to set task-specific time limits


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emphasis free?

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

### Is Be Focused free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Emphasis or Be Focused?

Emphasis and Be Focused are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.1K and 4.3K ratings respectively.

### Do Emphasis or Be Focused have ads?

Be Focused shows ads; Emphasis does not.

### Which is updated more often, Emphasis or Be Focused?

Emphasis ships an update fortnightly, and Be Focused every 5 months. Most recently, Emphasis was updated on October 11, 2026 and Be Focused on October 10, 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.*