# Pond vs Focused Work

The clearest difference is update cadence: Focused Work at weekly against Pond's every 3 weeks. Focused Work also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 71%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pond sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Focused Work sells 10 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 — 4.6 for Pond against 4.7 for Focused Work. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 849 and 608 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Pond's written reviews are positive against 85% of Focused Work's.

Pond ships an update every 3 weeks, Focused Work weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pond | Focused Work |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (849 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pond-screen-time-and-pomodoro/id830466924/reviews) | **[4.7 (608 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focused-work-pomodoro-timer/id1523968394/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **849** | 608 |
| Positive reviews | 71.1% of reviews | **85.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 350 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PIXO Incorporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/541568418) | [Michael Tigas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1364337001) |

## What reviewers say

### Pond

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pond-screen-time-and-pomodoro/id830466924)

This app helps you regain control of your screen time and digital wellbeing. It offers mindful app blocking, tracks your digital balance, and provides a visual representation of your focused time. It's designed to foster healthier phone habits without guilt or gamification.

**Highlights:** Mindful app blocking, Screen time tracking, Daily balance score, Scheduled focus sessions, Lotus garden visualizer, Breathing prompts

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pond Plus 1 Month | $7.99 | per month |
| Pond Plus 1 Year | $49.99 | per year |
| Pond Plus Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and effective
- 👍 Customizable
- 🚀 No in-app purchases
- 👍 Minimalist design
- 👍 Helpful for focus and productivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Timer stops when app is in background
- 🐛 Bugs with color selection and settings
- 🔋 Battery drain
- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔒 Developer stored unrelated app data in user's iCloud

**Reported bugs**

- Timer inaccuracies
- Interface issues on Mac
- Inability to share audio with other apps
- Unreliable auto-reset functionality
- Subscription issues

**Requested features**

- Auto-reset option
- Ability to assign tasks to Pomodoros
- Project/focus area tracking
- Cross-device sync
- Apple Watch support


### Focused Work

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focused-work-pomodoro-timer/id1523968394)

This app helps users improve focus and productivity through structured timed sessions. It offers customizable timers, goal setting, and distraction blocking to build healthy work habits.

**Highlights:** Customizable focus sessions, Pomodoro and Flowmodoro templates, Distraction blocking, Reflection and goal tracking, Statistics and charts, Live Activities and widgets

**Features:** Safari Extension, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Focused Work Pro (1 month) | $2.99 | per month |
| Focused Work Pro - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Focused Work Pro (1 month) | $6.99 | per month |
| Focused Work Pro (1 year) | $19.99 | per year |
| Focused Work Pro - Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Focused Work Pro (1 year) | $39.99 | per year |
| Little Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Focused Work Pro Lifetime | $89.99 | one-time |
| Focused Work Pro Lifetime | $119.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 GAME CHANGER
- 👍 Good app
- 👍 Good Product
- 🚀 Phenomenal
- 👍 Great productivity app!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Shouldn't be a subscription
- 🐛 Reminders are annoying
- 🔒 Stop nagging people for reviews
- 🔒 App for iwatch is still missing in 2025.
- 🔒 Could be an amazing timer

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Stuck on a session: Gap time
- Desktop doesn't sync with phone

**Requested features**

- Need iwatch app
- Calendar integration?
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pond free?

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

### Is Focused Work free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pond or Focused Work?

Focused Work is rated higher. Pond averages 4.6 out of 5 from 849 ratings, while Focused Work averages 4.7 from 608 ratings.

### Do Pond or Focused Work have ads?

Neither Pond nor Focused Work shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pond or Focused Work?

Pond ships an update every 3 weeks, and Focused Work weekly. Most recently, Pond was updated on November 11, 2026 and Focused Work on November 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.*