Pond vs Focus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pond
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.
- Mindful app blocking
- Screen time tracking
- Daily balance score
- Scheduled focus sessions
- Lotus garden visualizer
- Breathing prompts
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Pond - Your Digital Sanctuary A mindful app blocker for screen time balance and digital wellbeing You already know the feeling. Another evening lost to scrolling. Reaching for your phone during dinner. The exhaustion of being always on. Your phone promised connection. Instead, it scattered your attention into a thousand pieces. Pond is different. A gentle app blocker and screen time tracker that helps you reclaim your time. Not through guilt or gamification, but through quiet intention and mindful awareness. Three Things That Matter: Daily Balance Score One number that shows the quality of your digital day. Are you creating or consuming? Connecting or scrolling? Resting or stimulating? Not to judge—to help you notice. Track your digital wellbeing and build healthier phone habits. Mindful Blocking Set focus sessions for work, meditation, meals, or sleep. Block distracting apps and social media automatically. Your scattered attention becomes whole again. Just you and what you chose to do. Your Lotus Garden Each moment of presence blooms a lotus in your pond. Not points or streaks—just quiet beauty that grows with your practice. A visual reminder of time well spent and focus reclaimed. What You Can Do: • Block distracting apps during focus time • Set daily limits on social media and screen time • Schedule recurring sessions (work, sleep, meals, study) • Track your balance and phone usage without judgment • Take mindful breaks with breathing prompts • See weekly patterns in your digital life This Isn't Another Productivity App Pond won't buzz you to work harder. Won't shame you for a bad day. Won't turn presence into competition. Just a quiet space. A gentle reminder. A place to return to stillness. Perfect for those seeking digital detox, building healthier phone habits, improving focus, or simply using their phone more intentionally. Pond — a calmer way to use your phone. Your Privacy Matters Everything stays on your device. No tracking. No social comparison. No data collection. Terms & Conditions https://go.pixo.co/pond-terms
Focus
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Focus Timer - Pomodoro Timer Focus -> Relax -> Focus -> Relax Iterate your workflow by using Pomodoro Technique to maximize your potential. Focus Timer app helps you concentrate what you are doing. Just do it Tap play button to start focus timer. Focus on your work. Do not touch your phone while working. When timer finished, start relax timer and take a break. Iterate It. Improving Focus Timer app store your workflow history in Apple Calendar app. Check your history in Apple Calendar app and evaluate it. Set work/reset time for your preference. Features Based on Pomodoro Technique, provide work-rest Iterate timer. Play/Pause button to control Timer. Stop button to reset Timer. Tap top title textfield to edit work/rest title. Tap center count textfield to edit Minutes. After finish one iterate, Filled dot will add on the top of screen. Your workflow history will added in Apple Calendar. Edit work/rest time on Settings app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Focus at none against Pond's 3. Focus also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Pond's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months). 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
Both are free to download. Pond sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Focus asks for nothing beyond the download.
Pond ships an update every 3 weeks, Focus every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pond | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (848 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 71.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 848 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 350 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PIXO Incorporation | Good Effect |
Bugs and requests
Pond
Reported bugs
5 issues- Timer inaccuracies
- Interface issues on Mac
- Inability to share audio with other apps
- Unreliable auto-reset functionality
- Subscription issues
Requested features
7 requests- Auto-reset option
- Ability to assign tasks to Pomodoros
- Project/focus area tracking
- Cross-device sync
- Apple Watch support
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- Ability to skip long breaks
- Playlist support for sounds
Focus
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pond
- Pond Plus 1 Month$7.991 Month
- Pond Plus 1 Year7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Pond Plus Lifetime$99.99
Focus
No in-app purchases









