Comparison

Pond vs Focus App for Study, Work GABA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Mindful app blocking
  • Screen time tracking
  • Daily balance score
  • Scheduled focus sessions
  • Lotus garden visualizer
  • Breathing prompts
Features
Read full description

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

About

Focus App for Study, Work GABA

A minimalist productivity companion designed for focus and task completion. It offers curated session blueprints and clear visual tracking of work and break intervals to keep you motivated without overwhelming your screen.

Highlights
  • Minimalist design
  • Curated session blueprints
  • Visual work/break tracking
  • Customizable settings
  • Personalized audio cues
  • Adaptive to user needs
Features
Read full description

Tired of cluttered productivity apps that overwhelm you with features you’ll never use? Welcome to our Gaba Focus —your new minimalist companion for mastering focus and getting things done.  Designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind, this app redefines how you approach work, study, or any task that requires your full attention. Choose from a curated selection of session blueprints tailored to different work styles and time constraints. Whether you’ve got 30 minutes between meetings or a full morning to dive deep, there’s a session ready to guide you. Track your work and break intervals with a beautiful, clear visual representation. See your progress at a glance, with each block showing how far you’ve come and what’s next. It’s all about keeping you motivated without overwhelming your screen. We keep settings simple but powerful. Adjust your default work session, pick your audio cues, and personalize your experience—all stored effortlessly so you’re ready to focus every time  you launch. The app remembers what works best for you, so you don’t have to. Whether you’re a student tackling study sessions, a professional grinding through tasks, or a creative working on your next big project, this app adapts to fit your needs. No fluff, just what you need to boost your productivity. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use: edouarbarbier.com/gaba/privacy

Screenshots

Pond4 screens
Focus App for Study, Work GABA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pond at 71% against Focus App for Study, Work GABA's 33%. Pond also leads on ratings volume (848 vs 2). Focus App for Study, Work GABA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Pond sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Focus App for Study, Work GABA asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Focus App for Study, Work GABA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pond has 848 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Pond's written reviews are positive against 33% of Focus App for Study, Work GABA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pond ships an update every 3 weeks, Focus App for Study, Work GABA every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Pond versus Focus App for Study, Work GABA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPondFocus App for Study, Work GABA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (848 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.1% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings848 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size350 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPIXO IncorporationEdouard Barbier

Customer experience

Pond

All ratings844 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral3.1%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews450 reviews
Positive71.1%
Neutral8.4%
Negative20.4%

Focus App for Study, Work GABA

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

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
Show 2 more
  • Ability to skip long breaks
  • Playlist support for sounds

Focus App for Study, Work GABA

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Pond

Subscriptions2
  • Pond Plus 1 Month$7.991 Month
  • Pond Plus 1 Year7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pond Plus Lifetime$99.99
None

Focus App for Study, Work GABA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pond free?
Pond is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Focus App for Study, Work GABA free?
Focus App for Study, Work GABA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pond or Focus App for Study, Work GABA?
Focus App for Study, Work GABA is rated higher. Pond averages 4.6 out of 5 from 848 ratings, while Focus App for Study, Work GABA averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Pond or Focus App for Study, Work GABA have ads?
Neither Pond nor Focus App for Study, Work GABA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pond or Focus App for Study, Work GABA?
Pond ships an update every 3 weeks, and Focus App for Study, Work GABA every 2 days. Most recently, Pond was updated on October 23, 2026 and Focus App for Study, Work GABA on October 7, 2026.

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