Comparison

Focus vs Pomodoro

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

Head to head
About

Focus

This app helps users improve concentration and productivity by breaking work into structured intervals with scheduled breaks. It offers task management, detailed statistics, and syncs across all Apple devices, including Apple Watch and widgets.

Highlights
  • Customizable Pomodoro timer
  • Unlimited to-do lists
  • In-depth productivity statistics
  • iCloud sync across Apple devices
  • Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets
  • Apple Watch app
Features
Read full description

Do your best work. Focus helps you concentrate with timed focus sessions built on the Pomodoro technique, track your tasks and projects, and see real progress — across all your Apple devices. A calm, proven rhythm: plan, work, break, review. “[…] a tool that can genuinely make people more productive” – MacStories.net “[…] a must-have for anyone who finds themselves easily getting distracted or forgetting to take occasional breaks.” – iDownloadBlog.com I always use Focus when… … I need to start a deep-work session … I want to stop procrastinating and finally begin … I want to break a big project into focused sprints … I’m studying and need to concentrate … I want to protect my time from distractions … I want to build a daily focus habit … I want to see what I actually got done today … I want structure without a heavy, complicated system Benefits * Start focusing in seconds: pick a task, start a session, get to work * The proven Pomodoro rhythm — plan → work → break → review — that gives your attention somewhere to go * Sessions and tasks together: a focus timer plus real task, project, and time tracking (most apps split these into two) * See your progress: daily and weekly activity and goals make focus feel earned, never nagged * Restful breaks that are part of the rhythm, not slacking * Calm and encouraging — momentum, never hustle, grind, or guilt Features * Timed focus sessions with flexible session and break lengths * Tasks, projects, and time tracking * Daily and weekly activity and goals * In-app Learning: short, friendly guides you can apply as you read * Widgets, Live Activities, and Dynamic Island * Siri, Shortcuts, and Spotlight via App Intents * Seamless iCloud sync * Built-in accessibility * Privacy first: your data stays on your devices and in your own iCloud * Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro * Handcrafted by real humans :-) Focus is free to start. Focus Pro unlocks everything with a 7-day free trial. Thanks for doing your best work with us! We’re always improving Focus. If you have feedback or an idea, we’d love to hear it. About us Focus is made by Jan & Kerstin, two independent app developers based in Germany. We built Focus for our own workdays — to concentrate, make real progress, and still keep things calm. Our goal: a productivity app that’s a joy to use every day. We built this tool for ourselves — and now we’d love to share it with you! Questions? We offer friendly support. Just drop us a note at support@meaningful-things.com and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can. Privacy & Terms https://meaningful-things.com/privacy https://meaningful-things.com/terms

About

Pomodoro

Enhance your focus and productivity with a timer that breaks work into intervals. This app helps you manage tasks using the Pomodoro technique, offering customizable timers, relaxing sounds, and progress tracking. It supports various Apple devices and works offline.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro technique timer
  • Customizable intervals
  • Relaxing sound player
  • iOS widgets and Apple Watch support
  • Task management
  • Progress tracking
  • White noise integration
Features
Read full description

The Best Pomodoro Application. Work with this app to improve your productivity by breaking up after each working period. Features - Timer list - Relaxing sound player - iOS14 Widgets Support - Apple Watch Complications - White noises are played with timer - Customizable timer style & background image - Customizable settings for your working interval and short, long break interval - Offline mode - Dark mode - Manager your task using Pomodoro technique - Focus with white noise sounds - Track your progress - Background scheduling and notification - Support Working on backgrounds - Voice Feedback after finishing work and break - Universal app for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch Feedback email - jason@delightroom.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

Focus4 screens
Pomodoro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Pomodoro at free with in-app purchases against Focus's subscription. Pomodoro also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (11K vs 1.8K). Focus's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases 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. Focus sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Pomodoro sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pomodoro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pomodoro has 11K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of Focus's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pomodoro's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Focus ships an update every 10 days, Pomodoro monthly. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Focus versus Pomodoro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocusPomodoro
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (1.8K ratings)4.7 (11K ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.9% of reviews — better50.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1.8K11K — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterMonthly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision ProiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size301 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMeaningful Things GmbH & Co. KGDelightApps Corp.

Customer experience

Focus

All ratings1,835 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral2.9%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews304 reviews
Positive56.9%
Neutral12.8%
Negative30.3%

Pomodoro

All ratings10,798 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews295 reviews
Positive50.2%
Neutral12.5%
Negative37.3%

User reviews

Focus

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Time tracking
  • 👍 Minimalist design
  • 🚀 Seamless cross-device sync
  • 👍 Helpful for productivity
  • 👍 Great for Pomodoro technique

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐛 Sync issues between devices
  • 🐛 Unreliable notifications
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🐛 Forced to pay for basic functionality

Pomodoro

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple and efficient
  • 🎨 Customizable timers and sounds
  • 📊 Helpful statistics and tracking
  • 👍 Effective for productivity and focus

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy notifications and timers
  • 💰 Too many features locked behind paywall
  • 🔇 Unreliable audio playback
  • 🔍 Lacking basic functionality

Bugs and requests

Focus

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Infinite intro screen
  • Prompts to set up app on every open
  • Timer resets unexpectedly
  • Sync issues between iPhone, iPad, and Watch
  • Notifications not working as expected

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to duplicate tasks
  • Calendar integration
  • Background sounds
  • Customizable timer lengths
  • Automatic focus mode switching
Show 1 more
  • More detailed analytics and reporting

Pomodoro

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Timer stops counting when switching apps
  • Notifications not working consistently
  • Premium features not functioning as expected
  • App crashing or freezing on certain devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to sync timers across devices
  • More customization options for backgrounds and sounds
  • Improved statistics and reporting
  • Better support and communication from developers

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Focus

Subscriptions9
  • Focus - Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Focus - 3 Months$14.993 Months
  • Focus Yearly$19.991 Year
Show 6 more
  • Focus Yearly$27.991 Year
  • Focus Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Focus Early Bird7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Focus Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Focus Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Patron Subscription7 Days trial$59.991 Year
5 purchases

Pomodoro

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Club$0.991 Month
  • Pomodoro - premium$1.991 Month
One-time3
  • Tip$0.99
  • Premium$7.99
  • Lifetime premium$9.99

Questions

Is Focus free?
Focus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pomodoro free?
Pomodoro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Focus or Pomodoro?
Pomodoro is rated higher. Focus averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Pomodoro averages 4.7 from 11K ratings.
Do Focus or Pomodoro have ads?
Pomodoro shows ads; Focus does not.
Which is updated more often, Focus or Pomodoro?
Focus ships an update every 10 days, and Pomodoro monthly. Most recently, Focus was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pomodoro on September 23, 2026.

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