# Focus vs DailyPlanner

The clearest difference is price: Focus at Free against DailyPlanner's $5.99. DailyPlanner's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 57%) and in-app purchases (none vs 9). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Focus is free to download; DailyPlanner costs $5.99 up front. Focus sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. DailyPlanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Focus ships an update every 10 days, DailyPlanner every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Focus | DailyPlanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $5.99 |
| Rating | **[4.4 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-deep-work-timer/id975017240/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Paid** |
| Size | 311 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meaningful Things GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/896347016) | [Asmaa Almutairi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806066922) |

## What reviewers say

### Focus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-deep-work-timer/id975017240)

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:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Focus - Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Focus - 3 Months | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| Focus Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Focus Yearly | $27.99 | per year |
| Focus Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Focus Early Bird | $29.99 | per year |
| Focus Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Focus Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Patron Subscription | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Ability to duplicate tasks
- Calendar integration
- Background sounds
- Customizable timer lengths
- Automatic focus mode switching


### DailyPlanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dailyplanner/id6762868632)

Organize your day with a paper-inspired digital planner. Features an hourly timeline, task management, notes, and weekly goals. Includes focus timers, customizable themes, and iCloud sync for seamless planning across devices.

**Highlights:** Hourly daily planner timeline, Weekly goals and task management, Private journaling, Focus timer with intervals, Task templates and attachments, Home screen widget and Apple Watch support, JSON backup and PDF export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Focus free?

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

### Is DailyPlanner free?

DailyPlanner costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Focus or DailyPlanner have ads?

Neither Focus nor DailyPlanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Focus or DailyPlanner?

Focus ships an update every 10 days, and DailyPlanner every 3 weeks. Most recently, Focus was updated on November 6, 2026 and DailyPlanner on October 31, 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.*