# Focus vs Sphinx

The clearest difference is device support: Focus at 4 against Sphinx's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Focus sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Sphinx sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Focus ships an update every 10 days, Sphinx weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Focus | Sphinx |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-deep-work-timer/id975017240/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 302 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meaningful Things GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/896347016) | [Kevin Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896702809) |

## 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


### Sphinx

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphinx-screen-time-puzzles/id6808034180)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sphinx Pro | $4.99 | per month |
| Sphinx Pro | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Focus free?

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

### Is Sphinx free?

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

### Do Focus or Sphinx have ads?

Neither Focus nor Sphinx shows ads.

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

Focus ships an update every 10 days, and Sphinx weekly. Most recently, Focus was updated on October 10, 2026 and Sphinx on October 6, 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.*