Eisenhower vs Focus Matrix

Eisenhower

• People who sort tasks by urgency and importance
• A free matrix in the browser with no installation
• Short daily lists worked one task at a time with a timer
• Connecting an AI assistant to a task list through MCP

Focus Matrix

• People who prioritize with the Eisenhower matrix
• iPhone, iPad and Mac users who want one priority board
• Be Focused users who want tasks tied to their timer

Eisenhower

• The free Ike plan shows ads and keeps only 10 completed tasks per quadrant; task details, due dates, the Inbox and Dark Mode need General.
• General and President are billed yearly at $58.80 and $118.80. The terms say the monthly prices shown are yearly equivalents.
• The iPhone app is a separate $2.99 purchase, and the help page says there is no Android app yet.
• Board and Calendar views and AI agent access are limited to the President plan.

Focus Matrix

• Apple platforms only: it is offered on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on the Mac App Store, with no Android, Windows or web version listed.
• Cross-device sync, Calendar sync and the Be Focused integration all need the Pro upgrade.
• The Be Focused integration also needs the Pro version of Be Focused, which is sold separately.
• Editing several tasks at once and sharing task lists by email or messages are listed for the Mac version only.

Eisenhower

Four-quadrant matrix

Tasks are filed under Do first, Schedule, Delegate or Don't do, and moved by drag and drop when priorities change. Counters and a warning discourage more than about eight tasks in a quadrant.

Focus Mode timer

A Pomodoro-like egg timer gives one task the whole screen for 25 minutes by default or a chosen duration, with optional halfway and time-up notifications.

Scheduling and delegation

A task can be scheduled in Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook, and the delegate action prepares an email or share dialog containing the task description.

Sync between web and iPhone

Signing in with the same account keeps the web app and the iPhone app in sync automatically. Sign-in works with Apple, Google or an email and password.

Goals, Board and Calendar views

General shows quarterly goals next to the matrix. President adds a full Goals view, a kanban Board and a Calendar with month, week and queue layouts for due dates.

AI agent access

On the President plan an outside AI assistant can read or change tasks, goals, labels and comments through MCP or an API, using personal access tokens that can be revoked.

Focus Matrix

Matrix and list views

Tasks sit in sections by urgency and importance, shown as a matrix or as a list of sections, with an Unsorted section for incoming tasks. Drag and drop moves a task between sections.

Due dates, reminders and repeats

A task can have a due date, an all-day setting, a reminder and a repeat with customizable options. Creation and completion dates are tracked.

Automatic move to Urgent

A task moves to the Urgent side on its own as its deadline approaches, with a notification, or when a task it is linked to is completed.

Tags, sorting and filter presets

Tasks are sorted by title, by due date or manually, organized with tags, and filtered by tag and completion status. Filter presets can be saved and reapplied.

Reports and export

Configurable statistics and reports cover completed tasks, and task lists can be exported to PDF or printed.

Sync and integrations in Pro

Pro syncs data across iPhone, iPad and Mac, syncs tasks with Calendar, and connects to the Be Focused app so a timer can be started from a task.

Eisenhower

• Ike$0

  The classic matrix in the web app with Focus Mode, calendar scheduling, delegation, sync and up to 10 completed tasks of history per quadrant.

• Eisenhower for iPhone$2.99

  one-time purchase on the App Store

  The iPhone app with the matrix, Focus Mode and tasks synced with the web app.

• General$4.90

  per month, billed yearly ($58.80)

  No ads, Dark Mode, Task Inbox, task descriptions, notes and due dates, unlimited completed history, quarterly goals and the Productivity Cockpit.

• President$9.90

  per month, billed yearly ($118.80)

  Everything in General plus the Goals, Board and Calendar views, shared labels across views, and AI agent access through MCP and an API.

Focus Matrix

• Free$0

  Matrix and list views, due dates, reminders, recurring tasks, tags, filters, reports, PDF export and password protection, without sync between devices.

• Monthly Pro$2.99

  per month

  Adds cross-device sync, task sync with Calendar and the Be Focused integration on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

• Yearly Pro$17.99

  per year

  The same Pro features billed once a year, with a 7-day trial.

• Lifetime Pro$34.99

  one-time payment

  The same Pro features unlocked with a single in-app purchase and no renewal.

Eisenhower

No public discounts listed.

Focus Matrix

• Annual discount

  Yearly Pro costs about half of monthly

  The US App Store lists Monthly Pro at $2.99 and Yearly Pro at $17.99, so a year on the yearly plan costs about 50% less than twelve monthly payments.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Pro for a one-time $34.99

  A Lifetime Pro in-app purchase unlocks the Pro features with a single payment in place of the monthly or yearly subscription.