Endel vs focus.music

Endel

• People who work or study better with background sound than silence
• Listening across phone, computer, watch, TV and smart speaker
• US students, who can verify for 66% off Premium

focus.music

• People who work best to instrumental music without vocals
• Former Focus@Will subscribers, whose access carries over
• Timed 25- or 50-minute work sessions with a soundtrack

Endel

• The US App Store lists different in-app amounts, including 1 Month at $19.99, 12 Months at $119.99 and Lifetime at $124.99, so the price depends on where you subscribe.
• Endel's checkout sets prices by region; the dollar figures here are its default list, and other regions are charged different amounts in local currency.
• The App Store listing confirms a Free Edition but does not say which soundscapes it includes.
• The student discount is limited to residents of the United States and is verified through SheerID.

focus.music

• There is no free plan: after the 7-day trial it costs $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year.
• It provides music and session timing only; the pages read describe no website or app blocking.
• focus.music takes the place of Focus@Will, which the vendor says has evolved into this product.
• The Mac app needs macOS 13 or later and the Windows app needs Windows 10 or later; no Linux app is listed.

Endel

Soundscapes generated in real time

Sound is generated on the device as you listen and reacts to inputs such as time of day, weather, heart rate and location, each with its own generative visual.

Focus, Relax, Sleep and Move modes

Four core soundscapes cover concentration, calming down, falling asleep and walking or running. Premium adds others, including Study, Recovery and Colored Noise.

Autoplay

Autoplay chooses a Focus, Relax or Sleep soundscape for the current part of the day, so a session starts with one press.

Scenarios and Focus Timer

Scenarios are timed sessions with set opening, middle and closing phases. The Focus Timer, a Premium feature, pairs interval work with focus sounds.

Offline listening

The store listings state that all soundscapes are available offline.

Watch, TV and smart speaker apps

A standalone Apple Watch app uses heart rate as an input, an Alexa skill works with Routines, and there are apps for Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

focus.music

Human-made focus music

Every track is composed and performed by professional musicians. There are no vocals and, the vendor says, no AI-generated audio.

Guided or free-flow modes

Guided mode recommends a focus environment based on your sessions. Free flow lets you browse and choose a channel yourself, and you can switch between the two at any time.

Timed sessions

Set a 25-minute, 50-minute or custom session, or run with no timer, and give the session the name of the task you are working on.

Recommendations that adapt

The system learns from the sessions you complete and adjusts what it suggests. The vendor describes this as machine learning trained on 16 years of listening data.

Channels and energy levels

A subscription includes every channel and energy level, so you can change the feel of the music when the kind of work changes.

Apps for desktop and mobile

One account works in the browser, in desktop apps for Mac and Windows, and in the iPhone, iPad and Android apps.

Endel

• Free Edition$0

  The edition the app starts in when the subscription offer is dismissed. The store listing does not list what it includes.

• Endel Premium (12 months)$39.99

  per year, web checkout US-dollar list

  Premium soundscapes such as Study, Dynamic Focus, Colored Noise and Recovery, artist collaborations and the Focus Timer.

• Endel Premium (3 months)$19.99

  per 3 months, web checkout US-dollar list

  The same Premium soundscapes and features, billed every three months.

• Endel Premium (1 month)$6.99

  per month, web checkout US-dollar list

  The same Premium soundscapes and features, billed monthly.

• Endel Premium (Lifetime)$249.99

  one-time purchase, web checkout US-dollar list

  Premium for a single payment with no renewal. The US App Store lists its own Lifetime purchase at $124.99.

focus.music

• Monthly$4.99

  per month, billed monthly

  Every channel and energy level, guided and free-flow sessions, and one account across web, iOS and Android.

• Yearly$39.99

  per year ($3.33 / month)

  The same access billed once a year. Both plans unlock everything, and the vendor labels this one a 33% saving.

Endel

• Annual discount

  12 months costs about 52% less than monthly

  On the web checkout's US-dollar list, Premium is $39.99 for 12 months against $6.99 a month, which comes to $83.88 over a year.

• Education

  66% off Endel Premium for students

  US residents in college, accepted into college, or in high school and aged 16 or over get 66% off a 12-month Premium plan after SheerID verification.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Premium for a one-time payment

  The web checkout's US-dollar list includes a Lifetime option at $249.99, paid once. The US App Store lists a Lifetime in-app purchase at $124.99.

focus.music

• Annual discount

  Save 33% with yearly billing

  The pricing page lists Yearly at $39.99, equal to $3.33 a month, against $4.99 billed monthly, and labels it a 33% saving.