Engross vs Regain

Engross

• Students planning study blocks and tracking study time
• People who want a timer, to-do list and planner in one phone app
• Those who lose focus mid-session and want to count the lapses
• Freelancers tracking work hours by label

Regain

• Students preparing for exams who study with a phone nearby
• People who want YouTube limited to chosen study channels
• Friends who want to compete on focus time in a group

Engross

• Phone and tablet only: iPhone, iPad and Android. No desktop or web version is listed.
• The vendor does not say what Engross Premium unlocks; the stores show $5.99 on the US App Store and $0.99 to $7.99 per item on Google Play.
• App blocking appears on the website and the Google Play listing but is not mentioned on the App Store listing.
• The vendor's website is a single page with no pricing, help or documentation pages.

Regain

• The US App Store lists Regain Pro at three monthly and seven annual amounts and does not say which one a new subscriber pays.
• The vendor's refund policy quotes Android prices in rupees only: INR 199 a month or INR 999 a year, lower during offers.
• On iOS, Pomodoro, Strict Mode, premium themes and focus music all need Pro, and the app requires iOS 26 or later.
• YouTube Study Mode, Reels and Shorts blocking and focus groups are described for Android; there is no desktop or web version.

Engross

Pomodoro timer and stopwatch

Focus and break lengths are adjustable, with sessions of up to 180 minutes on Android, and a stopwatch covers open-ended work. A session can be started straight from a task or event.

Distraction button

During a session you tap 'Hit me when you are distracted' each time your attention slips, which the vendor describes as a distraction tracker for building focus.

To-do list

Tasks support sub-tasks, a progress tracker for long jobs, flexible repeats such as twice a week or alternate days, and reminders up to 24 hours ahead.

Planner and calendar

Events and routines sit in a calendar view next to tasks, with recurring events for regular routines and reminders for each entry.

Statistics and labels

Sessions can be tagged with labels. Charts show focus trends, peak performance times and session history, with daily, weekly and monthly study or work totals.

App whitelist and white noise

The Android listing describes an App Whitelist that blocks distracting apps once the timer starts. Both listings include white noise sounds to play while working.

Regain

Focus sessions that block apps

Starting a session blocks the apps you picked until the timer ends. On iPhone this runs through Apple's Screen Time, so Regain does not see the names of the apps you block.

Strict Mode

With Strict Mode on, a session cannot be ended early, and on Android the app cannot be uninstalled until the focus time is over. On iOS Strict Mode is a Pro feature.

YouTube Study Mode

On Android, choose the channels you study from and everything else on YouTube, including Shorts, stays blocked during a session.

Website, Reels and Shorts blocking

Blocks distracting and adult websites, and can block Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat Spotlight and Facebook Reels while the rest of each app stays usable.

Pomodoro timer and focus music

Timer, Stopwatch and Pomodoro modes with adjustable focus and break lengths, sessions tagged by subject, and sounds such as lo-fi, rain, white noise and binaural tracks.

Focus Groups

Join a group with friends or other students preparing for the same exam, focus at the same time and compare totals on a leaderboard.

Engross

• Free$0

  The app is free to download, and the vendor's site describes it as free. The listings do not say where the free version stops.

• Engross Premium$5.99

  US App Store in-app purchase; billing basis not shown

  The only in-app purchase on the iPhone and iPad listing. The listing does not describe what it unlocks.

• Android in-app purchases$0.99 to $7.99

  per item on Google Play (US); the basis is not shown

  Google Play gives only a price range for the Android app's in-app items, without naming them.

Regain

• Free$0

  Unlimited focus sessions, a stopwatch, app blocking during sessions and focus stats.

• Regain Pro (monthly)$9.99 to $19.99

  per month, US App Store; three amounts listed

  Monthly purchases appear at $9.99, $14.99 and $19.99. The listing does not say which one a new subscriber is offered.

• Regain Pro (annual)$29.99 to $149.99

  per year, US App Store; seven amounts listed

  Annual purchases run from $29.99, labelled Yearly Discount, through $39.99, $49.99, $59.99, $79.99 and $99.99 to $149.99.