Focus vs HazeOver
We give Focus and HazeOver the same GPA: 2.6 out of 4.0. Focus grades higher on features. HazeOver grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Focus
Mac app that blocks distracting websites and apps on a schedule
HazeOver
Mac utility that dims every window except the active one
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFocusGood | 2.6GPAHazeOverGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$49 once for Focus 2, with no subscription, which is fair for a blocker you'll keep for years. But that licence covers one year of major updates. Getting every future update means the $129 Lifetime. | A$4.99 once, from the vendor's store or the US Mac App Store. That's about a month of a typical focus app, paid a single time. Tips of $5, $7 or $15 are optional at checkout. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but there's a 7-day free trial before you buy, and a 30-day money-back guarantee after. | CThere's no free plan. You can download a free trial from hazeover.com, but the site doesn't say how long it lasts. |
| Features | ABlocks websites in the popular Mac browsers and force quits apps that keep coming back. Add schedules, Pomodoro rounds, a Locked Mode that survives a restart, password-locked profiles, stats, and scripts if you like to tinker. | BIt dims background windows, and it does that one thing fully: adjustable strength and colour, modes for multiple displays, and separate settings for Light and Dark. Shortcuts, Focus filters and AppleScript can all drive it. It doesn't block apps or websites, or time your work. |
| Ease of use | BDrag an app or a site onto the menu bar icon to block it. Firefox needs an add-on installed, while Safari, Chrome and the rest work without one. There's no rating on record to go by, so a B. | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is as far as we'll go. It lives in the menu bar: scroll over the icon to change the strength, double-click to switch it off. One quirk is that the whole screen dims when every window of the current app is closed. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only. The vendor lists no Windows, iPhone or Android version. On the Mac it does work with AppleScript and your own Bash scripts. | DMac only, and the current version needs macOS Ventura 13 or later. It does hook into Shortcuts, AppleScript, Raycast, Alfred, BetterTouchTool and Keyboard Maestro. |
| Best for | blocking sites and apps on a Mac, on a schedule | dimming everything but the window you're in, on a Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Focus and HazeOver. How we grade
Where they differ
- Focus starts at $49 one-time purchase (Focus 2); the older Focus 1 is $29. HazeOver starts at $4.99 one-time purchase.
- Focus also covers site & app blocker, Pomodoro timer and time tracking.
At a glance
| Focus | HazeOver | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 one-time purchase (Focus 2); the older Focus 1 is $29 | $4.99 one-time purchase |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee after purchase | Free trial download from hazeover.com; no length is stated |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Extremely Studios | Maxim Ananov |
| Price read from | heyfocus.com | hazeover.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Focus
- Mac users who want websites and apps blocked on a fixed schedule
- People who want a session they cannot switch off once it starts
- Parents or teachers who lock settings behind a password
- Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
HazeOver
- Large or multiple displays, where the active window is easy to lose
- Cutting glare from bright background windows, especially in Dark Mode
- Cleaner screenshots and screen recordings with the background dimmed
- Mac users who automate their setup with Shortcuts or Focus modes
Worth knowing
Focus
- Mac only: the vendor lists no Windows, iPhone or Android version.
- There is no free plan; after the 7-day trial a license costs $49, or $129 with lifetime updates.
- The $49 Focus 2 license covers one year of major updates and three years of minor updates.
- Firefox needs the Focus add-on installed; Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera and Vivaldi work without one.
HazeOver
- Mac only: the current version needs macOS Ventura 13 or later, with older builds offered for earlier systems.
- It only dims background windows; it does not block apps or websites or time work sessions.
- There is no free plan, and the site does not say how long the free trial lasts.
- When every window of the current app is closed or minimized, the whole screen dims until you switch to another app.
Key features
Focus
- Website blocking
- Blocks chosen websites in the popular Mac browsers, or blocks the whole internet apart from an allow list. Rules can also target specific pages and words.
- App blocking
- Hides a blocked Mac app and, if it keeps reappearing, closes or force quits it. Apps and sites can be added by dragging them onto the menu bar icon.
- Timers and Pomodoro mode
- Built-in timers, including a Pomodoro mode with a chosen number of work rounds, pair blocking with planned breaks.
- Schedules
- Daily, weekly or weekend schedules start blocking at set times without any action from you, and schedules can run overnight.
- Locked Mode and password locks
- A locked session or schedule cannot be stopped until it ends, even after quitting the app or restarting the Mac. Profiles can be locked behind a password.
- Statistics and scripting
- Tracks focused time by day, week, month and year for each profile. Workflows run Bash scripts when a session or break starts or ends, alongside URL handlers and AppleScript.
HazeOver
- Automatic window dimming
- HazeOver highlights the frontmost window or app as you switch and fades everything behind it. The desktop is revealed automatically when you use it.
- Adjustable intensity and color
- Dimming runs from a light shade to a fully opaque background, with a custom color and a fade lasting up to 5 seconds. Scrolling over the menu bar icon changes the intensity.
- Multiple display modes
- It can highlight the front window on each connected screen or dim the displays without keyboard focus, and dimming can be turned off for a specific display.
- Light and Dark appearance settings
- Separate dimming settings are saved for the Light and Dark system appearance, so dimming can switch on, or change strength, along with Dark Mode.
- Shortcuts, Focus filters and AppleScript
- Dimming state and settings can be automated with the Shortcuts app, Focus filters that revert when a Focus mode ends, and AppleScript. A Raycast extension adds quick commands.
- Quick toggles
- A keyboard shortcut or a double-click on the menu bar icon turns dimming on or off, and holding the Fn key pauses it while you drag between apps.
Plans
Focus
Focus 1$29
one-time purchase
The original version with core blocking features, still sold on the checkout page as an older release.
Focus 2$49
one-time purchase
Website and app blocking, schedules, timers and Pomodoro, locked sessions, profiles, password locks, statistics and scripting, with a year of free updates.
Lifetime$129
one-time purchase
Everything in Focus 2, plus early access to new versions and lifetime updates.
Bulk licensesCustom
Special pricing for teams and organizations, by custom quote from the vendor.
HazeOver
HazeOver$4.99
one-time purchase
A license from the vendor's store at $4.99 USD, or the app on the US Mac App Store at the same price. Optional tips of $5, $7 or $15 can be added at checkout.
Ways to pay less
Focus
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license with every future update
The Lifetime license is a one-time $129 payment that adds lifetime updates and early access to new versions; the $49 Focus 2 license includes one year of free updates.
- Other savings
Bulk pricing for teams and organizations
The checkout page's FAQ says Focus offers special pricing for teams and organizations and asks them to get in touch for a custom quote.
HazeOver
- Education
Student discount
The buy page says HazeOver is available with a student discount and links to Student App Centre for it. The page does not state the amount.
- Other savings
Also available through Setapp
The buy page says HazeOver is available to Setapp subscribers, and the download page lists a Setapp Subscription option next to the Mac App Store and direct download.
