Focus Bear vs FocusMe

Focus Bear

• People with ADHD or autism who want guided routines, not only a blocker
• Blocking the same distractions on a computer and a phone at once
• Desk workers who want break reminders that stay quiet during calls

FocusMe

• People who tend to switch off or uninstall their own blocker
• Blocking websites and desktop apps on Windows, Mac or Linux
• Buyers who want a lifetime licence instead of a subscription

Focus Bear

• The free Essentials plan caps focus sessions at 25 minutes, blocking at 5 websites and apps, routines at 3 habits and breaks at 3 activities.
• AI-powered blocking, focus modes, focus music, meeting detection and accountability partner features need Pro.
• Billing is monthly; yearly billing has to be arranged by emailing support, and no yearly price is published.
• The US App Store lists a Monthly Plan purchase at $2.99, well below the $9.99 on the pricing page, and the vendor's pages do not explain the difference.

FocusMe

• Monthly and yearly prices are filled in by the payment provider when the pricing page loads; its text states only plans from $9.95 a month and $249 for lifetime.
• The US App Store lists in-app subscriptions at $3.99 and $15.99 a month and $24.99 and $119.99 a year, without saying what each one covers.
• The desktop apps have no free tier once the 14-day trial ends; only the Android and iOS apps can be used without paying.
• On Android, uninstall protection exists only in the direct-download version, not the Play Store one, and plan sync for Android is still in development.

Focus Bear

Cross-device distraction blocking

Block lists and allow lists apply across Mac, Windows, iOS and Android together. By default the app asks whether you really need a site; Grizzly Bear mode blocks anything not explicitly allowed.

Morning and evening routines

Set up a routine once and the app guides you through its habits one at a time each day, blocking distractions while the routine runs.

Break reminders that detect meetings

Prompts short breaks with stretch and movement demos, recommended every 20 minutes. Reminders are held back while the app detects you are on a call.

AI distraction detection

Tell the app what you are working on and it nudges you back when you drift to something unrelated. The vendor says it does not log keystrokes or capture the screen.

Zen mode for your phone

Starting a deep work block on the computer puts the phone into Zen mode, where only the apps you need stay reachable until the session ends.

Pomodoro timer and to-do list

Timed focus sessions sit alongside a to-do list and a browser tab limiter. Free sessions stop at 25 minutes; Pro can chain consecutive sessions for bigger tasks.

FocusMe

Website and app blocking

Block sites by URL, partial URL, page title or RegEx across all browsers, and any desktop app or game. Short-form video such as YouTube Shorts can be blocked while the rest of a site stays open.

Enforced Mode and plan protection

An enforced plan cannot be stopped once it is active. Lighter settings include typing a string of random characters, stop delays, pause limits and approval from an accountability partner.

Block, limit or break plans

Each plan can fully block its targets, give them a daily, weekly or monthly time budget, cap how many times a day they can be launched, or enforce full-screen breaks.

Schedules and Pomodoro cycles

A plan can run from an on-demand Quick Timer, a weekly schedule, Pomodoro work and break cycles, or a multi-day plan.

AI Productivity Coach

Weekly reports compare your screen time with your tasks and goals and recommend changes. Turning Coach on sends the names of the sites and apps you used, with times, to the service.

Built-in task manager

Tasks have priorities, due dates, categories, recurrence and streaks, and the Coach reads the list when it writes its reports.

Focus Bear

• Essentials$0

  Pomodoro sessions up to 25 minutes, up to 5 blocked websites and apps, 3 habits per routine, 3 activities per break, tab limiter and to-do list.

• Pro$9.99

  per month, billed monthly

  Unlimited website and app blocking, AI-powered blocking, consecutive Pomodoro sessions, focus modes, focus music, meeting detection and strictness levels.

FocusMe

• Mobile apps$0

  Android and iOS apps are free to download; blocking, schedules and time limits work without paying. Syncing plans with a computer needs Premium.

• Monthly or YearlyFrom $9.95

  per month; per-plan amounts are filled in at page load

  All features on up to 5 computers plus 2 phones or tablets. The page title gives plans from $9.95 a month; the exact monthly and yearly amounts could not be read.

• Lifetime$249

  one-time

  Pay once for the same features with free updates. The vendor defines lifetime as for as long as the product exists.

Focus Bear

• Education

  50% discount for students

  The pricing page offers students 50% off Pro: enter an official school email address and Focus Bear sends a discount code to use at checkout.

• Other savings

  Discounts for financial hardship

  Focus Bear says people experiencing financial hardship, including hardship due to disability, can request a discount by emailing its support team. It notes that not every request is granted.

FocusMe

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime licence for a one-time $249

  The pricing page lists a Lifetime plan at $249, paid once, with free updates. FocusMe defines lifetime access as lasting for as long as the product exists.

• Education

  30% off for students and educators

  FocusMe offers a 30% educational discount to students and people who work in education, requested through a form with an educational email address.