Focus Bear vs Stretchly (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stretchly grades higher than Focus Bear: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Focus Bear grades higher on features and platforms. Stretchly grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Focus Bear
Distraction blocker and guided routines built for ADHD brains
Which one is for you
Pick Focus Bear if
- Fits if you have ADHD or autism and want routines walked through one habit at a time
- Works for people who want the same sites shut on a laptop and a phone at once
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you only want a blocker, at $9.99 a month when the middle of this category is $3.99
- Tight if you're staying free, with 25-minute sessions, 5 blocked sites and apps and 3 habits a routine
- Watch out: AI blocking, focus modes, focus music and meeting detection are all Pro only
- Watch out: no yearly price is published, and the US App Store lists a monthly plan at $2.99, not $9.99
- Not for you if you want it in a browser or wired into your calendar, as there's no web app and no integrations
Pick Stretchly if
- Fits if you sit at a Mac, Windows or Linux computer all day and forget to rest
- Works for people who want a free reminder with no account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want it on a phone, as no mobile version is listed
- Watch out: the Mac build is unsigned and needs a Gatekeeper workaround to open
- Watch out: Mac needs macOS Monterey (12) or later
- Tight if you want preference sync, since Sync Preferences goes to sponsors
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFocus BearFair | 3.0GPAStretchlyVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DPro is $9.99 a month, billed monthly, when the middle of this category is $3.99. Everything useful sits up there: unlimited blocking, the AI nudges, focus music, meeting detection. No yearly price is published, and the US App Store lists a monthly purchase at $2.99 with no explanation of the gap. | AFree and open source, with optional sponsorship on GitHub or Patreon. |
| Free plan and trial | CEssentials is free for good, but you'll hit the walls fast: 25-minute sessions, 5 blocked websites and apps, 3 habits to a routine. The 7-day full-feature trial needs no card, at least. | AThe full app is free; sponsors only get contributor and sync preferences. |
| Features | AMost blockers work one device at a time. This one holds a single block list across Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and starting a session on the computer drops your phone into Zen mode too. Add routines walked through a habit at a time, breaks that go quiet on calls, and AI that nudges you back when you drift. | BMini and long breaks, break ideas, idle and do-not-disturb awareness, postpone and strict mode and command-line control, with no gap the listing names. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record for it, and there's real setting up before it helps: routines built habit by habit, block lists, strictness levels. It isn't open-and-go. | CNo rating on record. The Mac build is unsigned, so first launch needs a Gatekeeper workaround. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with the same block list on all four. No web app, though, and no integrations or API are listed. | CMac, Windows and Linux, a program for computers only, with no phone version. |
| Best for | blocking plus guided routines for ADHD brains | break reminders on Mac, Windows and Linux |
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 Bear and Stretchly. How we grade
Price against what you get
Focus Bear starts at $9.99 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Stretchly has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Focus Bear scores higher, and starts $9.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other focus apps on the chart, 4 score higher than Focus Bear for less, and none scores higher than Stretchly for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Stretchly is open source, according to its own site.
- Focus Bear also covers tasks, site & app blocker, Pomodoro timer, focus music and habit tracking.
- Stretchly also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| Focus Bear | Stretchly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $9.99 / month, billed monthly | Free |
| Free plan | Essentials: Pomodoro sessions of up to 25 minutes, blocking for up to 5 websites and apps, routines of up to 3 habits, breaks of up to 3 activities, a browser tab limiter and a to-do list. | Free app. Optional sponsorship on GitHub or Patreon unlocks contributor preferences and preference sync. |
| Free trial | 7-day full-feature trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Focus Bear Pty Ltd | Jan Hovancik |
| Price read from | focusbear.io | hovancik.net |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Stretchly
- Desktop only; no phone version is listed.
- The Mac build is unsigned, so first launch needs a Gatekeeper workaround.
- Mac needs macOS Monterey (12) or later.
- Sync Preferences and Contributor Preferences go to sponsors and contributors.
Key features
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.
Stretchly
- Mini and long breaks
- Defaults to a 20-second mini break every 10 minutes and a 5-minute long break every 30 minutes; all intervals are adjustable.
- Break ideas
- Each reminder window carries a suggestion for the break.
- Idle and Do Not Disturb awareness
- Pauses breaks after 5 idle minutes and while Do Not Disturb is on.
- Postpone and strict mode
- A break can be postponed once, and strict modes can stop skipping.
- Command-line control
- A stretchly command talks to the running app.
Plans
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.
Stretchly
Free$0
The full app; sponsors also get Contributor Preferences and Sync Preferences.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stretchly
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Focus Bear or Stretchly?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stretchly is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $9.99 a month for Focus Bear. Focus Bear starts at $9.99 / month, billed monthly, and Stretchly is free.
Which has a free plan, Focus Bear or Stretchly?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Focus Bear and Stretchly have a free plan.
Which platforms do Focus Bear and Stretchly run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Focus Bear lists iOS and Android apps and only Stretchly lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.