Focus - Deep Work Timer vs Focused Work
We give Focus - Deep Work Timer a 3.0 GPA and Focused Work a 3.4, out of 4.0. Focused Work grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Focus - Deep Work Timer
Pomodoro timer with tasks and time tracking for Apple devices
Focused Work
Focus timer with custom sessions for iPhone, iPad and Mac
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFocus - Deep Work TimerVery good | 3.4GPAFocused WorkVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BFocus Pro is $6.99 a month or $39.99 a year on the US App Store, about typical for a focus app. But the vendor doesn't list what Pro unlocks, and the store shows yearly items from $19.99 to $49.99, so the price you're offered in the app may differ. | APro is $29.99 a year on the US App Store, or $4.99 a month. Paid yearly, that's about half what a typical focus app costs, and it includes the blocker. Lifetime is $89.99, so the yearly plan is the one to look at. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to download and use, and Pro has a 7-day free trial. But the vendor's pages don't say which features are held back for Pro, so we can't tell you where free stops. | BIt's free to download and the free version doesn't run out. But the vendor's terms only call it limited and never list what's in it. What we do know is that blocking, Shortcuts automation and the Toggl Track link are Pro. |
| Features | ATimed sessions and breaks at lengths you set, tasks grouped into projects, and each session logged against its task. Pie and bar charts cover day, week, month and year, and you can edit the timeline afterwards. Daily goals and a Mac menu bar timer round it off. | ASessions built from Focus, Break and Prepare stages, with Pomodoro and Flowmodoro templates or your own. Add reminders, daily goals, charts for the week, month and year, CSV export and, in Pro, app and website blocking. That's the whole job. |
| Ease of use | B4.4 from about 1,800 App Store ratings. That's decent, but short of the 4.6 an A needs here. Note the Mac app is a separate App Store listing from the iPhone and iPad one. | A4.7 from about 600 App Store ratings. There's no account to register, and your stats and sessions sync through iCloud without you doing anything. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, synced through your own iCloud, with Siri and Shortcuts. All Apple, though. No Windows, Android or web version is listed. | CiPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro, with hooks into Shortcuts, Siri, Alfred and Toggl Track. All Apple, though. No Windows, Android or web version is listed. |
| Best for | a timer and task list across Apple devices | building your own focus sessions on Apple devices |
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 - Deep Work Timer and Focused Work. How we grade
Where they differ
- Focus - Deep Work Timer starts at $6.99 / month, or $39.99 / year (US App Store). Focused Work starts at $4.99 / month, or $29.99 / year (US App Store).
- Focused Work can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Focus - Deep Work Timer also covers tasks and menu bar app.
- Focused Work also covers site & app blocker.
At a glance
| Focus - Deep Work Timer | Focused Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $6.99 / month, or $39.99 / year (US App Store) | $4.99 / month, or $29.99 / year (US App Store) |
| Free plan | Free to download and use. The vendor says Focus Pro unlocks the full experience but does not list which features are held back for it. | Free version with limited features, which the terms do not list. The vendor's FAQ marks content filtering, Shortcuts automation and the Toggl Track link as Pro. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Focus Pro | The terms refer to a free trial of Pro; no length is stated |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Meaningful Things GmbH & Co. KG | Michael Tigas |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Focus - Deep Work Timer
- Apple users who want a timer and a task list in one app
- People who like to review focused time by task in charts
- Mac users who want the timer in the menu bar
- Those who prefer data kept in their own iCloud with no ads
Focused Work
- Apple users who want structured focus sessions, not only a countdown
- People who find a fixed Pomodoro rhythm too rigid
- Toggl Track users who want focus sessions logged as time entries
- Students and professionals who want reminders to stay on task
Worth knowing
Focus - Deep Work Timer
- Apple platforms only: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro. No Windows, Android or web version is listed.
- The vendor does not publish which features need Focus Pro, and its FAQ sends buyers to the App Store for prices.
- The App Store shows yearly items from $19.99 to $49.99, so the price offered in the app may differ from the $39.99 listed first.
- Focus for Mac is a separate App Store listing from the iPhone and iPad app. It needs macOS 14.0 or later, and the iPhone app iOS 18.0.
Focused Work
- Apple platforms only: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. No Windows, Android or web version is listed.
- App and website blocking, Shortcuts automation and the Toggl Track link all need Focused Work Pro.
- Lifetime pricing differs between vendor pages: $89.99 and $119.99 on the US App Store, and $59.99 in the press kit.
- The Toggl link logs completed stages afterwards; the FAQ says it does not start a live running timer in Toggl.
Key features
Focus - Deep Work Timer
- Timed focus sessions
- Sessions and breaks follow the Pomodoro rhythm, with lengths you set yourself. When a session ends, the app shows a full-screen alarm on iOS 26 and a notification elsewhere.
- Tasks and projects
- Tasks are collected in the app and grouped into projects. You pick one before starting a session, so each session is logged against the task it was spent on.
- Statistics and session timeline
- Pie and bar charts break focused time down by task, with calendar views and day, week, month and year ranges. Sessions in the timeline can be added, edited or deleted afterwards.
- Goals
- A daily time goal or a session goal sets a target for the day, and a compact overview compares focused time with last week or last month.
- Mac menu bar timer
- Focus for Mac keeps the timer in the menu bar, offers notification styles from subtle to full-screen, and supports desktop widgets on macOS Sonoma or later.
- Sync across Apple devices
- Tasks, the timer and statistics sync through iCloud between iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, with widgets, Live Activities, Siri and Shortcuts support.
Focused Work
- Focus Sessions
- Sessions divide time into Focus, Break and Prepare stages. Templates cover a plain timer, Pomodoro and Flowmodoro, and the Session Editor builds repeatable sessions with your own stages and durations.
- App and website blocking
- Content filters block or allow chosen websites and iOS and Mac apps while a session runs, and can leave Break and planning stages unfiltered. This is a Pro feature.
- Reminders, reflection and Scratch Pad
- The app sends reminders to stay on task and to take breaks, asks you to rate and reflect on a finished session, and keeps a Scratch Pad for stray thoughts.
- Daily goals and statistics
- Meeting the daily focus goals builds a streak. Charts review the past week, month and year, and completed sessions can be exported as a CSV file.
- Shortcuts and Toggl Track
- With Pro, shortcuts run when a session or stage starts or ends, for example to turn on a Focus mode, and finished stages are logged to Toggl Track with projects and tags.
- Widgets, Live Activities and iCloud
- The timer shows in interactive widgets, Live Activities, StandBy and Picture-in-Picture. Statistics and created sessions sync through iCloud, with no account to register.
Plans
Focus - Deep Work Timer
Free$0
The app is free to download and start using. The vendor's pages do not say where the free version stops.
Focus - Monthly$6.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
Focus Pro paid month to month, after a 7-day free trial. The Mac listing shows the same price.
Focus - 3 Months$14.99
per 3 months, US App Store in-app purchase
A three-month Focus Pro term, shown on the iPhone and iPad listing but not on the Mac one.
Focus Yearly$39.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
Listed first on both listings. Other items named Focus Yearly appear at $19.99, $27.99, $29.99 and $49.99, plus Focus Early Bird at $29.99.
Patron Subscription$59.99
per year (the Mac listing calls it annual)
A higher-priced subscription item on both App Store listings. The vendor's site does not describe what it adds.
Focused Work
Free$0
Free to download with a limited set of features. Blocking, Shortcuts automation and the Toggl Track link are marked as Pro in the vendor's FAQ.
Focused Work Pro - Monthly$4.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
Every feature, including app and website blocking, Shortcuts automation and the Toggl Track link. Renews automatically.
Focused Work Pro - Yearly$29.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
The same Pro features billed yearly. The listing also shows 1-year items at $19.99 and $39.99 and 1-month items at $2.99 and $6.99.
Focused Work Pro Lifetime$89.99
one-time purchase, US App Store
Pro for a single payment. The listing shows a second Lifetime item at $119.99, and the vendor's press kit quotes $59.99.
Ways to pay less
Focus - Deep Work Timer
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs about 52% less than monthly
The US App Store lists Focus Yearly first at $39.99 against Focus - Monthly at $6.99, which comes to $83.88 over twelve months.
Focused Work
- Annual discount
Yearly Pro costs about 50% less than monthly
The US App Store lists Focused Work Pro - Yearly at $29.99 against Monthly at $4.99, which comes to $59.88 over twelve months.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Pro for a one-time payment
The US App Store lists Focused Work Pro Lifetime at $89.99, paid once instead of a subscription. The vendor's press kit quotes $59.99 for lifetime access.
- Other savings
Also available through Setapp
The vendor's site links to Focused Work on Setapp, where the Mac and iOS apps are part of the Setapp app subscription.
