The FocusMe Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about FocusMe in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
FocusMe
The Insider’s Guide
Website and app blocker with hard-to-bypass enforced plans
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among focus apps, read from FocusMe’s own pages.
Made by Reclaim Time Ltd. · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from FocusMe’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on FocusMe’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 5 of the 65 other focus apps we grade
FocusMe is a website and application blocker for Windows, macOS and Linux with companion apps for Android and iPhone. A plan can fully block its targets, set time or session limits, or force screen breaks, and Enforced Mode makes a running plan hard to stop, pause or edit until it ends. It also includes a task manager and an AI coach that writes weekly reports on your screen time.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about FocusMe, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Exact prices only show once the pricing page loads, and Android plan sync isn't finished.
- 1
Best for a blocker you can't talk your way out of
FocusMe is a blocker whose Enforced Mode makes a running plan hard to stop, pause or edit until it ends, on Windows, Mac and Linux.
- 2
Paid plans start at $9.95 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $9.95 / month (per the pricing page title); $249 lifetime.
- 3
There is a free plan
The Android and iOS apps are free to download, and blocking, schedules and time limits work without paying. The desktop apps need a paid plan after the 14-day trial.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, with a browser extension too.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 5 of 65
That is against the other focus apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of FocusMe you could make: Pomodoro timer, tasks and time tracking. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
FocusMe at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $9.95 / month (per the pricing page title); $249 lifetime
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Reclaim Time Ltd., since 2012
- Category
- Focus Apps
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a blocker you can't talk your way out of
FocusMe is a blocker whose Enforced Mode makes a running plan hard to stop, pause or edit until it ends, on Windows, Mac and Linux. It costs more than most: plans start at $9.95 a month, lifetime is $249, and the desktop apps aren't free after the 14-day trial. Exact prices only show once the pricing page loads, and Android plan sync isn't finished.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Plans start at $9.95 a month when the middle of this category is $3.99, and the exact monthly and yearly amounts only appear once the pricing page loads. Lifetime is $249, more than four years of a typical focus subscription. A plan does cover 5 computers plus 2 phones, and students get 30% off. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The Android and iOS apps are free, and blocking, schedules and time limits work on them without paying. The computer is where the wall is: 14 days with everything and no card, then a paid plan, and syncing your phone's plans needs Premium anyway. |
| Features | B | Block by URL, page title or RegEx, any app or game, or just YouTube Shorts. Plans block outright, set a daily budget, cap launches or force screen breaks, on a schedule or in Pomodoro rounds, and Enforced Mode won't let you stop. Android is the thin bit: plan sync there is still being built. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and this is not an app you open and understand. Plan types, enforcement levels, stop delays, pause limits and accountability partners all want deciding before it does anything for you. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and a browser extension. Short of an A because no integrations or API are listed and Android plan sync is still in development. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who FocusMe is for
- Fits if you tend to switch off or uninstall your own blocker
- Works for people who need websites and desktop apps blocked on Linux as well as Windows or Mac
Who it is not for
- Pricey if a simple blocker would do, with plans from $9.95 a month and lifetime at $249
- Skip it if you want a free blocker on your computer, as the desktop apps need a paid plan after the 14-day trial
- Not for you if you'd use the Play Store version on Android, which has no uninstall protection
- Watch out: the App Store lists subscriptions from $3.99 to $15.99 a month and $24.99 to $119.99 a year, unexplained
- Tight if you want phone and computer plans in sync, as that needs Premium and isn't built for Android yet
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9.95
A month to start. There is a free plan too
FocusMe has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.95 / month (per the pricing page title); $249 lifetime.
The Android and iOS apps are free, and blocking, schedules and time limits work on them without paying.
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 Yearly
From $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.
The free plan
The Android and iOS apps are free to download, and blocking, schedules and time limits work without paying. The desktop apps need a paid plan after the 14-day trial.
Trying it first
14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required
Read from focusme.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on focusme.comEducation
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.
Stated on focusme.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Yearly”, against $24.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | ₱ 1,490.00 | $23.72 | 5% less |
| Canada | $34.99 | $24.60 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 2,499 | $25.83 | about the same |
| Turkey | ₺1.299,99 | $26.44 | 6% more |
| Brazil | R$ 149,90 | $29.95 | 20% more |
| South Africa | R499.99 | $30.24 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £24.99 | $33.04 | 32% more |
| Germany | 29,99 € | $33.61 | 34% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Website and app blocker with hard-to-bypass enforced plans. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, AI features, tasks, site & app blocker, Pomodoro timer, time tracking.
Block by URL, page title or RegEx, any app or game, or just YouTube Shorts.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
FocusMe is made by Reclaim Time Ltd., and has been around since 2012.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
5/65
Other focus apps it is graded above
FocusMe's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 5 of the 65 other focus apps we grade, and level with 12.
It stands best on features (B, above 48 of 65) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $9.95 a month, against a middle price of $2.82 for the category: 38 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 15 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 66 focus apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. FocusMe’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 65
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 65
- BFeaturesAbove 48 of 65
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 65
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 39 of 65
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 56 focus apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. FocusMe is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of FocusMe you could make: Pomodoro timer, tasks and time tracking. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 48 of the 65 other focus apps grade higher. It costs $119.40 a year.
What you could make
- Pomodoro timer, tasks and time tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Blocking that reaches every browser and app and is hard to switch off.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- People on the other end: coaches and accountability partners. No app builder makes those.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. FocusMe’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Cold Turkey Blocker, Freedom, Focus, SelfControl and Focus Bear
The 5 tools FocusMe is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Cold Turkey Blocker
Free plan · from $45 one-time
Website and app blocker for Windows and Mac with strict locks.
- Only FocusMe lists Linux, Android and iOS apps.
- FocusMe also covers tasks and time tracking.
- 2.2GPA
Freedom
Free plan · from $3.33/mo
Website and app blocker that runs across computers and phones.
- Only FocusMe lists a Linux app.
- FocusMe also covers tasks, Pomodoro timer and time tracking.
- Freedom also covers focus music.
- 2.4GPA
Focus
Free trial · from $49 one-time
Mac app that blocks distracting websites and apps on a schedule.
- FocusMe has a free plan. Focus does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only FocusMe lists Windows, Linux, Android and iOS apps.
- Only FocusMe lists a browser extension.
- 2.8GPA
SelfControl
Free
Free Mac app that blocks distracting sites until a timer ends.
- Only FocusMe lists Windows, Linux, Android and iOS apps.
- Only FocusMe lists a browser extension.
- FocusMe can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.4GPA
Focus Bear
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Distraction blocker and guided routines built for ADHD brains.
- Only FocusMe lists a Linux app.
- Only FocusMe lists a browser extension.
- FocusMe can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is FocusMe free?
FocusMe has a free plan. The Android and iOS apps are free to download, and blocking, schedules and time limits work without paying.
How much does FocusMe cost?
FocusMe lists 3 plans. Mobile apps: $0.
What platforms does FocusMe work on?
FocusMe is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. It also has a browser extension.
Does FocusMe offer any discounts?
FocusMe publicly lists the following: Lifetime licence for a one-time $249; 30% off for students and educators.
Is FocusMe open source?
FocusMe is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does FocusMe have a student discount?
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.
Does FocusMe have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required.
Who makes FocusMe?
FocusMe is made by Reclaim Time Ltd. It dates from 2012.
What are the alternatives to FocusMe?
The closest alternatives to FocusMe in our directory are Cold Turkey Blocker, Freedom, Focus, SelfControl and Focus Bear.
How does FocusMe compare with other focus apps?
FocusMe's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 5 of the 65 other focus apps we grade, and level with 12.
Is FocusMe good value for money?
ToolGPA grades FocusMe D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $9.95 a month, against a middle price of $2.82 for the category: 38 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of FocusMe?
The plain part of FocusMe you could make: Pomodoro timer, tasks and time tracking.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from FocusMe’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from FocusMe's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-01.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Reclaim Time Ltd. Prices change, so check focusme.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- FocusMe, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/focusme
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "FocusMe: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/focusme
Know someone choosing between focus apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/focusme/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded focus apps after FocusMe, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Focus Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 66 focus apps we grade, compared
- ScreenZen Insider's GuideFree app that delays and blocks distracting apps and sites3.6 GPA
- Flora Insider's GuideFree focus timer that grows trees, alone or with friends3.2 GPA
- Flow Insider's GuideMinimal Pomodoro timer for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what FocusMe’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. FocusMe is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Reclaim Time Ltd. Prices and plans change: check focusme.com before you buy.