Around 9% of people purchase productivity apps. While paying for a todo list app doesn’t sound as fun as buying a movie ticket, productivity apps probably have a better ROI (Return on Investment). But with various free and free-to-use apps available, are the pay-to-use apps worth using? Following is a comparison between a subscription and one time cost productivity app.
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Focus Bear
Available on mac, windows, iOS, and Android, Focus Bear is a productivity app targeted towards procrastinators and people with ADHD to help them stick to their goals. It is a subscription-based service for $5 USD per month and offers a 31 day free trial.
Creating Habit Routines
An underappreciated aspect of productivity is preparation. You wouldn’t do a 100m sprint without warming up and the same goes for getting stuck into deep work. There is strong evidence that doing practices like exercise and mediation can help boost focus. Focus Bear lets you craft a morning routine that works for you and guides you through each activity to make sure you do your habits every day without fail.
Once it’s time to begin the habit, Focus Bear takes over the entire device screen to avoid distractions (you can get access to your device again in an emergency). The bear will encourage you and start a countdown of the habit initiated.
Tracking Daily Progress
Knowing how you are improving can be a big source of motivation to keep going. The app will show you your “Focus Summary” of activities you completed for the day.
It also tracks progress for habit routines. Each day after finishing the activity, the app will show you how long you were able to maintain a streak.
Allowing Only What’s Necessary
Focus Bear’s allow list feature lets you block apps and websites. But you only need to list out apps and websites you absolutely need for your task, and the app will block the rest. This should effectively block out all distractions, including the unprecedented ones on your device.
Bear Focus Timer
Bear Focus Timer is a paid ($2.99 one time cost) productivity app for iOS and Android devices. As the name suggests, the app serves as a Pomodoro timer with adjustable work and break sessions.
But unlike most Pomodoro timers, the app starts its timer when you put your smartphone screen down. It can help reduce the anxiety of needing to be productive within the session, especially when you are struggling to even get started properly. That’s not all. It has another effective and unique feature, which is its use of its mascot, the bear.
This friendly and encouraging bear will get angry at you if you attempt to flip your phone, move or drag it across the table. Unless you put your phone flipped down, it will continue fuming at you with anger.
Once the break session starts, you can find the bear fishing. Besides that, the app has white noises to cancel the surrounding noises.
Final Words
Focus Bear and Bear Focus Timer are both effective productivity apps in their own fields. Bear Focus Timer has a charming yet simple design with a mascot serving its purpose of keeping you productive. Its onetime cost is affordable yet it doesn’t quite have the same features as Focus Bear.
Hi I'm Jeremy, and I understand the challenges of living with ASD and ADHD.
