A free alternative to Focus Bear
Focus Bear is a routine coach that happens to block things. It walks you through a morning sequence, forces micro-breaks and keeps you on a habit list. If you want the coaching, Otto is not a substitute for it. If you only wanted the blocking, you are paying for a lot of app.
| Focus Bear | Otto | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free tier, then $2.99/mo on iOS or $9.99/mo on the website | Free, all of it |
| Free tier limit | 25 min sessions, 5 blocks, 3 habits | No limit, there is no paid tier |
| Account required | Yes | No |
| Guided routines and habits | Yes, its whole point | No |
| Forced micro-breaks | Yes | No |
| Daily time limit per app | Not documented | Yes |
| Scheduled hard block | Yes | Yes |
| Greyscale | No | Yes |
| Desktop | Yes, Mac and Windows | No |
Where Focus Bear is the better buy
Focus Bear is built for ADHD and autistic users and it is specific about it. Step-by-step routines, habits that only appear on certain days, breaks it will not let you skip, and the same session running across your phone and your computer. If executive function is the problem, a blocker is not the answer and Focus Bear is a serious attempt at the real one.
Where Otto is the better fit
Otto assumes you know what you want to stop doing. It gives you a budget, a schedule and a lock, and then it gets out of the way. No routines to maintain, no account, no monthly price that depends on which page you signed up from.
Otto is free, on both stores
No paid tier, no trial that expires, no account. There is a tip jar in the settings and that is the whole business model.
